Sciences telling them that from hence would accrue to them no small fitness and preparation for the Contemplation of the divine Scriptures for which reason he esteem'd the study of Secular and Philosophical literature most necessary for himself CHAP. XIX What things have been recorded concerning Origen by the Gentiles THe Heathen Philosophers who flourish'd in his Age are witnesses of his great proficiency in these studies in whose writings we have found frequent mention of this man some of them both dedicating their books to him and also delivering up their private labours to his Censure as to a Master But I need not speak of these things when as Porphyrius who liv'd in Sicilie almost till our Age having written some books against us and in them endeavoured to cavill at the holy Scriptures when he had mentioned those men who made explications upon them was unable in any wise to cast any base aspersion upon their Opinions and through want of Arguments betakes himself to railing and reviles the Commentators Of whom he attempts chiefly to reproach Origen saying that when he was young he knew him but he unawares commends the man partly by speaking the truth in some things where he could not do otherwayes and partly by lying wherein he thought he should escape being detected Sometimes he accuses him as being a Christian by and by he admires and describes the accession he made to Philosophick Literature Hear therefore what he says word for word Some men desirous to find out not a defection from the pravity of the Jewish Scriptures but an explication of the obscurities in them have betaken themselves to expositions which have no agreement nor coherence with those Scriptures and which contain the Authour's approbation and praise rather than a defence of those strange Sectaries For having boasted that what things were plainly spoken by Moses were obscure Riddles allowing them the Authority and quoting them as divine Oracles full of hidden Mysteries And having bewitched the judgements and minds of men with their pride they afterwards put forth their Expositions Then after some few words he saies Let an example of this absurdity be taken from a man whom I saw when I was very young being a person then of great repute and yet eminently renowned upon account of his writings which he left behind him I mean Origen whose renown is very much spread abroad amongst the teachers of those Doctrines For this Man having been an of that Ammonius who in our Age made a great proficiency in Philosophy as for his knowledge in Philosophick Literature he profited much by this Master But as concerning a right course of life he undertook a way quite contrary to him for Ammonius having been educated a Christian by Christian Parents when he arriv'd to understanding and the knowledge of Philosophy quickly betook himself to a course of life which was agreeable to the Laws But Origen being a Gentile and brought up in the Learning of the Grecians diverted to the Impudence of the Barbarians Being devoted to this Religion he corrupted both himself and also that proficiency he had made in Philosophick Learning as to his manner of life he liv'd like a Christian and contrary to the Laws but in respect of his Opinions concerning things and concerning God he imitated the Grecians substituting the sayings of the Heathens in the room of those strange fables For he was continually conversant in Plato's works and in those of Numenius and Cronius and he revolved the works of Apollophanes and Longinus and Moderatus and Nicomachus and the works of all the famous men amongst the Pythagoreans he also made use of the works of Chaeremon the Stoick and of Cornutus's books when he had learn'd from them the Allegorical mode of explaining the Grecian Mysteries he appli'd it to the Jewish Scriptures These are Porphyrius's words in his third book of that piece he wrote against the Christians who has said the truth concerning the mans hard study and great learning but herein he has plainly lied for what would not he say who wrote against the Christians in that he saies that Origen was converted from a Heathen to a Christian and that Ammonius fell from a pious course of life to the Heathenish way of living For as our History has before manifested Origen kept the Christian Doctrine receiv'd from his Ancestours And the precepts of the divine Philosophy remain'd uncorrupted and unshaken in Ammonius even till his death as his works even to this present doe testifie he being famous amongst most men for his books which he left behind him as for example that book which is thus Intitl'd concerning the concord of Moses and Jesus and those other books of his whatsoever sort they be of which are found amongst lovers of learning Let what we have said therefore be an Evidence both of the detraction of this lying Accuser and also of Origens great knowledge in the Grecian learning Concerning which Origen in an Epistle of his wherein he makes an Apologie for himself to some who blam'd him for his too great studiousness about this sort of learning writes these words When I imploy'd my self wholly in the Scripture the fame of my progress in Learning spreading it self every where there resorting to me sometimes Hereticks at othertimes those who studied the Grecian Learning and especially such as were skilled in Philosophy I thought it convenient to make researches into Hereticks Opinions and into whatsoever things are reported to be said by Philosophers concerning the truth this we did both in imitation of Pantaenus who profited many before us who was furnished with no small stock of provisions of this sort And also of Heraclas who at this time sits among the Presbyters of Alexandria whom I