he graciously commaunded so sentence should be giuen yet vve require not this as commaunded by Adrian but in as much as you knovve that at the request of the people iustice is to be craued vve haue annexed the coppy of Adrianus his epistle to the ende you may vnderstand vve tell nothinge but that vvhich is true for thus he vvrote CAP. IX The epistle of Adrian the Emperour that no Christian be accused neither suffer without iust cause VNto Minutius Fundanus Proconsul of Asia Adrian fendeth greeting I receaued an Epistle from Serenius Granianus that right vvorthy man and â—hy predecessor the occasion vvherof I can not vvith silence leaue vntoutched lest that thereby men be troubled a gappe left open to the malice of Sycophants VVherfore if your prouincialls can proue ought against the Christians vvhereof they charge them and iustifie it before the barre let them proceede on not appeach them only for the name nether crauâ— vvith outcries against theÌ„ â–ª for it is very expedient that if any be disposed to accuse the accusation be throughly knovvne of you and sifted Therefore if any accuse the Christians that they transgressed the â—â—vves see that you iudge and punish according to the qualitie of the offence but in playne vvordes if any vpon spyte or malice comense or cauill against them see you chastice him for his malice and punish him vvith reuengement This was the epistle of Adrian CAP. X. VVhat Bishops there were of Rome and Alexandria in the tyme of Autoninus AFter that Adrian ruling in the regall scepter the space of one and twenty yeares had runne the race of his naturall life Antoninus called Pius succeeded him in the empyre In the first yeare of whose raygne Telesphorus hauing gouerned the Ecclesiasticall seae eleuen yeares deparâ—ed this life whome â–ª Hyginus succeeded Irenaeus writeth that this Telesphorus was crowned at his death with martyrdome and signifieth withall that in the tyme of the sayde Hyginus â–ª Valentinus the inuentor of his owne heresy and Cerdon author of that error which Marcion afterwardes sucked were manifestly knowne at Rome For thus he writeth CAP. XI The report of Irenaeus toutching the graund heretickes of that tyme with the succession of the Bishops of Rome and Alexandria VAlentinus came to Rome in the tyme of Hyginus â—e flourished vnder Pius and continued vnto Anicetus Cerdon likevvise vvhome Marcion succeeded came vnder Hyginus the nynth Bishop from the Apostles vvho hauing protested his fayth one vvhile perseuered an other vvhile taught priuely aftervvardes confessed his error Agayne being reprehended for the doctrine vvhich he had corruptly taught refrayned the company of the brethren This he wrote in his third booke against the heresies â–ª Cerdon also sucking error of such as vvere Simons adhaerents abiding at Rome vnder Hyginus the nynth by succession from the Apostles taught that God preached of the lavv and Prophets vvas not the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ He said moreouer that Christ vvas knovvne the father of Christ vnknovven Christ vvas iust the father good After him succeeded one Marcion of Pontus a shamles blasphemer vvhich encreased this doctrine Irenaeus dilating that infinite profundity of matter inuented by Valentinus subiect to many errors discloseth openly the malice of the Hereticke being cloked and concealed as it were a serpent hid in his denne After this he remembreth one Marke by name most expert in inagical artes to haue bene in that time for he reuealing their prophane ceremonies and detestable mysteries writeth thus Some prepare their vvedding chamber and accomplish the seruice to be sayd ouer them that are to be consecrated vvith charmed vvordes and hauing thus done they call it a spiritual mariage â–ª conformable to the celestial copulation Some bring them to the vvater in baptizing say thus In the name of the vnknovven father of all thinges in the truth mother of all thinges and in him vvhich descended vpon Iesus Some other pronounce hebrevv vvords to the end the yong conuerts might thervvith be the more amazed But omitting these things after that the fourth yeare of Hyginus was expired Pius tooke the publicke ministery of y â— church of Rome At Alexandria Marke is chosen their shepherde when Eumenes had continued there Bishop thirteene yeares After Marke had bene Bishop ten yeares Celadion succeeded him in y e church of Alexandria And at Rome after y e death of Pius which departed the fiftenth yeare Anicetus was placed minister vnder whom Egesippus sayth of him self y â— he came to Rome where he remained vnto the time of Eleutherius But specially Iustinus at that time disposing the heaueÌ„ly doctrine in a Philosophers atyre contending by his commentaryes for the faith which he embraced Wrote a booke against Marcion who at y â— present time liued was wel knowne for these are his words Marcion of Pontus at this present teacheth such as harken vnto him to beleue in a certaine God greater then the maker of all things vvho among all sortes of men ayded by the subtiltie of Satan hath seduced many to blaspheme and to deny the maker of all thinges to be the father of Christ and to confesse some other that should be greater then he â–ª as many as come of him are called Christians euen as it fareth vvith Philosophers though they be not addicted to the same precepts in philosophie yet the name of a Philosopher is common to all To these he addeth VVe haue vvritten a booke against the heresies novv raigning if you please you may reade it The same Iustinus hath valiantly encountred with the Gentiles dedicated Apologies in the defence of our fayth vnto Antoninus by syrname Pius and to the Senate of Rome for he dwelled at Rome and declareth who and whence he was in his Apologie writing thus CAP XII The beginning of Iustinus Martyrs Apologie for the Christian faith VNto the Emperour Titus Aelius Adrianus vnto Antoninus Pius most noble Caesar and vnto Verissimus his adopted sonne and true Philosopher vnto Lucius sonne of the Philosopher Caesar and adopted of Pius fauourer of learninge and vnto the sacred Senate vvith all the people of Rome in their behalfe vvhich among all sortes of men are vniustly hated and reprochfully dealt vvithall Iustinus the sonne of Priscus Bacchius borne in Flauia a nevve city of Syria in Palaestina one of them and one for them all doe make this request c. The same Emperour receauing a supplication of others in the behalfe of the brethren in Asia which were greeued with all kinde of contumelyes practised vppon them by their prouincialls graciously sent vnto the commonaltye of Asia this constitution CAP. XIII The epistle of Antoninus Pius vnto the commons of Asia in the behalfe of the Christians not to be persecuted THe Emperour Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus Armenicus Pontifex maximus fiftene times tribune thryse Consul vnto the communalty of Asia sendeth greeting I am
chosen byshop of Alexandria There is also of the same author an epistle vnto Aristides of the difference or disagreeinge in the Genealogie of Christ written by Mathewe and Luke where manifestly he proueth the consent and agreement of the Euangelistes out of a certaine historie which came to his handes whereof in his proper place that is in the firste booke of this present historie we haue made mention before CAP. XXXI VVhen and where Origen wrote vpon the Prophets ABout this tyme Origen published commentaries vpon Esaye afterwardes vpon Ezechiel of the whiche vpon the thirde parte of the Prophete Esaye vnto the vision of the fourefooted beastes in the wyldernesse there came vnto our handes thirtye tomes and vpon the Prophet Ezechiel in the whole fiue and tvventie the whiche he wrote beyng at Athens He beganne to comment vpon the Canticles so that therevpon he finished fiue bookes and afterwards returninge from Caesarea he made them out tenne bookes What neede we presently to recite an exacte catalogue of his workes for it requireth a seuerall volume when as we haue runne them ouer in the lyfe of Pamphilus who suffered martyrdome in our tyme. where we commendinge the lyfe of Pamphilus his earnest and greate studie haue made catalogues and indexes for the librarie whiche he buylded gatheringe together both the workes of Origen and also of other ecclesiasticall writers â—here if any man be so disposed he shall readily finde all the perfect volumes of Origen as many as came to our knowledge Nowe let vs proceede on further to the discourse of that whiche followeth in this present historie CAP. XXXII Origen reduceth Beryllus into the ryght waye who aforetyme sauored not a ryght of the deuine nature in Christ. BEryllus byshop of Bostra in Arabia of whome we haue spoken a little before went about to establyshe forrayne and straunge doctrine from the fayth to the ouerthrowe of the ecclesiasticall canon he was not afrayde to saye that our Lorde and sauiour before his incarnation had no beynge accordinge vnto the circumscription of a proper and seuered substance neither had a proper but onely his fathers diuinitie dwellinge in himselfe When as by reason of this matter many byshops had dealt with him by conference and disputation Origen also amongest others was sent for who conferred with him at the fyrste to vnderstande the grounde of his opinion whiche beynge vnderstoode and perceauinge him not to beleeue aryght rebuked him perswaded him with reasons conuinced him with manifest proofe restrayned him with true doctrine and restored him agayne to his former sounde opinion The actes of Beryllus the synodes summoned for his sake the questions moued by Origen vnto him the disputations helde in his owne congregation with all the other circumstances thereunto appertayninge are at this daye extant and many mo infinite things haue our elders remembred of Origen all which I passe ouer as impertinent to this present purpose Such thinges as concerne him and are necessarie to be knoweÌ„ may be gathered out of the Apollogy the which we wrote in his behalfe together with Pamphilus Martyr a man that florished in our tyme against contentious quarellers CAP. XXXIII Of Philip a Christian Emperour and his humilitie WHen Gordianus had bene Emperour of Rome sixe yeares Philip together with his sonne Philip succeeded him of this man it is reported that he beinge a Christian and desirous vpon the last day of the Easter vigils to be partaker and ioyned with the multitude in their ecclesiasticall prayers coulde not be admitted before he had firste rendred an accompt of his faith coupled him selfe with them which for their sinnes were examined and placed in the rowme of penitents otherwise he shoulde not be addmitted because that in many thinges he was fautye which Emperour willingly obeyed and declared by his workes his syncere and religious minde towards God CAP. XXXIIII Dionysius succeeded Heraclas at Alexandria IT was the thirde yeare of the raygne of Philip and the sixteenth yearâ— of Heraclas Bishop of Alexandria when Dionysius succeeded him in the Bishops seae CAP. XXXV VVhat time Origen sett his scriueners â—mâ—rke and when his other workes were written ABout that tyme fayth as it was very requisite taking roote and the Gospell freely preached throughout the world Origen as they reporte aboue threescore yeare old being much worne and wasted by reason of his longe studie and painfull exercise now at length firste permitted and not before that those things which he had publiquely preached and disputed should by notaries be coppied out Then wrote he agaynst the booke of Cellus the Epicure intitled the vvorde of trueth eyght bookes after them fiue and tvventy tracts vpon the Gospel after Matthewe and others vppon the tvvelue Prophets whereof we haue founde fiue and tvventy in the whole there is extant an epistle of his vnto the Emperour Philip and an other vnto his vvife the Empresse Seuera with sundry others vnto other men of the which as many as we coulde finde being scattered here and there which exceeded the number of a hundred we haue collected and comprised in seuerall volumes to the ende they should no more be dispersed He wrote also to Fabianus Bishop of Rome and to sundry other Bishops and gouernours of Churches of his sounde opinions and doctrine the specialities thereof thou maist see in the sixt booke of our Apollogie written in his behalfe CAP. XXXVI Origen confuted the Arabians which taught that the soules were mortall THere rose certayne at that time in Arabia which were authors of pernicious doctrine they taught that in this present life the soules dyed and perished together with the bodye and that in the generall resurrection they rose together and were restored to life agayne A great synode was summoned together for this cause so that agayne Origen was sent for who publikely so discoursed and disputed of this question that he purged withdrewe their seduced minds from this foule error CAP. XXXVII Origen openeth and confuteth the heresie of the Helcesaits THen also sprange vp the poysonâ—d opinion namely the heresie of the Helcesaitae whiche was no sooner risen but it was rooted out Origen made mention thereof expounding in the open audience of the congregation the fourescore and seconde Psalme where he sayth thus In these our dayes stept forthe one vvhich faced out that he vvas able to auoutche the most detestable opinion called the heresie of the Helcesaitae lately sovven in the Churche â–ª vvhat cancred poyson is contayned in this opinion I vvill tell you lest that ye also be deceaued This heresie disalovveth of some of the holy Scripture vvholy agayne allovveth of some other both in the olde and nevv testament This heresie denieth Paul vvholy This heresie counteth it an indifferent thing if thou deny or not deny vvith thy mouth in the time of persecution so that thou persist faithfull in thine hearte They vse a certayne booke vvhich as
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
before of Spaine could in no wise brooke that Paulus and Athanasius should be absent the Easterne bishops forthwith depart and cōming to Philippi a citie in Thracia they assemble a priuate coūcell among thē selues beginne thenceforth openly to accurse the creede cōtaining the claule of One substance to sowe abrode in writing their opinion that the sonne was not of one substance w t the father But the assembly of bishops which cōtinewed at Sardice first cōdemned them which fled from the hearing of their cause next deposed from their dignities the accusers of Athanasius afterwards ratified the creede of the Nicene coūcell abrogated the hereticall opinion which said that the sonne was of a different substance from the father last of all sett forth more plainely the clause of One substance for they wrote letters therof sent them throughout the whole world Both sides were pleased with their owne doings and euery one seemed to him selfe to haue done right well the bishops of the East because the Westerne bishops had receaued such as they had deposed the byshops of the West because the Easterne bishops being deposers of others had departed before y ◠hearing of their cause the one for that they mayntained the Nicene creede the other for that they went about to condemne it Their bishoprickes are restored to Paulus and Athanasius likewise to Marcellus bishop of Ancyra in the lesser Galatia who a litle before as we sayd in our first booke was deposed who also then endeuoured with all might to disproue and confute the sentence pronounced against him saying that the phrase and maner of speach which he vsed in his booke was not vnderstoode and therefore to haue bene suspected by them as if he mayntayned the heresie of Paulus Samosatenus Yet we may not forget that Eusebius Pamphilus wrote three bookes to the confutation of the booke of Marcellus where he citeth the words of Marcellus and refuteth them plainly declaring that Marcellus no otherwise then Sabellius the Aphrick Paulus Samosatenus thought that the Lorde Iesus was but onely man CAP. XVII An Apologie or defence in the behalfe of Eusebius Pamphilus that he was no Arian as diuers malicious persons wrote of him BEcause that diuers haue bruted abroade sclaunderous reports of Eusebius Pamphilus affirming that in his workes he sauoured of the heresie of Arius I thinke it not amisse presently to laye downe in fewe wordes what of trueth we may thinke of him Firste of all he was both present at the Councell of Nice and subscribed vnto the clause of One substance In his thirde booke of the lyfe of Constantine he hath these wordes of that Councelll The Emperoure dealt so farre vvith them for the reducinge of them vnto concorde and vnitie that he lefte them not vntyll he had brought them to be of one mynde and of one opinion toutchinge all that afore tyme vvas called into controuersie so that vvith one voyce they all embraced the fayth decided in the Councell of Nice If Eusebius then mentioninge the Councell summoned at Nice doth saye that all quarells and questions were there ended and that all were of one minde and of one opinion howe is it that some dare presume to charge him with the spotte of Arianisme The Arians them selues also are foulie deceaued if they take him for a fauourer of their opinion But some man peraduenture wyll saye that he seemed to smell of Arianisme in that he vsed often tymes in his bookes this phrase By Christ. Whome I answere that not onely he but also other ecclesiasticall writers yea and the Apostle him selfe who was neuer once suspected to be the author of any lewde opinion vsed this phrase before them which wrote such kinde of speache and sundrie other sortes of sentences for the liuely settinge forth and expressinge of the order and maner of our sauiours humanitie But what Eusebius thought when Arius taught that the lonne was a creature and to be accompted as one of the other creatures nowe vnderstande for in his first booke agaynst Marcellus he writeth thus He alone and none other is both called and is in deede the onely begotten sonne of God VVherefore they are vvorthy of reprehension vvhich are not ashamed to call him a creature and to say that he beganne of nothinge as other creatures did Hovve shall he be the sonne or after vvhat sort may he be called the onely begotten of God vvhen as he hath as they say the same nature vvith other creatures and is become one of the vulgare sort of men to wete hauinge the like beginninge vvith them and beyng made partaker vvith them of the creation vvhich is of nothinge But the holie scriptures Ivvis teache vs no such thinges of him And agayne a litle after he sayeth VVhosoeuer then sayeth that the sonne vvas begotten of nothinge or that the principall creature beganne of nothing he attributeth vnto him vnaduisedly the onely name of the sonne but in very deede and in trueth he denyeth him to be the sonne For he that is begotten of nothinge can in no vvyse be the true sonne of God no more can any other thinge that hath the lyke beginninge But the sonne of God truely begotten of the father him selfe is to be termed the onely begotten and the vvelbeloued of the father and so he shall be God For vvhat other thinge is the budde or branche of God then that vvhich resembleth the begetter The kinge is sayde to buylde or make a cytie but not to begette a cytie and so he is sayde to begette a sonne but not to buylde or make a sonne In respect of the vvorke he vvrought he is not called a Father but a cunninge vvorkeman and in respect of the sonne he begatte he is not called a vvorkeman but a father VVherefore the God of all vniuersalitie is worthely to be called the father of the sonne yet the framer and maker of the worlde Although it be once found written in a certaine place of holie scripture The Lord made me the beginning of his wayes for the accomplishing of his workes yet as I am minded immediatly to interpret it behoueth vs to skanne narowly and to sift out with diligence the sense vnderstanding thereof not after the maner of Marcellus with one word to shake the chiefe principles of christian religion These many other such like reasons hath Eusebius alleaged in his first booke against Marcellus to y ◠cōfutation of his opinion In his third booke he hath expounded how this word Made or created is to be vnderstood as followeth These things being after this sort it remaineth that we cōsider of this sentence The Lord made me the beginning of his wayes for the accomplishing of his works which is no otherwise to be taken then the other thinges we expoūded before For in case he say that he is made he sayth it not as if he became something of nothing or that he
them with greate solemnity into the Martyrs temple and there laid them vp Shortely after Chosroes sent other giftes vnto this holy temple namelye amongest others a dishe made of Gold wherein these wordes were wrytten I Chosroes kinge of kinges the sonne of Hormisda caused these thinges to be wrytten in this dishe not for men to gaze at neyther that the worthines of thy reuerende name shoulde be knowen by my wordes but partely for the trueth therein contained and partly for the manifold benefites and liberality receaued at thy handes For I thinke my selfe happy that my name is ingrauen in thy holy vessels At my beinge in Beramias I made humble sute vnto thee holye Sergius that thou wouldest come and helpe me and that Sira my wife mighte conceaue And thoughe Sira were a christian and I a pagan and our lawe forbade vs to take a christian to our wife yet for the singular loue I bare vnto thee the law in this woman tooke no place and I haue not ceasâ—ed neyther doe I ceasâ—e day nighte to loue her entierelye amonge the reste of my wiues VVherefore O holye Sergius I thoughte good to beseeche thy goodnes that she might be with child And moreouer I made thee a vowe promised if Sira did conceaue I woulde sende the crosse whiche she weareth vnto thy moste holye temple Therefore I verily and Sira pondering this with our selues and purposing to keepe this crosse for a memoriall of thy name O holy Sergius haue thought good in stâ—ode of the crosse to send the price thereof and because it exceedeth not foure thousande and foure hundred staâ—â—rs we haue augmented it and made it vppe fiue thousande And from the time we made this petition and determined this with our selues vnto our comminge to Rhoson Chosâ—on there were not expired past fourteene dayes at vvhat time O holy Sergius not that I my selfe was worthy but of thine owne goodnes thou didest appeare vnto me in my sleepe and toldest me the thirde time that Sira had conceaued And I also in the same vision answered thee plainely the thirde time thaâ— whiche was conuenient and became my person VVherefore because thou graâ—â—test such petitions as are made vnto thee from that daye forthe Sira felt not the common disease of women I of myne owne parte althoughe I caste doubtes with my selfe whether I were best to credit thy wordes or no for all thou arte a graunter of requestes yet seeing that Sira had not the womens disease then was I sure of the vision and that thy wordes were true VVherefore without any more adoe I sente this crosse together with the price thereof vnto thy moste holy temple and commaunded that with the price one dishe and one cup should be prouided for the celebration of the diuine mysteries that againe there should a crosse be made a ceÌ„sar both of golde to serue the holy table and an vnicon open of either side and gilded ouer last of all that the rest of the summe which remayned shoulde be put vp to minister necessaries for thy holy house that thou O holy Sergius wilt helpe both me and Sira not onely in other things but specially in this request and that that which happened vnto vs through thy intercession by thy mercy goodnes may take prosperous successe and fall both vnto me to Sira as we wish our selues To the end both I Sira and all others throughout the world may * put theyr trust in thy power beleue in thee These presentes of Chosroes seeme to vtter such things as are agreable with the prophecie of Balaam whiche no doubt came to passe by the prouidence of God that pagans shoulde pronounce godly sentences CAP. XXI Of Naamanes the Saracen ABout that time Naamanes tribune of the people Scenetae so wicked a person that he slewe men with his owne handes for sacrifice to Deuells came to be baptised caused the golden picture of Venus to be melted with fire and turned to the vse of the poore he became so zelous that he perswaded as manye as belonged vnto him to embrace the Christian faith Gregorie after the crosses were giuen by Chosroes was commaunded of the Emperour to visite all the Monasteries called Limeta throughout the wildernes but specially where the wicked doctrine of Seuerus raygned so that he expounded vnto them the syncere true faith conuerted many townes villages Monasteries and wholl nations vnto the Church of God CAP. XXII The death of holy Symeon that dwelled in a pillour IN the meane space when moste holye Symeon was so daungerouslye sicke that there remayned for him no hope of longer life Gregorie beinge by me certified thereof made all the speede he coulde to be presente when Symeon gaue vppe the Ghoste But he had not his desire This Symeon for his rare giftes and excellente vertues passed all the men of his time he led in a pillour a seuere life euen from his tender youth in so muche that he chaunged his teeth in that mansion He was perswaded to liue in a pillour vpon suche an occasion as followeth Beinge of tender yeares playinge leapinge and skippinge to and fro about the toppes of hilles and greenes as the maner is of children he lighted by chaunce vpon a Lybard tooke his girdle and tyed him about the necke led the beaste whiche nowe had put of his fierce nature by the girdle as if it had bene a bridle and broughte him home to his Monastery His mayster who ledde his life in a pillour seeinge this enquired of him what he had in his girdle the boye answered it was a catte His mayster gatheringe hereby that he woulde proue hereafter a worthye man trayned him vppe to leade his life in a pillour In whiche pillour together with an other also standinge vpon the toppe of an hill he liued threescore and eyghte yeares replenished with all graces from aboue He caste out Deuells he cured euerye disease and infirmitye he sawe thinges to come as if they had beene presente He foretolde Gregorie that he shoulde not be presente at his deathe and that he knewe full litle of the thinges which were like to ensue after his death And when as I also muzed with my selfe after the losse of my children and examined what the cause was whye the Gentiles whiche had children at will were not visited in like sorte Symeon althoughe I vttered my secretâ—es to no man wrote vnto me that I shoulde refrayne from suche cogitations that they were suche as offended God Furthermore when the wife of my Scribe hadde her milke after shee was deliuered so stopâ—e in her breastes that there woulde not a droppe come forthe and therefore the infante was like to dye Symeon tooke her husbande by the hande bad him goe and laye it on his wiues brest This beinge done immediatly the milke came runninge out as if it had bene a streame and wet all the womans garmente Vnto these that wente before we may adde
Christ our Lorde is taken in their nets of vvhom vve speake before vnder the shadovve of his vvinges vve shal be preserued aliue among the Heathen Dauid also being amazed because of his name expostulateth the matter thus VVhy sayth he haue the Gentiles raged and the people imagined vayne thinges The kinges of the earth stoode foorth and the princes assembled together against the Lorde and against his Christ To these he addeth in the parson of Christ saying The Lorde sayde vnto me thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee Aske of me and I shall geue thee the Heathen for thine inheritaunce and the endes of the earthe for thy possession The name of Christ therefore among the Hebrewes hath not onely honored those that were adorned with the high priesthood anointed with figuratiue oyle prepared for that purpose but also princes whom the Prophets by the precept of God haue anoynted and made figuratiue Christs because they figuratiuely resembled the deuine worde of God and the regall and princely power of the onely and true Christ gouerning all thinges And moreouer we haue learned certaine of the Prophets typicalye by their anoynting to haue bene termed Christs Al they had a relation vnto the true Christ the deuine and heauenly worde the onely highpriest of all the king of all creatures and the chiefe Prophet of the father ouer all other Prophets the proofe hereof is playne for none euer of all them that typicaly were anoynted were they Princes or Priests or Prophets haue purchased vnto them selues suche deuine power and vertue as our sauiour and Lorde Iesus Christ sole and singuler hath shewed None of all them howe famous so euer they were found among their owne throughout many ages by reason of their dignitie and honor haue bestowed this benefit vpon their subiects that by their imaginatiue appellation of Christ they should by name be consecrated Christians in deede Neyther hath the honor of adoration bene exhibited by the posteritie vnto any of them neither after their death hath there bene any such affection that for their sake any prepared them selues to dye for the maintenance of their honor neither hath there bene any tumult among the Gentils throughout the worlde for any of them the power of the shadow was not of such efficacy in them as the presence of the verity by our sauiour declared which resembled nether the forme or figure of any nether linealy descended according vnto the fleshe from the Priests neither was exalted by the might of men vnto his kingdome neither prophecied after the maner of the auncient Prophets neither obtayned any preeminence or prerogatiue amonge the Iewes yet for all this Christ being by the diuine spirite adorned with all these dignities though not in types yet in trueth it selfe and enioyinge all the gyftes of those men whereof mention is made he hath bene more published and preached and hath powred vpon vs the perfect ornature of his moste reuerent and holy name not turning henceforthe vnto types and shadowes such as serue him but vnto the naked trueth the heauenly life and vndoubted doctrine of verity his anoynting was not corporall but spirituall by participation of the vnbegotten dyetie of the father the whiche thinge Esai declareth when as in the person of Christ he breaketh out into these wordes The spirite of the Lorde vpon me vvherefore he anoynted me to preache glad tydinges vnto the poore he sent me to cure the contrite in hearte to preache deliuerance vnto the captiues and sight vnto the blinde Not Esay alone but Dauid also touching the person of Christ lifteth vp his voyce and sayeth Thy throne ô God lasteth for aye the scepter of thy kingdome is a right scepter thou hast loued righteousnes and hated iniquitie vvherefore God euen thy God hath anointed thee vvith the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy felovves of the which the first verse termeth Christ God the seconde honoreth him with regall scepter thence consequently passing vnto the rest he sheweth Christ to be anoynted not with oyle of corporal substance but of deuine that is of gladnes whereby he signifieth his prerogatiue and surpassing excellencie and difference seuering him from them which with corporall and typicall oyle haue bene anoynted And in an other place Dauid declaring his dignitie sayeth The Lorde sayde vnto my Lorde sit thou on my right hand vntil I make thine enemies thy footestole And out of my vvombe before the day starre haue I begotten thee The Lorde svvare neither vvil it repent him thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech This Melchisedech in the sacred Scriptures is sayde to be the Priest of the most highe God so consecrated and ordayned neither by any oyle prepared of man for that purpose neither by succession of kindred attayning vnto the priesthoode as the maner was among the Hebrewes Wherfore our Sauiour according vnto that order and not others which receaued signes shadowes is published by performance of the othe Christ and Priest So that the history deliuereth him vnto vs nether corporally anoynted among the Iewes nether borne of the priestly tribe but of God him self before the day starr that is being in essence before the constitution of all worldly creatures immortall possessinge a priesthoode that neuer perisheth by reason of age but lasteth worlde without ende Yet this is a greate and an apparent argument of his incorporeall and deuine power that alone of all men that euer were and now are among all the wightes in the worlde Christ is preached confessed testified and euery where among the Grecians and Barbarians mentioned by this name and hitherto among all his adherentes honored as King had in admiration aboue a Prophet glorified as the true and the onely high Priest of God surpassing all creatures as the worde of God consisting in essence before all worldes receauing honor and worship of the father honored as God him selfe and which of all other is most to be marueled at that we which are dedicated vnto him honour him not with tongue onely garrulous talke of whispering wordes but with the whole affection of the minde so that willingly we preferre before our liues the testimony of his trueth CAP. v. That the Christian religion is neither newe neither straunge I suppose these thinges to haue bene necessaryly placed by me in the beginning of this history lest that any surmise our Sauiour and Lorde Iesus Christ to be a newe vpstarte by reason of the time of his being in the fleshe Nowe agayne leste that any so deeme his doctrine as newe founde and straung deliuered by such a one so thought of and nothing differing from other in 〈◊〉 doctrines let vs then in fewe wordes entreat and reason of this the which we may take for vndoubted For when as the comming of our Sauiour Christ was now freshe in the mindes of all men and that a newe nation neither smale nether weake neither such as
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