found with a Philosophy Master under whom he studied diligently five years before I began to be an Auditour of his doctrine And for this reason he wearing a common habit before put it off and put on a Philosophical habit which he retains to this day neither does he desist from a studious reading of the books of the Learned Grecians This he said in defence of the studious diligence he used about the Grecian Learning At this time while he made his abode at Alexandria there came a Souldier who deliver'd Letters to Demetrius the Bishop of that Church and to the then Prefect of Aegypt from the Governour of Arabia that they should send Origen to him with all speed that he might impart to him his doctrine He was therefore sent by them and came to Arabia But in a little time having finisht those things which were the cause of his coming he again return'd to Alexandria Within some interval of time there being kindled in Alexandria no small war he withdrew out of Alexandria and judging there was no safe dwelling for him in Aegypt he went to Palestine and made his abode in Caesarea where the Bishops
which was written by me and Pamphilus the holy Martyr of our times which we fellow-labourers carefully and joyntly compos'd upon the account of some of his quarrelsome Accusers CHAP. XXXIV Concerning Philip the Emperour WHen Gordianus had held the Roman Empire six complete years Philip together with his son Philip succeeded him The report is that he being a Christian upon the day which is the last of the Vigils of Easter was desirous to be a partaker together with the congregation of the prayers of the Church but could in no wise be permitted to enter into the Church by him who was then Bishop before he had made a general confession of his fins and recounted himself amongst their number who were reckon'd the Lapsed and stood in the place of penitents for had he not done this he would not have been admitted by the Bishop because of his many offences and 't is reported that he willingly obey'd and demonstrated in his deeds the sincerity and devoutness of his affection towards the fear of God CHAP. XXXV How Dionysius succeeded Heraclas in his Bishoprick IT was the third of Philip's Reign in which Heraclas dyed after he had Govern'd the Church sixteen years and Dionysius succeeded him in the Bishoprick of Alexandria CHAP. XXXVI What other books were written by Origen AT this time therefore the faith as it was meet daily encreasing and our doctrine being boldly preach'd amongst all men Origen 't is said was now above sixty years old and because he had now gotten a most excellent habit of speaking through long use and exercise he permitted the Notaries to write his discourses which he delivered in publick but never before this time would he suffer that to be done About this time he wrote eight books against a book of Celsus the Epicurean intitled The word of Truth He also wrote twenty five Volumes upon Matthew's Gospel and those upon the Twelve Prophets of which books we have found onely twenty five There is also extant an Epistle of his to Philip the Emperour another to his wife Severa and several others to divers other persons which being scattered here and there in several mens hands as many of them as we could find preserved being above an hundred in number we have collected and digested into proper books by themselves that they may not hereafter be again dispers'd He wrote also to Fabian Bishop of Rome and to several other Prelates of Churches concerning his own Orthodoxie you have also the declarations of these things in the sixth book of the Apology we wrote in defence of him CHAP. XXXVII Concerning the dissention of the Arabians AGain about the same time there sprang up in Arabia Introducers of another Opinion alienating from the Truth These affirm'd that mens souls even in this present life expired together with their bodies and were turn'd to corruption together with them but that they should again revive together with the bodies at the time of the Resurrection No small Synod being call'd together upon this account Origen is again sent for thither and having disputed publickly concerning this question he managed the cause so well that those who before were fallen into errour changed their sentiments CHAP. XXXVIII Concerning the Heresie of the Helcesaïts AT that time also sprang up another perverse Errour call'd the Heresie of the Helcesaïts which was stifled in its birth Origen mentions it in his Homily to the people upon the eighty second Psalm in these words Lately there came one highly conceited of himself for his ability to defend that Atheistical and most wicked Opinion call'd the Opinion of the Helcesaïts which lately was raised in opposition to the Church I will explain to you what evil things that Opinion asserts that ye be not drawn away by it It reject's somethings of every part of the Scripture but makes use of some Texts both out of the Old and also out of the Evangelical Scripture it rejects the Apostle Paul wholly It says 't is an indifferrent thing to deny the Faith It â—olds also that upon necessity a wise man would deny Christianity with his mouth but not with his heart also at the same time They also carry about with them a book which they say fell down from heaven and every one that hears it and believes it shall obtain Remission of sins a Remission different from that which Jesus Christ bestowed But let thus much suffice concerning these things CHAP. XXXIX Concerning what happened in the times of Decius BUt in the mean while Decius succeeds Philip after he had Reigned seven years who because of his hatred towards Philip rais'd a Persecution against the Churches In which Fabian being Martyr'd at Rome Cornelius