auncient fathers thus much shall suffice fourtene Epistles of Paul are manifest and well knowen but that diuers reiected the Epistle which is vnto the Hebrues alleadging the contradiction of the Churche of Rome that it was not Paules I thinke it requisite to knowe and what our Predecessors hereof haue thought I will lay downe when occasion serueth The Actes which goe vnder the name of Paule were neuer taken as vndoubted And because the same Apostle in his Epistle vnto the Romaines saluteth certayne and amongest others Hermes therefore appoynt they the booke called Pastor to be his which hath bene gaynesayd of many therefore not to be numbred amonge those bookes which are for certayne Others thought this booke very necessary especially vnto them that haue neede of an elementall introduction but we haue knowne him to haue bene publikely reade in the Churche and alleadged of many auncient writers in their workes let this much be spoken of the holy Scriptures as well of the generally receaued as of the doubtfully reiected CAP. IIII. Of the succession of the Apostles THat Paul preaching vnto the Gentyles planted the Churches from Ierusalem vnto Illyricum it is manifest both by his owne wordes and the testimony of Luke in the Actes In what prouinces Peter preached vnto them of the circumcision and deliuered the doctrine of the newe testament it appeareth by his wordes and also by the Epistle whiche of trueth is sayde to be his written to the Hebrues scattered throughout Pontus Gallacia Cappadocia Asia and Bythinia But how many and what sincere followers haue fedd the Churches planted by the Apostles it can not be affirmed but as farre forthe as can be gathered out of the wordes of Paul He had many fellowe laborers and companions as he called them whereof diuers haue purchased immortall memorye for so much as he maketh continuall mention of them in his Epistles and Luke in the Actes repeting the most famous remembreth them by name Timothe is reported to be the firste Bishop of Ephesus and Titus of the Churches in Creta Luke by lyne of Antioche by profession a Phisician hauinge his conuersation of purpose for the moste parte with Paule and the reste of the Apostles lefte vs proofes of skyll comprysed in two volumes medicinable for our soules healthe sought out amonge them One of the Gospell whiche he reporteth to haue published accordinge as he receaued of them whiche from the beginninge were behoulders and mynisters of this doctrine so that he searched all from the originall the other of the Actes of the Apostles where he compiled not onely the thinges hearde with his eares but also the thinges whiche he sawe with his eyes And of Paule they saye that he accustomed to mention the Gospell of Luke when he spake as of his owne sayinge accordinge vnto my Gospell Amonge the other fellowes of Paule Crescens is witnessed to haue bene sent by the Apostle him selfe into Fraunce Toutchinge Linus we spake before that he was the firste Byshop of Rome after Peter whome he remembreth to haue bene with him at Rome in his latter Epistle vnto Timothe And Clemens the thirde Byshop of Rome is proued by his testimonye to be Paules fellovve laborer and companion Moreouer Dionysius the Areopagite whome Luke in the Actes reporteth to haue firste beleued at the Sermon of Paule vnto the Athenians preached in Areopagus was the firste Bishop of Athens but an other Dionysius there was Byshop of the Churche of Corinthe In processe of our history we will dilate of the successors of the Apostles in their seuerall tymes succeeding nowe let vs turne vnto that whiche consequently dependeth vpon the historye CAP V. Of the vtter besieging of the Iewes after the passion and resurrection of Christ AFter that Nero had raygned thirtene yeares Otho and Galba one yeare and six monethes Vespasianus was counted a potent Prince in Iudaea amonge the armyes appoynted against the Ievves and being proclaymed Emperour of the hoast that there was forthe with he is sent to Rome committing vnto his sonne Titus the warres in hande agaynste the Ievves therefore after the ascention of our Sauiour because the Ievves besydes the haynous offence committed agaynst Christ had compassed manyfould mischiefes against his Apostles firste stoning Stephen to death next beheading Iames the sonne of Zebede and the brother of Iohn with the sworde and aboue all Iames their first Bishop after the ascention of our Sauiour with the manner afore mentioned and draue out of Iudaea the rest of the Apostles pursuing them to the deathe with innumerable wyles when as nowe they were sent by the power of Christ to preache vnto all nations sayinge vnto them goe teache all nations in my name Yea and the congregation of the faythfull in Ierusalem forewarned by an oracle reuealed vnto the beste approued amonge them that before the warres beganne they shoulde departe the cytye and inhabite a village beyonde Iordan called Pella into the whiche when the Christians leauing Ierusalem had entred and the holy men had forsaken the princely principall citye of the Jevves together with all the lande of Iudaea the heauye hande of God apprehended that wicked generation vtterly to roote them from amonge men whiche had practysed so presumptuously agaynst Christ and his Apostles howe many mischiefes haue happened at that tyme vnto this whole nation and howe they chiefely whiche enhabyted Iudaea were driuen to extreame myserye and how many millions of men throughout euery age together with women and children perished with the sworde with famyne and with infinite other kindes of deathe and how many and what cityes of the Ievves were destroyed to be shorte howe many calamityes and more then calamityes they sawe whiche fledde vnto Ierusalem as the Metropolytane and best fortyfied citye Moreouer the state of the whole warres and the seuerall actes thereof and howe at lengthe the abomination of desolation foreshewed by the Prophetes standing in that famous temple of olde suffered a diuerous destruction and an vtter ouerthrowe by fire he that listeth to knowe let him reade the historye of Iosephus where all these are diligently described I thinke it necessarye to note howe Iosephus writeth that vppon the solempne dayes of Easter there were gathered together at Ierusalem out of all Iudaea to the number of three hundred Millions and there shutte vp as it were in prison saying It vvas requisite that destruction due for their desert dravvinge nighe by the iust iudgement of God shoulde apprehende them vpon those dayes being as it vvere shutte vp in prison in the vvhiche they before had dravvne the Sauiour and benefactor of al men the anoynted of God vnto his passion Omiting those thinges whiche particularly happened vnto them eyther by sworde or by other kinde of misfortune I thinke it expedient to expresse their onely calamityes by famine so that the reader may partely hereby coniecture howe that God not longe after was reuenged on them for their impiety
sure the Gods are not so secure but that they disclose hurtfull persons For these men punishe such as vvil not vvorship the Gods more greuously then you doe vvhich thus vexe them and confirme the opinion vvhich they conceaue of you to be Atheists or godlesse men It is their desire in Gods quarell rather to dye then to lyue so that they become conquerers yeldinge their liues vnto the deathe rather then they obey your edictes It shall seeme very necessarye to admonishe you of the earthquakes vvhich haue and doe happen among vs that being thervvith moued ye may compare our estate vvith theirs They haue more confidence godvvardes then you haue you during the tyme of your ignorance despise other Gods contemne the religion of the immortal God banish the Christians vvhich vvorship him persecute them vnto the death In the behalfe of these men many of the prouinciall Presidentes haue vvritten heretofore vnto our father of famous memory vvhome he aunsvvered in vvriting againe that they vvere not to be longer molested vnlesse they had practised treason agaynst the Romayne empire many haue giuen notice vnto vs of the same matter vvhom vve aunsvvered as our father did before vs. If any therefore hereafter be founde thus busied in other mens affayres vve commaund that the accused be absolute free though he be founde such a one I meane faulty and that the accuser be greeuously punished This edict was proclaymed at Ephesus in the hearing of the greate assembly of Asia witnesse hereof is Meliton Bishop of Sardis which florished at y e time in his profitable Apologie for our doctrine deliuered vnto the Emperour Verus CAP. XIIII Of Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna IRenaeus reporteth that while Anicetus was Bishop of Rome Polycarpus as yet liued and came to Rome and questioned with Anicetus â–ª concerning the day of Easter An other thinge yet he reporteth of Polycarpus in his thirde booke against heresies which needefully must here be annexed Polycarpus sayth he vvas not only instructed by the Apostles and conuersant vvith many vvhich savve Christe but also of the Apostles ordayned Bishop of Smyâ—na in Asia â–ª vvhome vve in our youthe haue also seene for he lyued long and vvas very olde and at lengthe finished this lyfe vvith moste glorious â–ª and renovvned Martyrdome â–ª vvhen he had continually taught that he learned of the Apostles vvhich the Churche at this daye deliuereth for vndoubted trueth All the Churches of Asia and as many vnto this daye as succeeded him in that seae beare vvitnesse that Polycarpus vvas vvorthier of credit thâ—n Valentinus Marcion then the vvhole rabble of peruerse people For he being 〈◊〉 Rome in conference vvith Anicetus conuerted many of the foresayd Heretickes vnto the Church of God preaching the one and onely trueth receaued of the Apostles and deliuered by the Churche There be yet aliue vvhich hearde him reporting hovve that Iohn the Disciple of Christ entring into a bath at Ephesus to bayne him selfe and spying vvithin the Hereticke Cerinthus departed the bath vnbayned and sayd Let vs departe hence lest the bath fall vvherein Cerinthus the svvorne enemy of the trueth bayneth him selfe And Polycarpus on a tyme meeting Marcion face to face vvhich sayd vnto him knovve vs aunsvvered I knovve thee for the firste begotten sonne of Satan So zelous vvere the Apostles and their Disciples that they communicated not in vvorde vvith the corrupters of the trueth according vnto that of Paul eschevv him that is an Hereticke after the first and seconde admonition knovving that such a one is peruerse and condemned a sinner by the testimony of his ovvne conscience There is extant an epistle of Polycarpus vnto the Philippians very profitable for such as are carefull of their saluation vvhere they may knovve the true character of fayth and the right rule of doctrine So farre Irenaeus Polycarpus in the foresayde Epistle vnto the Philippians at this daye extant alleadgeth testimonyes out of the former Epistle of Peter When that Antoninus syrnamed Pius had ended twenty and two yeares in the Romayne Empire Marcus Aurelius Verus and Antoninus his sonne togither with Lucius his brother succeeded him CAP. XV. The martyrdome of Polycarpus and diuers other Sainctes in Smyrna vnder Verus the Emperour WHen Asia was visited with greate persecution Polycarpus was crowned with martyrdome I suppose it necessary to penne in this our historye his ende which at this daye is published in writing The Epistle is in the person of the Churche where he was President vnto the Parishes throughout Pontus signifying the circumstance about Polycarpus in this sorte The Church of God which is at Smyrna vnto the Church at Philomilium and vnto all the congregations of the holy Catholicke Church throughout Pontus mercy to you peace and the loue of God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ be multiplyed VVe haue vvritten vnto you brethren of such as suffred martyrdome and of blessed Polycarpus vvho signed and sealed this persecution vvith his ovvne bloud And before they make relation of Polycarpus they rehearse the constancy and pacience of other Martyrs saying The behoulders vvere amazed seeing the flesh of the Martyrs rent vvith scurges euen into the inner vaynes and sinovves so that the most secret entrayles of their bodies their bovvels invvard priuityes vvere piteously to be seene Behoulding againe the sharpe shells of sea fishe pimple stones stravved vnder the Martyrs backes and brused bodies vvith euery kinde of torment that could be deuised Last of all throvvn to be torne in peeces and deuoured of vvilde beastes Specially they wrote of Germanicus that he valiantly endured and ouercame through the grace of God that corporall feare of death graffed in the frayle nature of man For when as the Proconsull exhorted him to relent admonished him of his tender yeares prayed him to pitye his owne case being nowe in the flowre of his youth â–ª He without intermission entyâ—ed the beaste to deuoure him yea constrayned and compelled that with speede he might be dispatches of this wrongfull and wicked life Which patience and constancye of the blessed Marâ—â—â— â–ª and of the whole Christian nation the multitude of Inâ—â—dels behoulding sodainly began to shoâ—â—â— â—â—â—oue the vvicked seeke out Polycarpus And when there was a great tumuâ—â—e raysed by reason of this clamor a certaine Phrygian by name Quintus lately come out of Phrygia trembled at the flerâ—e rage of the terrible beasts and shrinked at the sight of their grimme visage and betrayd his owne safety with his slacknes of courage For the same epistle testifieth of him that he personally appeared together with the rest before the barre more of rashues then of any religion and being taken be publickly protested that none ought to intruâ—e him selfe amonge such men without good deuotion neither intermedle in mâ—â—â—â—â—s wherewith he hath not to doe But of these men thus much Toutching the renowned Polycarpus they write that he hearing the report of this
and by him are all thinges no maruell at all in that they falsely reported the sonne not fully and perfectly to knovve the Father for vvhen they had once determined vvith them selues to vvarre agaynste Christ they vtterly reiected the vvordes of our Lorde vvhere he sayth as the Father knoweth me sayth the sonne so doe I knowe the Father if the Father knovveth the sonne vnperfectly then is it manifest that the sonne knovveth the Father vnperfectly also but if this be impiety and open blasphemye and that the Father knovveth the sonne perfectly and fully then doth it follovve that euen as the Father knovveth his ovvne vvorde so the vvorde knovveth his ovvne father vvhose vvorde he is but vvhen as at sundrye tymes vve conuinced them vvith allegations and expositions out of the sacred and heauenly Scriptures for all that they agayne chaunged them selues like vnto the chaungling diuerously bespotted beaste Chamaeleon vvresting vvith all might possible to light vpon their owne pates the saying of the wise man VVhen the vngodly person commeth to extreame impietie then he disdayneth and though many heresies sprange before their tyme vvhiche exceeding out of measure in impudencye fell out at length for all that into extreame follye yet these men vvhich endeuer vvithal their gloses to take avvay the diuinity of the vvord dravving nerer vnto the time of Antichrist doe in manner declare those heresies in comparison of the impitie of their blasphemous opinion to be in the right trueth VVherefore they vvere excommunicated banished the church and pronounced to be held of all men for accursed And though vve tooke theyr fall heauyly specialy because that sometime they supped the svvete ioyce of the ecclesiasticall doctrine and novve are fallen from the same yet vve maruell not greatly at thē For the like happened heretofore not only to Hymenaeus Philetus but also before them vnto Iudas vvhich vvas the disciple of our Sauiour aftervvardes a traytor and an Apostata Neither are vve here of ignorant or vnmindefull For our Sauiour hath forewarned take heede lest any deceaue you For many vvill come in my name saying I am and the time is novve at hand And they wil deceaue many goe not after thē Paul vvhē he had learned these things of our Sauiour wrote that in the latter times some shall fall from the sounde fayth and shall geue eare vnto spirites of error doctrines of deuells oppugning the trueth Novve therefore in as much as our Sauiour Iesus Christ hath commaunded the same and signified the same also vnto men by his Apostle and vve truely hearing their impiety vvith our eares not vvithout iuste cause haue as vve sayd before pronounced this kind of men for accursed and proclaimed openly that they are cut of from the Catholick church farre frō the right fayth And vve haue certified your holynes wel beloued and most reuerende brethren vvhich are ioyned vvith vs in the same fellovvship of the publique ministery that if peraduenture some of them ouerboldly presume to presente themselues before you ye geue no heede vnto them neyther be persvvaded by Eusebius neyther by any other vvhosoeuer that shall vvrite vnto you in they re behalfe For it behoueth vs that be christians to eschevve all such as open theyr mouthes agaynst Christ and suche as are alienated in minde from him as enemyes of God and rotten sheepe corrupting the sense of mans mind and that vve bid not such kinde of men as Saynct Iohn hath commaunded no not so much as God speede lest that vve become partakers of they re offences Salute them vvhich are amonge you bretherne the bretherne vvith vs salute you also When Alexander had wrytten these letters vnto the byshops euery where throughout the seuerall cities this pestilence infection hereby was the more scattered abrode because that these vnto whome these letters were directed beganne to burne amonge themselues with the sparcles of contention and discorde For some condescended and subscribed vnto the letters some others with all might impugned them But specially amonge all the rest Eusebius byshop of Nicomedia was prouoked to the schisme and dissention for that Alexander had often in his letters charged him by name And at that time Eusebius was able to do much because that the emperour then made his abode at Nicomedia where Diocletian a litle before had buylded a princely pallace For which cause many byshops fauored the opinion of Eusebius But he seased not to wryte vnto Alexander that he woulde lette passe the controuersie raysed betwene them that he woulde admitte againe Arius and his adherentes into the churche and others also throughout the cities he exhorted that they shoulde by no meanes condescende vnto the drifte of Alexander whereby theyr rose euery where no smale tumult For then a man might haue seene not onely the presidentes and chiefe rulers of the churches inueying one against an other with spitefull and opprobrious tearmes but also the laye multitude seuered a sunder into two partes the one fauoring the one side the other the other side Wherefore the case became so haynous and shamefull and into so lamentable a plighte that the christian religion was openly derided of all men euen in the publique theatres and solemne spectacles The inhabitors of Alexandria contended very childishely yea without all modestie about the chiefe poinctes of christian religion they sente also legates and embassadours vnto the byshops throughout the other prouinces who seueringe themselues vnto eyther side raysed the like contention The Meletians who not longe before were cutt of from the churche ioyned themselues with the Arians I thinke it expedient to note what kinde of men they are Meletius byshop of a certaine citie in Aegypte besides sundrye other causes specially for that in the tyme of persecution he had renounced the fayth and sacrificed to Idols was depriued of his byshoricke by Peter byshop of Alexandria which suffred Martyrdome vnder Diocletian Who beinge depriued and fauored of many for all his fonde doinges became the ringeleader of the heresie amonge them who in Aegypt of him vnto this present daye are called Meletians and hauinge no iuste cause or cloke to defende his doinges in that he presumed to separate himselfe from the churche made a sleeuelesse answere sayinge that he was greatly iniuryed wherefore he brake out into raylinge speaches and reuiled Peter And as soone as Peter in that heate of persecution had ended his life with Martyrdome he posted ouer his opprobrious tearmes and rayling speaches to the paintinge of Achillas who succeeded Peter in the seae of Alexandria And last of all he leueled the pearcinge dartes of spitefull language at Alexander who after the death of Achillas was there placed byshop While this tumulte and dissention was tossed to and froe the opinion of Arius was called into controuersie then Meletius with his complices tooke part with Arius and together with him conspired against the byshop But they vnto whome the
for their sage and sober speache some for their grauitie in life and patience in aduersitie some other for their trade of liuing as meane betwene both vvere highly commended There vvere of these not a fevv vvho for their old yeares and auncient dayes vvere greatly honored other some in the flower of their youth for sharpnes of vvitt gaue a glistering shine certaine others vvere late practitioners and nouices in the ministerie vnto all vvhich the Emperour commaunded that all necessaries large and liberall foode for sustenance should dayly be ministred And so farre out of Eusebius toutching that assemblie When the Emperour had finished the triumphe solemnized in remembrance of his victorie against Licinnius he tooke his iorney vnto Nicaea Among the bishops there assembled Paphnutius bishop of the vpper Thebais and Spiridion bishop of Cyprus were recounted famous But the cause that moued vs to rehearse them hereafter shal be shewed There were present also many of the laytie which were skilfull logicians ready to defend ereother part Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia as I haue sayde before Theognis and Maris maintayned the opinion of Arius This Theognis was bishop of Nicaea and Maris bishop of Chalcedon a cytie of Bithynia Againste these Athanasius deacon of the church of Alexandria stroue manfully this Athanasius did Alexander the bishop highly esteeme and therefore there ensued greate enuie against him as hereafter shal be declared Before the bishops mett together in one place the logicians busted them selues propoundinge against diuers others certaine preambles of disputation and when diuers were thus drawen to disputation and allured as it were by bayte a lay man one of the number of confessors of a simple syncere mind sett himselfe against the Logicians and tolde them thus in playne wordes that neyther Christ neither his Apostles had deliuered vnto vs the arte of Logicke neyther vayne fallacies but an open and plaine minde to be preserued of vs with faith and good works The which when he had spoken all that were present had him in admiration and helde with his sentence Then the Logicians after they had heard the pure words of playne trueth quieted and setled them selues aright So that at length by that meanes the sturre raysed by occasion of Logicke was wholly suppressed The day after all the bishops mett in one place after them came the Emperour beinge come he standeth in the middest neither woulde he first sit downe before he had beckened to the bishops to do the same So greate a reuerence of person and shamefastnesse of minde did the Emperour shewe vnto those graue fathers After that all were silent as the opportunitie of the tyme dyd require the Emperour as he sate in his seate made an oration vnto them exhorting them to embrace vnitie of minde concorde and agreement wherein also he counselled them to remoue from their mindes all priuate malice and grudge which they dyd owe onē towardes an other For diuers of them had accused eche other and putt vp the daye before vnto the Emperour libells one against the other But he exhorted them earnesty to applye them selues vnto the purposed busynesse which was the cause of their assemblye and commaunded the libelles to be burned ioyninge withall this onely sayinge that Christ commaunded him that looketh for forgeuenesse to forgeue likewise his brother When that he had largely entreated of concord and peace to be preserued amonge them he referred vnto their discretion to discerne more exquisitely of the principles of Christian religion euen as the selfe same Eusebius reporteth in his thirde booke of the lyfe of Constantine whose allegation may presently seeme very commodious For thus he wryteth VVhen many thinges of eyther syde vvere alleadged and a greate controuersie raysed euen at the entrance into disputation the Emperour gaue pacient and peaceable eare vnto all he receaued theire positions vvith earnest and carefull studie some tymes he holpe in reasoninge ere other parte vvhen that they disputed vvith heate of contention he reconciled them by little and little he conferred vvith euery one louingly and curteously he vttered his minde in Greeke neither was he ignorant of that language his speache was both sweete and pleasaunt perswading with some pacifying some other vvith gentle vvordes praysing others for their sage sentences He ceased not to reduce them all vnto concorde vntill that he had brought them to that passe that they all became of one mind and concluded with one opinion toutching all the thinges that euer toe fore vvere called into question so that not onely there florished among thē one faith but also they agreed all together to celebrate the solempne feast of Easter at one and the same tyme throughout the vvorlde Nowe therfore the canons concluded vpon by common consent of all were ratified by the subscription of euery one and recorded for the posteritie These things hath Eusebius to like purpose rehearsed and left behinde him in writing neither haue we in this place cyted them out of season yea we haue vsed his words for witnesses and knitte them to this our historie to the ende we geue not eare vnto some which haue condemned the counsell assembled at Nice as though it had crred in the fayth againe that we creditt not Sabinus the Macedonian who called the men that mett there idiots and rude persons For this Sabinus bishop of the Macedonians which inhabit Heraclaea a citie of Thracia whilest that he gathereth into one volume those things which diuers councells and assemblies of bishops haue committed to writing he condemneth with opprobrious languages the bishops which mett at Nice for vnlearned and ignorant men not remembring that in so doing he cōdemneth Eusebius for an idiote who published the same faith with the greate tryall and experience he had therein Moreouer some things of sett purpose he ouerskippeth some other he peruerteth those thinges which seemed to make for his purpose which tended to the marke he shott at all those he culled out diligently And though he praiseth Eusebius Pamphilus for a witnesse to whome creditt may worthely begeuen and though he hyghly commende the Emperour as one that preuayled very much in the establishing of Christian religion yet for all that doth he reprehende the faith published in the councell of Nice as deliuered by such as were rude and all together vnlearned And whome he calleth a wise man and counteth a true witnesse the same mans testimonie of sett purpose doth he reiect For Eusebius reporteth that of the ministers of God which then were present some excelled for their sage and sober sentences some for their grauitie of life and that the emperour with his presence reduced them all vnto concorde and linked them together in one mind and in one opinion but of Sabinus if tyme do serue and occasion hereafter be offred we will say more The vniforme doctrine of faith agreed vpon published by open cōsent of all in the
that he thrust him selfe againe to execut the function of priesthood without the admission consent of a generall councell For they complaine that after his returne from exile he rushed into the church vpon his owne head Secondly that at his returne when the tumult schisme was raised many were slaine moreouer that he caused some to be scurged some other to hold their hands at y ◠barre they alleage also such things as were pleaded against Athanasius in the councell held at Tyrus CAP. VI. Of Eusebius Emisenus IN the meane space while Athanasius was charged with the aforesayd crimes they chose Eusebius first called Emisenus Bishop of Alexandria Who and what he was Georgius Bishop of Laodicea who then was present at the councell sheweth vnto vs. For in the booke he wrote of his life he declareth that Eusebius came of a noble family of Edessa in Mesopotamia from a litle one to haue bene trained vp in holy scripture afterwards to be instructed in prophane literature by a professor which then taught at Edessa last of all to haue sucked y ◠right sense vnderstanding of holy scripture at the lips of Eusebius Patrophilus the one bishop of Caesarea the other bishop of Scythopolis After this to haue gone to Antioch where it fell out that Eustathius being accused of the heresie of Sabellius by Cyrus bishop of Beroea was deposed of his bishoprik Thēceforth to haue accompanied Euphronius the successor of Eustathius and because he woulde not be prieste to haue gott him to Alexandria and there to haue studied philosophie After that to haue returned to Antioch where he acquaynted him selfe with Placitus the successor of Euphronius Thēce to haue bene called by Eusebius bishop of Constantinople to be bishop of Alexandria but sayth Georgius because that Athanasius was greately beloued of the people of Alexandria he went not thither but was sent into the city Emisa Where when there was much adoe made among the citizens of Emisa about the election for he was charged with the study of the mathematicks he fledd away came to Laodicea vnto Georgius who reported many notable storyes of him Georgius brought him to Antioch by y ◠meanes of Placitus Narcissus caused him to be conueyed to Emisa where againe he was accused of the heresy of Sabellius But of the circumstāces of his election Georgius discourseth more at large last of all he addeth howe that the Emperour going into Barbary tooke him thence and that he knewe full well many wonders miracles to haue bene wrought by him So farre of the things which Georgius remembred of Eusebius Emisenus CAP. VII Howe that the byshops which mett at Antioch after that Eusebius Emisenus had refused Alexandria chose Gregorius to be byshop of Alexandria and endeuored to alter and so consequentlye to abrogate the canons of the Nicene councell WHen as at that time Eusebius by the councell of Antioch was chosen bishop of Alexādria feared to goe thither they consecrate Gregorie in his rowme to enioye the seae of Alexandria These things being done they labour to alter the faith who althoughe they colde reproue nothinge of the thinges decided in the Nicene Councell yet verelye wente they about through theyr often assemblyes to peruerte and ouerthrowe the creede contayninge the clause of One substance and otherwise to establishe of theyr owne that by a little and a litle they mighte soke men in the filthie sincke of Arius But of theyr drifte and fetches in the storyes followinge The epistle contayninge the fayth whiche they published was after this maner VVe are neyther the followers of Arius for howe can it be that we beinge Byshops shoulde geue eare vnto Arius beinge but a prieste neyther haue we receaued any other faythe then that whiche hathe beene published from the beginninge but when as vve examined his faith narrowely and weyed it deepely we rather receaued Arius returninge vnto vs then that our selues shoulde hange vpon his opinion The whiche you may easilye perceaue by that whiche followeth For we haue learned from the beginninge to beleeue in one vniuersall God the creator and maker of all things both visible and inuisible and in one Sonne the only begotten Sonne of God who was before all wordes and had his beinge together with the Father which begott him by whome all things both visible and inuisible were made VVho in the later days according vnto the singular good will of the father came downe from heauen and tooke flesh of the virgine mary VVho fullfilled all his fathers will who suffred rose againe ascended into the heauens and sitteth at the right hande of the father shall come againe to iudge the quick and the dead and continewe king and God for euer VVe beleue also in the holy Ghost And if that you will haue vs to add more we beleue the resurrection of the fleshe and the life euerlasting After that they had wrytten these things in theyr former epistle they sente it to the churches throughout euery cytie But continewinge at Antioch a while longer they in maner condemned the forme of fayth that wente before and wrote forthwith a newe one in these wordes VVe beleue as the Euangelistes and Apostles haue deliuered vnto vs in one God the Father almightie the creator and maker of all thinges and in one Lorde Iesus Christ his onely begotten sonne God by whome all thinges were made begotten of the father before all worlds God of God whole of whole alone of alone perfecte of perfecte kinge of kinge lorde of lorde the liuinge worde the wisedome the life the true light the waye of trueth the resurrection the shepherd the dore inconuertible and immutable the liuely image of the diuinity essence power counsell and glorie of the father the first begotten of all creatures who was in the beginninge with the father God the worde as it is sayde in the Gospell and God was the word by whome all thinges were made and in whome all thinges are VVho in the later dayes came downe from heauen was borne of a virgin according vnto the Scripturs was made man and the mediator of God and man the Apostle of our fayth and the guyde to life And as he sayth of him selfe I came dovvne from heauen not to doe mine ovvne will but his will vvhich sente me VVho suffred for vs and rose agayne the thirde daye for our sakes and ascended into heauen and sitteth at the righte hande of the father and shall come againe vvith glorie and power to iudg the quick and the dead And we beleue in the holy Ghost vvhiche is geuen vnto the faythfull for theyr consolation sanctification and perfection Euen as our Lord Iesus Christ commaunded his disciples sayinge goe teache all nations baptizinge them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghoste That is of the father who is the father in deede and of the sonne who is the
Churche of Seleucia they barre the doores and ratisie with their subscriptions the forme of fayth that was read the daye before In their steede which were absent their readers and Deacons subscribed for they had signified before that they woulde by their Deputies approue the aforesayd creede CAP. XXXII Howe that Acacius of Caesarea rehearsed an other creede in the councell of Seleucia also how that he and his complices after the Emperours returne out of the west mett at Constantinople and procured the councell of Ariminum to be ratified adding thereunto of their owne ACacius and his complices founde great fault with the canons of that councell because they subscribed when the Church doores were shutt ▪ for sayth Acacius the thinges which are done in huckermucker as they ought not to be approued so are they not voide of suspicion This he sayde because he caryed in his pockett an other forme of fayth ready to be offred vp he read it in the presence of Lauricius and Leônas that were noble men and bent his whole might to haue onely the same confirmed these thinges were done the seconde daye of the councell and besides nothing The thirde day Leônas went about to call both partes together at what time Macedonius Bishop of Constantinoplē and Basilius Bishop of Ancyra were present When both these men mett together and presented them selues to wete of the contrary side vnto Acacius his consederats woulde not shewe their faces in the councell but sayde that it was requisite they should be banished the assemblie who of late had bene deposed and then also were accused After much adoe when this side had the vpper hande they that were accused left the councell in whose rowmes Acacius together with his company succeded Then Leônas stoode vp and sayde that Acacius had presented vnto him a booke yet knewe they not that it was a forme of fayth which confuted sometymes priuely sometymes openly and playnly the opinion of the contrary side When that all made silence and gaue diligent eare thinking nothing lesse then that it had bene a forme of fayth at length Acacius read his creede or fayth with a certayne preface written before it as followeth VVe vvhich by the Emperours edict mett yesterday that is the fift of the kalends of October at Seleucia in Isauria haue labored vvith all might possible to continevve vnitie agreement in the church of God to dispute reason of the faith according vnto the sacred testimonies of the Prophets euangelists with modest quiet mindes as the most vertuous Emperour Constantius hath geuen vs in charge to conclude nothing for canons of the Church vvhich might be founde contrary to holy Scripture ▪ but seing there were such kinde of men at the councell vvho rayled at some shutt vp some others mouthes forbade these to speake excluded the other from their cōpany ioyned with them out of diuers prouinces certaine deposed expulsed persons entertained them contrary to the old canon of the church the coūcel as Lauricius the most valiant captaine saw more is the pity with his owne eies was all set on tumult grieuous dissention VVe haue spoken these things to this end that you may vnderstand we reiect not the forme of fayth that vvas published confirmed in the dedication at Antioch but vve bring forth the same presently sithence that we knowe for suerty that the fathers then agreed vpon this controuersie which concerned the faith but in as much as the clauses of vnity in substance equality in substance disquieted the mindes of sundry men not onely in tymes past but also at this present so that novve also such as affirme the sonne to be vnaequall to the father are sayd to be authors of noueltie therefore haue vve layd aside the clauses of vnitie and aequalitie in substance as words not agreeing with holy Scripture also we accurse the clause of vnaequalitie and hold all the patrons and fauorers thereof for excommunicated persons VVe confesse playnely the likenesse the sonne hath with the father imitating the Apostle vvhere he saith of the sonne who is the image of the inuisible God VVe protest therefore and beleeue in one God the father almighty maker of heauen earth of visible and inuisible things VVe beleeue also in his sonne our Lord Iesus Christ begotten of him before all vvorlds vvithout affection God the vvord of the only begotten God the light the life the trueth the vvisedome by vvhome all things vvere made both in heauen and in earth be they visible or inuisible VVe beleeue that he in the latter dayes tooke flesh of the blessed virgine Mary to the ende he might take avvay the sinnes of the worlde that he vvas made man that he suffred for our sinnes that he rose againe ascended into the heauens sitteth at the right hande of the father and that he shall come againe vvith glorie to iudge both the quicke and the deade VVe beleeue also in the holy Ghost vvhome our Lorde and Sauiour called the comforter promising after his departure to send him to his disciples vvhome also he hath sent by whome he sanctifieth the faithfull in the Churche and such as are baptized in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghost all those that besides this fayth shall publishe any other vve doe excommunicate out of the holy and Catholicke Churche This was Acacius creede whereunto both he and his complices as many in number as I reported before subscribed The creede being reade Sophronius Bishop of Pompeiopolis in Paphlagoma stoode vp and spāke agaynst it in this maner for I will vse his owne wordes If that the nevve deuises and dayly inuention of your brayne be layde dovvne for creedes it can not othervvise fall out but that shortly vve shall be founde vvithout one grayne of fayth These as I haue learned were the wordes of Sophronius In my opinion if that his auncetors and such as liued then with him had so settled their myndes as toutchinge the Nicene councell all this sturre and tumultes had quite bene taken away all this hurlyburly this rashe and vnaduised sedition had neuer raygned in the Churche but to what passe these thinges are nowe come let them iudge that can better discerne and geue sentence thereof When they had reasoned toe and fro of this matter and of them that were accused and brawled together a longe whyle at length the councell brake vp The fourth daye they assemble agayne and a freshe they chide one with an other In circumstance of talke Acacius gaue forthe this verditt as followeth If the Nicene creede was once altered of olde and afterwards often ▪ what can you saye to the contrary but that presently a newe forme of fayth without any preiudice at all may be established of vs whereunto Eleusius made answere We are not nowe come to this assemblie for to learne that which we learned before neyther to receaue the fayth which we haue
whose name was Amachius who commauÌ„ded that the Idolatricall temple of the Ethnicks which stood in y t citie should be set wide open that the foule heapes and filthy corners of a long time vnfrequeÌ„ted should be made cleane and fell himselfe a worshipping of the Idols Which act of his pricked not a litle in conscience the zealous christians Wherefore one Macedonius Theodulus and Tatianus beinge kindled with fetuencie of loue towardes the christian fayth coulde in no wise away with such horrible practises but in the burninge zeale of their godly inindes brake in the nighte season into the temple threwe downe theyr Idols and stamped them into pouder Whereat when the gouernoure was wonderfull wroth and purposed to execute diuerse of the citizens whiche were giltelesse and innocente persons the authors thereof presented themselues of their owne accorde before him and chose to dye themselues for the trueth rather then any other for their sakes should be depriued of their liues After they were layde in holde the gouernoure commaunded that they should cleare theÌ„selues by sacrificinge vnto the Idols and threatned them if they refused he would seuerely punishe them They beinge of a noble minde valiant courage set nought by his threats made themselues redy to suffer what tormente soeuer were layde vpon them for they counted it farre better to loose their liues then to defile their soules with those impure sacrifices The gouernour wheÌ„ he had assayd them at all kind of torments last of all set them on the gredyron caused fire to be made vnder broiled them to death And to the end they might valiantly encouÌ„ter vnder the glorious garlande of victory they reason thus with the gouernour If thou longe O Amachius after broyled meate turne vp the other side of vs least in the eatinge we seeme rawe vnto thee and the bloode runne aboute thy teeth This was the ende that these men had CAP. XIIII VVhen the Emperoure Iulian forbad the christians the studie of Prophane literature both the Apollinaruses the father and the sonne fell a wrytinge The profltte that the christians haue in prophane wryters THe lawe whiche the Emperoure made that the christians shoulde not be trained vp in the liberall sciences made bothe the Apollinariuses of whome we spake before to be of farre greater fame For either of them beinge skilfull in suche artes as directed our style and orations the father a grammarian the sonne a Rhetorician profited very much the christians and furthered at that time not a little the churche of God For the father as a profounde grammarian framed the arte of humanitie vnto the furtherance of Christian religion he turned the fiue bookes of Moses into Heroycall verse together with other bookes of the olde Testament which contayne Hystories partely in Hexameter verse and partely after the forme of comedies and tragedies with the fitte application of persons he wrote in all kinde of meter to the ende the christians shoulde not be ignorant and vnskilfull in any rare gifte that excelled among the Gentils The sonne an eloquente Rhetorician broughte the wrytinges of the Euangelistes and workes of the Apostles into Dialogues as Plato vsed amonge the Heathens Althoughe their laboure and industrie seemed auaylable and greatelye to sette forthe the seruice of God in so muche that thereby the lewde drift of the Emperoure was stopped from takinge effect yet the prouidence of God did farre exceede both their carefull studie and dashed also the Emperours wiked deuise For immediatly the Emperours lawe as hereafter it shall more manifestly appeare was abrogated and theyr workes were as muche spoken of as if they had neuer bene wrytten But here peraduenture some man will saye vnto me why then doe ye attribute bothe the aforesayde vnto the prouidence of God As toutchinge the shorteninge of the Emperoures dayes it is knowen well inoughe howe auaylable it was vnto christian religion but in that the Poâ—trye of bothe the Apollinariuses was neglected and that the christians freely applied the Philosophicall sciences of the heathens there is no man will graunte that it furthered the seruice of God and the faith of Christ For it can not be without daunger that the christians maye wade in the doctrine of Ethnickes in so muche it teacheth that there be many Gods Vnto these things which aptely may be obiected vnto vs we will presentely frame suche answers as we can The doctrine of the Gentiles is allowed neither by Christ neither by his Disciples as inspired from aboue neither altogether reiected for daungerous And I take y â— to haue come to passe not without the speciall prouidence of almightie God For there were many heathen Philosophers which were not farre from the knowledg of God such as by publique disputation confuted the Epicures and other contentious Philosophers delited with the quirckes of logicke and ouerthrewe their palpable error and ignorance And thoughe they coulde stande the fauorers of christian religion in greate steade for their furtherance of learninge yet attained they not vnto the grounde principall point of our religion insomuch they vnderstoode not the mystery of Christ which was concealed the coÌ„tinewance of many ages and generations The whiche the Apostle in his epistle vnto the Romanes sheweth plainely in these wordes The wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlines and iniquitie of men which withholde the trueth in vnrighteousnesse For the thinge that may be knowen of God is manifest amonge theÌ„ because God hath shevved it vnto them For his inuisible thinges beinge vnderstoode by his workes are seene through the creation of the world that is both his eternall power godheade so that they are without excuse because that when they knewe God notwithstanding they glorified him not as God VVherefore they knowinge the trueth which God reuealed vnto them were worthie of death because that wheÌ„ they knewe God they glorified him not as God Therefore sithence that the Apostle forbadd not the knoweledge of the Gentils doctrine he gaue free licence and libertie vnto euery man at his choice and pleasure to wade in the vnderstandinge of them Let this suffire for one reason to the satisfiynge of the former doubts The seconde is as followeth The holy Scriptures inspired from aboue deliuer vnto vs diuine precepts and mysticall doctrine they graffe in the mindâ—s of suche as heare them true Godlines and the righte trade of liuinge they sette wyde open before such as study them the most sacred faith they teach vs no logicke wherewith we may withstand such as oppugne the trueth although the aduersaries are easiest ouerthrowen when their owne armoure and proper defence is vsed to their foyle and destruction But the christians enioyed not this benefit by the workes of bothe the Apollinariuses This was it that the Emperoure Iulian shotte at when as he made a lawe that the christians shoulde not be schooled in the doctrine of the Gentils He knewe full well that the fables contained in
against the Emperour for banishing many Priestes and Bishops which refused to communicate with Eudoxius the Arian Not long after in the aforesayd consulship the foure and twentieth of August Valentinianus created his sonne Gratianus Emperour The yeare following being the seconde Consulship of Valentinianus and Valens the eleuenth of Octobre there was in Bithynia a greate earthquake which ouerthrewe the citie of Nice It was the twelf yeare after the ruyne of Nicomedia Immediatly after many peeces of Germa a citie in Hellespontus were turned vpside downe w t an other earthquake for all these dreadfull sights were behelde in the open face of the worlde the lewde disposition of Eudoxius the Arian Bishop and the peruerted minde of the Emperour Valens was nothing moued to incline vnto piety and right reformation of true religion for they obserued no meane but furiously raged against all such as helde the contrary faith and opinion These earthquakes were no otherwise to be taken then for manifest tokens of the schisme tumults then raysed in y ◠church And though many of the priestly order were depriued of their dignities yet of all the rest Basilius Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia and Gregorius Bishop of a small and meane citie bordering vpon Caesarea by the prouidence of God for their great pietie were not banished their natiue soile Of whome I shall haue occasion hereafter to discourse more at large CAP. XI How the sect of Macedonius being put to their shifts by reason of the Emperours displeasure sent their letters vnto Liberius Bishop of Rome where they subscribed vnto the fayth of one substance WHen as at that tyme such as cleaued stedfastly vnto the clause of one substance being the true Christians were vexed aboue measure the Macedonians also were pursued of the wicked and godlesse persecutors These men partly for feare and partly for their fayth being brought to their witts ende wrote letters and sent messengers from their bishopricks one vnto the other signifying that of necessity they must flie for refuge both vnto the Emperours brother and to Liberius Bishop of Rome and subscribe rather vnto their fayth then condescende to communicate with Eudoxius the Arian Wherefore they sende Eustathius Bishop of Sebastia one that had bene often times deposed Siluanus Bishop of Tarsus in Cilicia and Theophilus Bishop of Castabala a citie likewise of Cilicia these men are charged not to disagree as toutching the faith with Liberius but to communicate with the Churche of Rome and to ratifie by their subscriptions the faith of one substance When these men had receaued their letters which impugned the faith at Seleucia in all the hast they post to olde Rome They shewe not them selues vnto the Emperour for he was in Fraunce busily occupying him selfe about the battell against the Sarmatians but deliuer their letters vnto Liberius Liberius refuseth to geue their letters the reading he tolde them they were Arians and therefore in no wise to be entertayned of the Church because they had abrogated the creede of the Nicene councell Unto whome they make answere that his words were true yet that they repented them afterwards of their folly that they acknowledge the trueth that of late they had condemned the opinion which affirmeth the sonne to be vnlike the father that they confessed the sonne in all thinges and in all respects to be like the father and that the clause of likenes differed nothing from the sense of one substance When they had made this protestation by word of mouth he requireth them to doe the same in writing They immediatly exhibite vnto him a supplication where in the forme of faith published and established by the councell of Nice was comprised And lest that I seeme ouertedious vnto the reader my purpose is to omitt the letters they wrote from one company to an other namely from Smyrna in Asia from Pisidia Isauria Pamphilia and Lycia onely here to lay downe the supplication which Eustathius sent from his lodging vnto Liberius it was written as followeth Vnto their Lorde and brother their fellow minister Liberius Eustathius Theophilus Syluanus sende greeting in the Lorde To the ende vve may remoue all suspicion of heresie and partaking vvith sects vvhatsoeuer which heretofore haue molested the quiet estate of the catholick church presently we do allow of the synods assemblies of bishops which mett at Lampsacum Smyrna at sundry other places maintaining the right soūd faith that these our words may seeme for no other thē our true meaning we are legats haue brought letters vnto your holines vnto al the bishops of Italie to the other churches whatsoeuer of the west contrey whereby it shall manifestly appeare that vve are of the Catholick faith that vve defende the sacred Canons of the Nicene councell established in the happy raygne of the holy Emperour Constantine by three hundred and eyghteene Bishops the which vnto this day haue bene continewally obserued and vnuiolably retained where the clause of one substance was godly enterlaced to the ouerthrowe of the poisoned opinion of Arius for by subscribing with our owne hands we doe plainly protest that we are of no other opinion then these fathers were of but that heretofore presently also we embrace the same faith with them mind firmely to continew therin vnto our last houre Moreouer we cōdemne Arius his detestable opinion his disciples his complices the whole heresie of Sabellius all the Patropassians Marcionists Photinians Marcelliās to be short the wicked sect of Paulus Samosatenus VVe pronounce these mens doctrine for accursed together with all that holde with them all heresies like wise which are contrary vnto the aforesayd sacred faith generally godly framed by those holy fathers assembled in the city of Nice VVe accurse also the forme of faith that was repeated at the councell of Ariminum partly for that it repugneth the Nicene Creede partly for that diuers vvere fraudulently brought to subscribe vnto the same at Constantinople through vviles periury mistaking the title for they tooke Nice a city of Thracia for Nice in Bithynia The beliefe faith vve are of of them likewise vvhose legats vve are is as followeth VVe beleeue in one God the father almighty maker of all things visible inuisible in one onely begotten God our Lorde Iesus Christ the sonne of God begotten of the father that is of the substance of the father God of God light of light very God of very God begotten not made being of one substance with the father by whom all things were made either in heauen or in earth who for vs men for our saluation came downe from heauen was incarnate made man he suffred rose againe the third day he ascended into heauen shall come againe to iudge both the quicke the dead And we beleue in the holy Ghost such as say there was a time when he was not or that he was not before his
he did so made this answere that he tooke not feeding for a seueral vvork but as an od or superfluous thing Unto an other that asked of him the like he gaue this answere My behauiour is as you see lest the mind by pamperinge of the carkasse be pufte vp vvith fleshelye pleasure Isidorus affirmed that for the space of fortie yeares his minde had not consented to sinne that he had neuer yelded to fleshly lust or furiouse anger Pambo a simple and an vnlearned man came vnto his friende for to learne a Psalme and hearinge the firste verse of the thirtieth and eyght Psalme which is thus reade I sayde I vvill take heede vnto my vvayes that I offende not in my tongue woulde not heare the seconde but wente awaye sayinge This one verse is inoughe for me if I learne it as I oughte to doe And when as his teacher blamed him for absentinge himselfe wholle six monethes he answered for himselfe that as yet he had not well learned the firste verse Many yeares after that when as one of his acquayntance demaunded of him whether he had learned the verse sayde againe that in nyneteene yeares he had scarse learned in life to fulfill that one lyne The same man when as one deliuered him moneye to the reliefe of the poore and sayd tell the summe made answere vve neede no counters but a sound mynde and a setled conscience The reporte goeth that at the requeste of Athanasius the Bishop he came from the deserte into Alexandria and seing there a certaine light woman sumpteously attyred and gorgeously arayed to feede the eyes of fonde people to haue burst out into teares And beinge demaunded what the cause was and wherefore he wept to haue answered that two things moued him to lamente very sore One was that he sawe the gaye and painted woman to runne headlonge into destruction the other was that he was not so carefull and earnest in pleasinge of God as she busied to bayte entrappe men already burthened with sinne and iniquitie An other sayd the monke that liued idlely and labored not for his liuing vvas no othervvise to be taken them for a thiefe a roge or a vagabounde Petirus a man of greate skill in metaphysicall and diuine contemplation gaue out one precept or other continewally vnto such as cōferred with him his maner was to conclude euery sentence with a prayer Amonge the aforesayde religious men of that time there were two of equall fame and renowne of like piety and vertue of one name appellation either was called Macarius the one of the vpper parte of Aegypt the other of Alexandria it selfe bothe florished and excelled in many things as monasticall discipline institution of godly life right conuersatiō and straunge miracles The Aegyptian Macarius cured so many men cast out so many Deuells out of such as were possessed of them that all the wonderfull actes he wroughte desire a peculier volume He mingled austere seueritie with temperate reuerence and grauitie towardes them which reasoned or dealt with him The Alexandrian Macarius although in all other thinges he fully resembled him yet in this one point was he farre from his disposition for he behaued him selfe cheerefull and pleasaunt towardes all them that talked with him so that with his curteous ciuilitie and comely mirth he allured many yonge men vnto the monasticall trade of liuinge Euagrius was a disciple of theyrs who at the first was a Philosopher in word but afterwardes in dede and trueth it selfe This mā was first made deacon at Cōstantinople by Gregorie Naziāzen thence together with him he went into Aegipt and there had conference with the aforesayd religious men he became an earnest follower of theyr trade of life and wrought as many miracles as bothe the Macariuses before him He wrote learned bookes one intitled the monke or of that trade of life which consisteth of practise an other called Gnosticus of science or knowledge deuided into fiftie chapiters a third Antirreticus that is a confutation collected out of holye Scripture against the temptation of Deuells deuided into eyght partes resemblinge very fitly the number of the eight deuises or imaginations of mās mind moreouer he wrote six hundreth problemes to the vnderstanding of things to come Unto these are added two bookes inverse one vnto the mōks inhabiting the monasteries publicke assemblies the other vnto him that leadeth a virgine life what singuler books these are I referr it vnto y ◠iudgemēt of the reader Yet opportunitie serueth in my opinion presently to alleage here some part out of his booke called the monke and to linke it with this our history for thus he wryteth The institution trade of life layd downe by the monkes of old is necessarily to be knovven of vs furthermore we haue to direct our wayes thereafter For they vttered many sage sentences and did many notable and worthie acts Of which number one sayde that a drie and spare kinde of diette at all tymes precisely kept mingling brotherly charitie and loue vvithall woulde quickly purge mans minde of all perturbation and fonde humor of humane and earthly affection The same man deliuered a certaine brother that was wonderfully tormented in the night season with spirites for he charged him alvvayes vvith deuotiō to minister vnto the poore fasting Being demaūded vvhy there is no way sayth he to quenche the fierie heate of perturbation as soone as by almes and charitie One of them vvhich at that time were called vvise came vnto Antonie the iust reasoned with him saying O father how can you prolong your dayes being bereaued of that solace comfort which is by reading of bookes perusing of holy writers My booke ô philosopher sayd Antonie is the cōtemplation of all the creatures vnder heauen in the vvhich as often as I am disposed I may reade the wonderfull workes and writinges of God The olde Aegyptian Macarius the chosen vessell demaunded of mee the reason why vvhen we remember the iniuries that men do vnto vs vve doe vveaken the seate of memorie ingraffed in the minde vvhen as vve call to remembrance such spite as the deuell ovveth vs the memorie taketh no hurt and vvhen I muzed vvhat to ansvvere and requested him to resolue me the doubt he sayd that the former perturbation was contrarie to nature the later agreeable vvith the heate and anger of nature Furthermore vvhen I came vnto the holie father Macarius about noone tyme in the heate of the daye beynge sore athurst and requested of him a draught of vvater be content sayeth he vvith the shade for manie that trauayle on earth and manie that trafficke by sea haue not that VVhen that I reasoned vvith him of continencie God sende thee vvell to doe ô sonne sayeth he these tvventie yeares haue not I taken my fyll eyther of breade o◠vvater or sleepe For I eate breade by vveyght and dronke vvater by measure and
slept fevve houres my maner is to leane vnto a vvall and so take a nappe A certaine Monke vnderstandinge of his fathers death tolde him that brought him the tydinges thus Holde thy peace friende vtter no such blasphemie for my father is immortall A certaine brother soulde the nevve I estament beynge his onely booke and gaue the money for to releeue the poore and vttered a vvorthie sayinge vvithall I haue soulde the same booke vvhich sayeth Sell all that thou hast and geue to the poore There is a certayne Isle not farre from Alexandria northvvarde situated ouer the brooke of Marie vvhere there dvvelled a Monke of the sect of Gnostici a notable man he sayde that all vvhatsoeuer the Monkes dyd vvere done for fiue causes for God for nature for custome for necessitie and for handie vvorke At an other tyme he sayde that naturally there vvas but one vertue yet because of the povvers and facultyes of the soule vvhere her seate resteth the same one vvas deuided into sundrye partes and members The lyght of the Sunne sayeth he vvanteth forme and fygure yet by reason of the vvindovves and chinkes through the vvhich it pearceth it is sayde to haue a figure It is reported of him that vnto an other Monke he sayde thus I doe therefore cutte of all occasion and baytes of fleshly pleasure to the ende I may expell euery humour that tendeth to heate of anger I am veryly persvvaded that this heate of Anger contendeth for pleasure disquieteth the quiete disposition of my minde and bereaueth my vnderstandinge of her force An other fatherly olde man sayde That loue or charitie could neuer hoord or lay vp great store of meate and money Agayne he sayde that to his knovvledge the deuell neuer deceaued him tvvise in one thinge These amonge other thinges hath Euagrius remembred in his booke intituled The trade of lyfe vvhich consisteth of practise In his booke called Gnosticus he writeth thus That there are foure vertues and so many offices or functions belonginge vnto them vve haue learned of Gregorie the Iust Prudencie Fortitude Temperance and Iustice The office of Prudencie is to contemplate those faculties that appertaine vnto the minde these he affirmed to proceede of vvisdome vvithout intermedlinge vvith vvordes The office of Fortitude is firmely to persist in the trueth and though therefore thou suffer grieuous torment yet it is thy part neuer to yeelde vnto falsehoode The office of Temperance is to receaue seedes of the highest and supreme husbandman and to put him by that poppeth in any other seede Last of all the office of Iustice is to render an accompt of euery thinge vvorthely he sayde that this vertue acknovvledged some things obscurely signified other thinges darkely explicated some things openly to the profit of the ignorant and vnlearned Basilius of Cappadocia the pyller of trueth sayde that the knovvledge vvhich one man learneth of an other is made perfect by continuall vse and exercise but that which through the grace of God is ingraffed in the minde of man is made absolute by iustice gentlenes and charitie And that they vvhich are subiect vnto perturbation may be partakers of the former but of the later they only which are purged of all such heat motion who also while they pray vnto God do behold the proper peculier light of the mind shining to the cōfort of their soules Blessed Athanasius likewise the light mirror of all Aegypt sayth that Moses was cōmaūded to set the table northward let thē therfore which are in contemplation remember alwaies who the aduersarie is which assaulteth them and see that they endure manfully all temptations and that they refreshe relieue cheerefully all such as frequent vnto them Serapion bishop of Thmuis spake much like an Angell that the minde vvhich feedeth vpon spirituall knovvledge muste throughly and vvholly be clensed that the parts of the minde vvhich boyle vvith fierie heate of furious rage must be cured with loue and brotherly charitie and that the levvde motion and lust of the fleshe beyng crept into the inner closett of the minde is to be suppressed vvith continencie Didymus that great doctor and beholder of heauenly things vvas accustomed to say Ponder vvith thy selfe alvvayes the praecepts of the prouidence and iudgement of almightie God endeuour to retayne in thy memorie the summe of them for many doe erre therein the praecepts of iudgement thou shalt easily discerne in the varietie of bodies and in the alteration of all the creatures vnder heauen the praecepts of prouidence thou shalt perceaue in those meanes vvhereby vve are drawen from vice and ignorance vnto vertue and knowledge These thinges haue we borowed out of Euagrius bookes and alleaged here for the profit of the studious reader An other monke there was a very notable man his name was Ammonius who by chaunce being at Rome together with Athanasius was nothing curious he desired to see nothing of all the gaye and gorgeous buyldinge of the citie saue the temple of Peter and Paul The same man being vrged with a byshopricke fledd away secretly cutt of his ryght eare that the deformitie of his bodie myght be a canonicall impediment so that he shoulde not be chosen byshop Afterwardes when that Euagrius beynge chosen bishop by Theophilus byshop of Alexandria had runne awaye without mayming any part of his bodie and by chaunce mett Ammonius whome he merely taunted for committing so haynous an offence in cuttinge of his eare and that he shoulde answere for it before God Ammonius made answere And doest thou thinke Euagrius to escape punishment for that of selfeloue thou hast shut vp thy mouth and vsed not the gift and grace which God hath geuen thee There were at that tyme sundry other rare and singular men of those religious houses to rehearse all woulde be very longe insomuch that if we shoulde runne ouer their seuerall liues and the straunge miracles wrought by them by reason of their singular vertue and holinesse we shoulde farre digresse from our former discourse Wherefore if any man be desirous to knowe further of the acts to vnderstand more of their trade of lyfe to learne their profitable sayinges and sentences to be instructed howe they stroue with beasts and ouercame them lett him reade the booke of Palladius the monke who was the disciple of Euagrius the which he wrote onely of them For all that appertayned vnto them is fully layde downe there where also there is a discourse of the women which leade the like trade of lyfe with the aforesayde holie men Euagrius and Palladius florished in a while after the death of Valens But nowe let vs returne thither where we left CAP. XIX Of the religious men that were exiled and howe that God wrought miracles by them and drewe all men vnto him WHen the Emperour Valens had proclaimed against all them that maintayned the faith of One substance throughout Alexandria and all Aegypt that they should
was greately furthered by them as by two greate lightes it is our parte to say somewhat of them If in case that any will compare Basilius with Gregorie and with longe discourse conferre the life and learninge of the one with the other it will be longe ere he shal be able to discerne whether to preferre of them both They were both equally matched for right trade of life for both kinde of knowledge diuine and prophane Beynge yonge men in the floure of their youth they hearde at Athens the famous Rhetoricians Hymerius and Proaeresius afterwardes at Antioche in Syria they frequented the schoole of Libanius in the ende they excelled in Rhetoricke When they were thought worthie men to deliuer vnto the worlde the preceptes of philosophie and were entreated of many to take that function vpon them when as also others perswaded with them to become Orators they sett nought by both those trades they despised the maner aâ—d guise of Rhetoricians and gaue them selues vnto solitary and monasticall life Wherefore as soone as they had sufficiently profited in philosophie vnder a certaine reader who then was a professor at Antioche they prouided for theÌ„ selues the coÌ„mentaries of Origen who then was famous throughout the worlde and learned out of them to expounde and interprete the holy and sacred scripture beynge exercised in them they valiantly encountred with the Arians And when as the Arians alleaged out of Origen for the confirmation of their hereticall opinion they refuted their ignorance and shewed by plaine demonstrations that they vnderstoode not the minde and meaning of Origen For Eunomius a fauourer of that sect and as many Arians as were of greatest reputation and accompted the profoundest clerkes in respect of all the rest when they disputed with Gregorie and Basil proued them selues starke fooles and vnlearned persons Basil first of all being ordained Deacon of Meletius bishop of Antioche afterwards bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia where he was borne gaue him selfe wholly to the furtherance and profit of the churche of God When he feared greately lest the newe deuise of Arius brayne would creepe throughout the prouinces of Pontus he got him into those parts in all the hast and ordained there the exercise of monasticall life instructed men in his opinion and confirmed the waueringe minde of weakelinges in the faith Gregorie also being made bishop of Nazianzum a meane citie of Cappadocia wherof his father had bene bishop before him did y â— like vnto Basils doings As he passed throughout y t cities he coÌ„firmed y â— faynt weake in the faith by oft visiting of Constantinople he setled with his graue lessons and great learning the minds of all them that embraced the faith of One substance Wherefore in a short while after he was by the voyces and consent of many bishops chosen bishop of Constantinople When the fame of them both was â—lased so farre that it came to the Emperour Valens eares in all the hast he gaue forth commaundement that Basil shoulde be brought from Caesarea before him to Antioche He was no sooner come but the Emperour charged he should be brought before the tribunall seate of the president When the President demaunded of him why and wherefore he liked no better of the Emperours religion Basil vnfaynedly and freely spake his minde of the Emperours opinion yet highly coÌ„mended the faith of One substance When the President threatned him w t present death I would to God sayth Basil it woulde fall out so well of my side that I might leaue this carcasse of mine in the quarell of Christ in the defence of my head and captaine WheÌ„ the President aduised him againe and againe to remember him selfe better the report goeth that Basil sayde vnto him As I am today so shalt thou find me tomorow but I pray God thou alter not thy minde Then lay Basil in prison that whole daye In a whyle after the Emperour Valens sonne by name Galates of youthly and tender yeares fell to so daungerous a disease that the phisicions gaue him vp and despaired of his recouery whose mother Dominica the Empresse tolde her husband the Emperour that the same nyght she was wonderfully disquieted in hir sleepe with vglesome shapes dreadfull visions of deuells and wicked spirites that the child was visited with sicknesse because of the coÌ„tumelie and reproche he had done vnto Basil the bishop The Emperour marking diligently the words of his wife muzed a while pondered them w t him selfe at length resolued him selfe what was to be done sent for Basil and because he would know y â— trueth reasoned thus with him If thy faith and opinion be true pray that my sonne die not of this disease Then Basil answered If thou wilt promise mee to beleue as I doe and if thou wilt bringe the churche vnto vnitie and concord thy childe no doubt shall lyue When the Emperour woulde not agree vnto this let God sayeth Basil deale with the childe as pleaseth him Immediatly after this conference Basil was sette at libertie and forthwith the child dyed Thus much haue we runne ouer of both these mens doings They both left behinde them vnto the posteritie many notable bookes wherof Ruffinus reporteth him selfe to haue translated some into the Latine tongue Basil had two brethren Peter and Gregorie Peter lead the solitarie life after the example of Basil Gregorie was a teacher and finished after the desease of his brother the CoÌ„mentaries which Basil had left vnperfect vpon the Six dayes vvorks The same Gregorie preached at Constantinople a funerall sermon vpon the death of Meletius bishop of Antioch There are extant many other notable orations and sermons of his CAP. XXII Of Gregorie byshop of Neocaesarea INsomuch that many are deceaued partly because of the name and partly because of the works attributed vnto Gregorie we haue to learne that there was an other Gregorie borne in Neocaesarea a citie of Pontus who was the disciple of Origen and farre more auncient then the former men we spake of euen now This Gregorie is much spoken of not onely at Athens and at Berytus but throughout Pontus and in maner throughout the whole world As soone as he had left the famous schoole of Athens he gaue him selfe at Berytus vnto the study of the ciuill lawes hearinge there that Origen professed diuinitie at Caesarea got him thither in all the hast When he had bene the auditor of the heauenly doctrine of holy scripture made no accoÌ„pt of the Romaine lawes but leaned thenceforth vnto that Wherfore hauing learned of him the true philosophie at y â— commauÌ„dement of his parents he returned vnto his natiue contrey Beinge a laye man he wrought many miracles he cured the sicke he chased deuells away by his epistles he conuerted the gentils and Ethnicks vnto the faith not only with words but w t deedes of far greater force PaÌ„philus Martyr made mention of him in his bookes written in the defence of
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
clergie we the layty of the communion referring vnto God alone y â— power of remitting their sinne The same Atticus had the foreknowledge of his death for taking his leaue of Nice he sayd vnto Calliopius the minister of that Church make haste to Constantinople before Autumne that thou mayst againe see me aliue for if thou linger make delayes thou shalt see me no more in this world In vttering these wordes he hitt the trueth on the head for he departed this life the one and twentieth yeare of his consecration the tenth of October in the eleuenth Consulship of Theodosius and the first of Valentinianus Caesar Theodosius the Emperour returning from Thessalonica came short to his funerall for Atticus was buried the day before the comming of the Emperour into Constantinople Shortly after the creation of Valentinianus the yonger was proclaymed to wit the three and twentieth day of the same moneth CAP. XXVI Of Sisinius the successor of Atticus in the bishoprick of Constantinople AFter the desease of Atticus there was great contention in the Churche of Constantinople about the election of a Bishop â–ª for some woulde haue Philip a minister some other Proclus who also was a minister preferred to the rowme but all the people with vniforme consent desired Sisinius He was like wise a priest not of any of the Churches within the walls of Constantinople but of Elae a Church in the suburbes ouer against the citie where all the people of Constantinople are wont to celebrate the feast of our Sauiours ascention All the laytye laboured by all meanes to haue him to their Bishop partly because he was counted a very godly man partly also for that he endeuored to relieue the poore beyond the reach of his substance To be short the layty got the vpper hande and Sisinius was consecrated the eyght and twentieth of February in the twelse Consulship of Theodosius and the seconde of Valentinianus Augustus the yonger Philip the minister seeing that Sisinius was preferred before him stomacked the matter wonderfully and inueyed bitterly agaynst his consecration in the worke which he wrote and intitled the Christian history While he inueyeth against Sisinius that was consecrated agaynst the Bishops who were consecrators and especially agaynst the laytye who were electors he wrote such thinges as I am loth to report for I can not chuse but blame him greatly that euer he durst be so bold to lay downe so rash and vnaduised reasons yet in my opinion it will not be amisse presently to say somewhat of him CAP. XXVII Of Philip a Priest bred and brought vp in Sida PHilip of whome we spake before was borne at Sida a citie in Pamphilia where also Trophilus the Sophist had his original of whome Philip boasted not a litle that he was his kinsman This Philip being a Deacon and of great familiaritie with Iohn the Bishop was as it were driuen to bestowe great labour and diligence in the study of good learning so that he wrote many bookes of diuerse sortes his stile was asiaticall proude and lofty and to the ende he might confute the workes of luhan the Emperour he compiled a volume and intitled it The Christian historie the which he deuided into six and thirty bookes euery booke hath sundry tomes the number of all mounteth very nigh to a thousande the argument prefixed to euery one is in maner as bigge as the tome it selfe this worke he entitled not the Ecclesiasticall but the Christian historie where he patched together many matters for to let the worlde vnderstand that he was seene in Philosophy Wherefore he alleadgeth very oft precepts and rules of Geometrie Astronomie Arithmetick Musick Moreouer he describeth Isles mountaines trees with other thinges of smal importance so that it grewe to a huge volume full of bumbast and vayne ostentation In my simple iudgement it is a worke that is prositable neyther for the learned neyther the vnlearned For the learned will condemne the often repetition of the same wordes which is riâ—e throughout the booke the vnlearned haue not the capacitie to comprehende the insolent stile and affected sentences of his arrogant minde but let euery one iudge of his owne doings as he shall thinke good I dare affirme that the order he followed in laying downe of the times is both confuse farre from good order for when he had runne ouer the raygne of Theodosius back againe he getts him to discourse of Athanasius the Bishops tymes â–ª the which I note to be his vsuall maner but of Philip so farre Now to the history of Sisinius tyme. CAP. XXVIII Howe that Sisinius made Proclus Bishop of Cyzicum whome the Cyziceni woulde not receaue AFter the desease of the Bishop of Cyzicum Sisinius appoynted Proclus to be their Bishop The citizens vnderstanding of his comming preuented him and chose Dalmatius a religious man to gouerne the bishoprick This they did neglecting the lawe canon which commaundeth that no Bishop be appoynted and ordayned without the consent and autoritie of the Bishop of Constantinople They made no accompt of that canon because it commaunded namely as they thought that the sayd autoritie shoulde be geuen vnto Atticus alone Wherefore Proclus being not admitted to execute the function of a bishop in the Church where he was ordayned continewed at Constantinople where he occupied him selfe in preaching and purchased vnto him selfe thereby great fame and commendation but of him I shal haue occasion of speake more hereafter Sisinius had scarse bene Bishop two yeares when he died it was in the Consulship of Hierius and Ardaburius the foure and twentieth of Decembre He was a man highly commended for temperancie for godly and vertuous life and to be shorte for his liberalitie bestowed vpon the poore He was a man both gentle and familier playne without fraude or guyle and therefore he neuer molested any in his life he was a great enemie to busie bodyes and to quarellers and therefore taken of many for a cowarde CAP. XXIX After the desease of Sisinius Bishop of Constantinople Nestorius was sent for to Antioch for to enioy the bishoprick who immediatly reuealed him selfe what kinde of man he was IT seemed good vnto the Emperour after the desease of Sisinius because ofdiuers vaine glorious persons to chuse none of that Church to be bishop though many made sute for Philip and many againe for Proclus but determined with him selfe to send for a straunger out of Antioch there was in those dayes there a man whose name was Nestorius by birth he was a Germaine a loude voice he had and an eloquent tongue and therefore as it was thought a fitt man to preach vnto the people They put their heades together they sent for Nestorius and brought him from Antioch to Constantinople three moneths after who though his temperance was highly commended of many yet the wisest sort and sagest people perceaued well inough his other conditions when he first beganne to preach for immediatly after his
world in the end deceaued thē selues Iulius Caesar espied a rude an homely mā aspiring vnto the kingdome of Cappadocia he resēbled very much the fauour of Ariarathes whom al the vvorld knevv to haue bene dispatched by Marcus Antonius this counterfet Ariarathes had vvon al the cuntreis the crovvne vvas going to his head but ere the crovvne came Iulius Caesar tooke his head frō of his shoulders so dealt Augustus the Emperour vvith such as had proclaimed a yong man to be king of the Iewes after the desease of Herod because he resembled his sonne Alexander vvhome in his life time he had put to death When Henry the fourth had taken Richard the second that vvas king of England and imprisoned him the Earle of Salisbury vncle of the mother side vnto king Richard either to redeeme the prisoner or to reuenge him of the king or peraduenture both sette vp a priest in princely atyre one of king Richardes Musicians resemblinge his person verie muche and blazed that the Kinge had broken prisone and vvas gone the people hearinge of this ranne after the counterfeite Kinge but Henry came vvith povver and made the priest he coulde signe no more What vvill not al these shiftes auayle vs can vve not face out the matter vvil Abbey gentry helpe at al no doubt antiquity must take place vvil you he are what Lycurgus the lavvgiuer of the Lacedaemonians said somtime vpō like occasion vnto the bragging nobility of Lacedemon O noble citizens saith he the vaunte and glory vve make of Hercules the auncient race and progenie descending of his loines vvilauaile vs not a iote vnlesse that with al care and industry vve practise in ou◠liues such vertuous acts as made him famous and renowmed and moreouer that we learne exercise continually honest noble behauiour Agesilaus king of the Lacedemoniās misliked very much with the behauiour of his nobility whē he vttered these words vnto thē you see the force strength of the host to be on the side of the Spartane soldier you your selues follow after as a shadow cōmonly goeth after the corporall substance Theodorus Zuinger reporteth thus of the nobility of his cuntrey They wil be coūted the best men that take vpon thē to maintain encrease the honor of their auncestors they are the most sluggish sort of men they giue them selues to hunting to banqueting to pouling oppressing of the pore people they thinke that onely thing sufficient for their honor that they either through an other mans vertue or through an other mans vice attained vnto the name of nobilitie or vnto auncient armes that thence forth they may without controlement together with such like companions banquet day and night in their pauillions haunt brothell houses and frequent places of beastly pleasure because they are scarse worthie the companie of men they consume the rest of their dayes in follovving after dogges I except them euer and in all places vvhiche liuely expresse in vertuous life the noble fame and great renowme of their auncestors so farre Theodorus But God be praised for it we are able to report farre better of England that there are of the nobilitie valiant men vertuous godly studious politicke zealous of auncient houses and blood neuer stayned There is hope the dayes shall neuer be seene vvhen the prophesie of Chaucer shall take place vvhere he sayth VVhen fayth fayleth in priestes savves And Lordes hestes are holden for lavves And robberie is holden purchase And lecherie is holden solace Than shall the land of Albion Be brought to great confusion And to the end our vvished desire may take effect let vs hearken vvhat exhortation he geueth vnto the chiefe magistrate his vvordes are these Prince desire to be honorable Cherishe thy folke and hate extortion Suffer nothing that may be reproueable To thine estate done in thy region Shevve forth the yarde of castigation Dreade God doe lavve loue trueth and vvorthinesse And vvedde thy folke ayen to stedfastnes Novve that my penne hath ouer rulde me and runne so far vvith the race of mine autors nobilitie I vvill returne vnto Euagrius againe that vve may be the better acquainted with so singuler a man that hath ministred the occasion of so singuler a matter He studied a while at Apamea for so he testifieth of him self in the time of the Emperour Iustinian about the yeare of our Lorde 565. he vvas so carefull ouer the studious reader that he recited vnto him about the latter ende of his fift booke all the histories both diuine and prophane from the beginning of the vvorlde vnto his time He vvas a great companion of Gregorie byshop of Antioche he bare him companie to Constantinople vvhen he vvent to cleare him self he reporteth of himself that he vvas maryed in Antioche vvith great pompe and royall solemnitie vvhen the great earthquake the night follovving shooke the vvhole citie His state and condition I doe gather vvhere he writeth of the pestilent contagious disease which raigned throughout the vvorlde the space of two and fiftie yeares the vvords he vvrote are these The greatest mortalitie of all fell vpon mankinde the second yeare of the reuolution vvhich comprised the terme of fiftene yeares so that I my selfe vvhich vvrite this historie vvas then troubled vvith an impostume or svvellinge about the priuie members or secrete partes of the bodye moreouer in processe of time vvhen this sicknes vvaxed hot and dispatched diuersly and sundry kinds of wayes it fell out to my great griefe and sorowe that God tooke from me many of my children my wife also with diuers of my kinsfolkes whereof some dwelled in the citie and some in the cuntrey such were my aduentures and such were the calamities which the course of those lamentable times distributed vnto me When I wrote this I was eight and fiftie yeare olde two yeares before this sicknesse had bene foure times in Antioche and when as at length the fourth reuolution and compasse was past besides my aforesaide children God tooke away from me a daughter and a nephewe of mine The iudgement that Nicephorus geueth of his historie is in this sort Euagrius a noble man wrote his Ecclesiasticall history the which he continwed vnto the raygne of Iustinus handling especially prophane matters the substance whereof he gathered out of Eustathius the Syrian Sozimus Priscus Iohannes Procopius of Coesarea and Agathus all which were famous orators of that time ▪ and out of sundrie other good autors but the autor reuealeth him selfe in the plainest sort where he endeth his historie writing in this sort Here doe I minde to cut of and make an ende of writinge that is the twelfe yere of Mauricius Tiberius the emperour leauing such things as followe for them that are disposed to pennethem for the posteritie in time to come I haue finished an other worke comprising relations epistles decrees orations disputations with sundrie other matters The
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
day night to pray for the prosperous state of your empire the coÌ„tinuaÌ„ce of your raigne After these things y â— acts of y â— secoÌ„d couÌ„cel of Ephesus were openly read at y â— request both of Dioscorus Eusebius y â— subtle disputation exquisit discourse therof both written of many others also laid down among y â— acts of y â— councel of ChalcedoÌ„ if I should here pen for y â— reader who peradueÌ„ture wil be desirous to vnderstaÌ„d y â— finall end of al their doings without doubt I should seeme to post him ouer with delayes I will therefore referre it to the ende of this booke where as many as will haue all things after their common saying at their fingers endes may both reade all and carefully committ the whole to memorie But nowe let vs proceede on in the things which we haue chiefely purposed to handle that is to saye howe Dioscorus bewrayed him selfe partly by reiecting the Epistle of Leo byshopp of old Rome and partly also by deposing Flauianus byshop of newe Rome all which he did in one day and craftely deuised that the byshops whiche assembled together should subscribe vnto a blancke where afterwards he caused the depriuation of Flauianus to be written when these thinges were done the senators decreed as followeth The next day after when the councell aduised them selues somewhat better we doe perceiue that they reasoned more exquisitly of the true and catholicke fayth VVherefore seeinge that Flauianus the byshopp of worthie memory and Eusebius the most reuerende byshopp of Dorilaeum were founde not to haue erred in the fayth after we had searched the actes and decrees of the councell and also by the report of suche as were chiefe in the councell and therefore vniustly to haue beene deposed for they confessed them selues sowly deceaued and wrongfully to haue depriued Flauianus and Eusebius It seemeth good vnto vs and no doubt God approueth the same that Dioscorus the most reuerend byshop of Alexandria if it so please our Lorde the Emperour Iuuenalis the most reuerend byshop of Ierusalem Thalassius the most reuerend byshop of Caesarea in Cappodocia Eusebius the most reuerende byshop of Armenia Eustathius the most reuerend byshop of Berytus Basilius the most reuerende byshop of Seleucia in Isauria who were then of autority and chief of the councell should be punished alike deposed of their byshopricks by the censure iudgemeÌ„t of the councell as the canons of the church doe require be at the emperours pleasure Immediatly there were other bils exhibited against Dioscorus both of the crimes he committed and the money he had receaued but when Dioscorus being called y â— second the third time of y â— councel sent fained excuses for him self came not y â— Legats of Leo byshop of old Rome stood vp in y â— councel said as followeth The hainoê° offeÌ„ces which Dioscorus late byshop of the noble city of Alexandria coÌ„mitted against the canons of the councells the ecclesiastical discipline are throughly knoweÌ„ of vs al partly by sifting out such things as were heard in the former session and partly also by examining such things as we decided this day And that we may omit many other things this man of his owne autority coÌ„trary to the canon of the church receaued Eutyches into the coÌ„munion an heretick of the same opinion with him one that was iustly deposed by his owne proper byshop to wit the most holy father and our byshop Flauianus this he did before he shewed his face in the councel which he held with the most holy byshops at Ephesus but the Apostolicke seae pardoned the byshops because they were constrained against their wills to doe that whiche they did who yeelded them selues vnto this present houre both to Leo the most holy byshop to the whole sacred general assembly of byshops therefore as men of one opinion with him he receaued theÌ„ into the coÌ„munion As for this Dioscorus he cesseth not as yet to glory of the things for the which he ought to mourne lament lie groueling vpon the ground in sackcloth ashes not onely this but also he fâ—rbad the reading of holy Pope Leo his epistle written vnto Flauianus of godly memory yea being oft intreated of the Legats naye when he him selfe had promised with an othe he woulde procure it to be read the default in not reading of which epistle hath bene both an offence hindrance vnto the holy churches vnder heauen Although he was priuey to such lewde practises yet haue we asseÌ„bled together to th end we might deale somewhat fauourably both vvith him for all his former leudnes and also in like sort with the other godly byshops which were not of equall autority with him in iudgment but seing that his later misdemenure exceeded his former impiety for he sticked not to excoÌ„municate Leo the most holy and most religious archebyshop of Rome moreouer wheÌ„ shameful bills were exhibited against him he him self being cited once twise the thirde time as the canon of the church hath coÌ„maunded by the godly byshops to appeare before the councel yet would be not come for his owne coÌ„science accused him but entertained coÌ„trary vnto law such as were iustly deposed by diuers councells set at naught sundry coÌ„stitutions of the church condemning as it were him selfe with his owne doings once againe seeinge these are found to be his later practises Leo the most holy archebyshop of great olde Rome by vs and this sacred assembly together with the most blessed Apostle S. Peter who is the rocke the grounde of the Catholicke Churche and the fundation of the true fayth bereaued him of all dignitie that belongeth to a byshop and depriued him of the priestly function â–ª wherefore let this holy councell geue the sentence of Dioscorus of whom we haue hitherto spoken according vnto the canons of the Church When these things were ratified by the councell and certen other things decided y â— byshops that were deposed with Dioscorus at y â— request of the councell the consent of y â— emperour were restored to their byshopricks againe when they had annexed certeÌ„ things vnto their former constitutious y â— conncell pronounced such a sentence as followeth Our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christe going about to confirme his disciples in the knowledge of the fayth saide vnto them my peace I geue you my peace I bequeath vnto you to th ende none should vary froÌ„ his neighbour in sacred religion but that all with one mouth minde should acknowledg the word of trueth Imediately after when they had read y â— creed established by the councell of Nice with y â— forme of faith agreed vpon by a hundred fiftye godly fathers assembled at Constantinople they procede on in these words that diuine holy creed containing the abundance of the grace spirit of god is sufficient both to bring men vnto
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
worlde there raigned after kinge Dauid Solomon ouer Israel ouer Iuda Roboam Abia Asa Iosaphat Ioram Ochozias Athalia Ioas Amasias Azarias Ioathan Achaz Ezechias Manasses Amon Iosias Ioachaz Ioacim Iechonias Sedechias vnder whome the captiuitie befell both citie and temple were destroyed the people led into Babylō Yet during the seuenty yeres of their captiuity there wanted not such as taught them such as prophecied vnto them of their deliuerance comforted them in their misery In the fift age of the worlde after the captiuitye the Israelites were gouerned by Zorobabel Resa Ioanna Iudas Iosephus Abner Semei Mattathias Aser Maath Nagid Arphaxad Agar Heli Masbot Naum Amos Sirach Mattathias Siloa Ioseph Arses Ianneus Hircanus Iudas Machabaeus Ionathas Simon Ionathas Iohannes Hircanus Aristobulus Alexander Hircanus Antigonus Aristobulus and Herode the Aliene in whose time Christe Iesus was borne in the fleshe These are the successions of Magistrates and Gouernours of all sortes as well of the vvicked to chastise as of the godly to cherishe whom God appointed to gouerne his people to vpholde the trueth to extoll vertue to roote out vice and to praise his holye name From Aaron vnto the byrth of Christ there were priests ordained to offer sacrifice vnto God to pray for the sinnes of the people and to preach the word of trueth Whose names as I reade in the Ecclesiasticall history of Nicephorus are these Aaron Eleazer phinees Eliezer Bochchi Ozi Heli Achitob Abimelech Abiathar Sadoc Achimaas Azarias Ioram Iodas Axioran Sadeus Phadaeus Iculus Ioathā Vrias Neri Ioas Selam Helchias Sareas Iosedech Iesus Ioachim Eliasib Ioachaz Ioannes Iaddaeus Onias Simō Eleazar Manasses Onias Simon Onias Iesus Onias Alcimus Onias the sonne of Onias Iudas Machabaeus Ionathas his brother Simon his brother Iohannes Hircanus Aristobulus Iannaeas Alexander Hircanus Antigonus Anaelus Aristobulus Anaelus Iesus and Simon in whose time Christe Iesus was borne From the byrth of Christe as it is to be seene in the Chronographie following vntill the destruction of Ierusalem vnder Titus there were these high priests Matthias Iosephus Ioazarus Eleazar Iesus sea Ananus otherwise Annas Ismael Eleazar Simon Caiphas Ionathas Theophilus Simon Ionathas Matthias Elioneus Ioseph Ananias Ionathas Ismael Iosephus Ananus Iesus Dannaeus Iesus the sonne of Gamaliel Matthias and Phanes in whose time the citie of Ierusalem was taken the temple set on fire and the high priests ceassed There were also from the beginning of the worlde vnto the birth of Christ prophets foreshewing as Dorotheus writeth the promises of God made vnto the fathers wherin he promised to blesse all nations in the seede of Abraham through the saluation that was to come by our Sauiour Iesus Christ Iosephus in his Iudaicall Antiquities writeth that Adam prophecied and foretolde his sonnes the worlde shoulde be twise destroyed first by water afterwardes with fire Iude in his Epistle speaketh of Enoch the seuenth from Adam that he prophecied sayinge beholde the Lorde shall come with thousands of Saincts to geue iudgement against all men and to rebuke all that are vngodly among them of all their vngodly deedes which they haue lewdly committed and of all their cruell speakinges whiche vngodly sinners haue spoken againste him Iacob prophecied that his posteritie shoulde be deliuered out of Aegypt of the comminge of Christ that the scepter should not depart from Iuda and a lawgeuer from betweene his feete vntill Siloh that is the Messias came Ioseph foretolde likewise the children of Israell of their deliuerance out of Aegypt sayinge I die and God will surely visit you and bring you out of this land vnto the lande which he sware vnto Abraham Isaac and Iacob God will not faile but visite you and ye shall carie my bones hence Moses the great worshipper of the high God prophecied of the creation of the worlde and of suche thinges as were done vnto his time the space of two thousande yeares before he was borne againe of Christe he sayde as Peter hath alleadged him in the Actes of the Apostles A Prophete shall the Lorde your God rayse vp vnto you of your brethren lyke vnto me him shall ye heare in all thinges whatsoeuer he shall saye vnto you Samuel was both a iudge ouer Israel a priest and a prophet Dauid Solomon also is sayde to haue bene endued with the spirite of prophecie though Dorotheus be of the contrary opinion Both olde and late writers doe thinke no lesse then that he was a prophet Antoninus hath a tracte intitled De prophetijs Dauid Solomonis of the prophecies of Dauid and Solomon There prophecied moreouer as we finde in holy scripture Nathan Gad Ahias Asaph Idithum Addo Semeia Ioath Oded Azarias Hanani Iehu Iehaziel Eliezer Elias Zacharias Elissaeus Osee Abdias Michaeas Amos Esaias Ioel Ionas Sophonias Ieremie Hulda Naum Abacuk Ezechiel Daniel Baruch Vrias Aggaeus Zacharias Malachias and Iohn the Baptist Whose liues this autor hath briefely runne ouer These prophets in some places of holy scripture are termed Seers in some other places the men of God againe in other places the seruāts of the most high God In the time of King Acab Obadias the gouernour of his house one that feared God hid an hundred prophets in caues yet their names are not knowen of al the prophets generally Peter the Apostle writeth in this sort It is of the saluatiō of your soules that the prophets haue enquired and searched which prophecied of the grace that should come vnto you searching when or at what time the spirit of Christe which was in them shoulde signifie whiche spirit testified before the passions that shoulde happen vnto Christe and the glorie that shoulde followe after vnto which prophets it was also declared that not vnto them selues but vnto vs they shoulde minister the thinges which are now shewed vnto you of them Such was the goodnesse of God towardes mankinde that in times past as S. Paule saith he spake at sundry times and in diuers sorts vnto the fathers by prophets also by the ministery of Angells sent forth for their sakes which shal be heires of saluation In these later dayes being the sixt age of the worlde beginning at Christ and continewinge vnto the day of iudgement that is vnto the seuenth age and the Sabaoth of rest we haue had the twelue Apostles Peter Andrevve Iames Iohn Philip Bartholomevve Mathevve Thomas Iames the sonne of Alphaeus Iude Simon Matthias which was chosen in the rowme of Iudas the traitor Paule is also termed an Apostle and called to the function by our sauiour him selfe cryinge vnto him from heauen after his ascention VVe haue also the foure Euangelists Mathevve Marke Luke and Iohn VVe haue moreouer here layde downe by Dorotheus the catalogue of the seuentie disciples which our Sauiour ordained in the Gospell and appointed to goe by two and two into euerye citie and place where he him selfe shoulde come The first after Dorotheus is Iames the brother of the Lorde called