succeeds in that Bishoprick And Alexander the Bishop of Jerusalem in Palestine is again brought before the Governour 's Tribunal for Christ's sake And was very famous for his second confession at Caesarea where he was imprisoned being now adorned with a venerable old Age and reverend gray haires After his noble and famous testimony before the Governour 's Tribunal he expired in Prison and Mazabanes was pronounced his successour in the Bishoprick of Jerusalem Also Babylas Bishop of Antiochia died in like manner as did Alexander in prison after his confession and Fabius is preferred to be Bishop of that Church Moreover how many and how great afflictions happened to Origen in this Persecution and what was the end of these things the Devil with all his forces enviously setting himself in opposition to this man and fighting against him with all subtilty and power assailing him particularly above all those who were set upon at that time how many and how great things he also suffered for the Doctrine of Christ as bonds and bodily torments the punishment of the Iron Chain in the inmost recesses of the Prison how he was put upon the Rack his feet for several days being stretch'd so wide as to the distance of four holes how valiantly he sustain'd the menaces of fire and all other Tortures inflicted by his Enemies what also was the exit of these things the Judge with his utmost power earnestly endeavouring that he might not be slain Lastly what expressions he left behind him and how comfortable to the comfortless All these particulars many of his Epistles do both truly and accurately comprehend CHAP. XL. Concerning what things happened to Dionysius I Will also Record some things concerning Dionysius out of his Epistle to Germanus Where speaking concerning himself he makes this relation I speak in the presence of God and he knows that I lie not I never made my escape of my self nor without the Divine appointment But before to wit at the same time when the Decree for the Persecution came out from Decius Sabinus sent out his Deputy to make inquisition for me and I stay'd at home four days expecting the arrival of the Deputy But he went about
And that when he had sought amongst his own Priests for an expiation of such horrid and nefarious Murders as these and had found none for they openly declared that such black crimes as these could not be purged by sacrifice he adds that he accidentally met with an Egyptian who had come out of Iberia and that having received information from him that the Faith of the Christians abolished all manner of sin he embraced those things which the Egyptian had imparted to him And that from that time he relinquished the Religion of his Ancestours and made a Beginning of Impiety as he terms it Now that these things are notoriously false I will demonstrate immediately But in the first place I must give a Relation concerning The Chrysargyrum CHAP. XLI An Invective against Zosimus on account of the Reproaches and Calumnies he has cast upon Constantine and the Christians THou sayst therefore O destructive and impure Daemon that Constantine resolving to build a City equall to Rome at first attempted the erecting of such a great City in the mid way between Troas and Ilium and having laid the Foundations and raised the wall to an heighth afterwards he found Byzantium to be a place more Commodious and so incompassed that with walls which old City he enlarged to such a degree and adorned it with such splendid Buildings that it seemed not much inferiour to Rome which in so many years had by little and little arrived at that Greatness Thou sayst further that he distributed amongst the Byzantine people The Annona out of the publick stock and gave a vast sum of Gold to those who had removed together with him to Byzantium for the building of their own private houses Again thou writest word for word thus After Constantine's death the supream management of Affairs devolved only to his Son Constantius to wit after the death of his two Brothers And when Magnentius and Vetranio had set up for Tyrants he attacked Vetranio by perswasives For both their Armies being come together Constantius in the first place made a Speech to the Souldiers and put them in mind of his Fathers Liberality with whom they had waged many Wars and by whom they had been honoured with the greatest Gratuities Which when the Souldiers had heard they divested Vetranio of his purple and drew him out of the Tribunal clothed in a private habit Notwithstanding thou doest affirm that he underwent nothing of molestation from Constantius who together with his Father hath by Thee been loaded with so many Calumnies How therefore Thou canst judge it agreeable to affirm the same person to have been so Liberall and so Bountifull and yet so tenacious and sordid as to have imposed such an execrable Tax I am I must confess wholly ignorant Further that he neither slew Fausta nor Crispus nor for that reason received our Mysteries from any Egyptian hear the words of Eusebius Pamphilus who flourished in the same times with Constantine and Crispus and was frequently conversant with them For thou writest not even what thou hast received by Report much less the Truth in regard thou livedst a long time after to wit in the Reign of Arcadius and Honorius to whose Times thou hast brought down thine History or rather after them In the Eight Book of his Ecclesiastick History Eusebius writes word for word thus Within some small Intervall of time the Emperour Constantius a person of extraordinary mildness throughout his whole life most favourable to his Subjects and one that had a singular affection for the divine Doctrine of our Religion ended his life according to the common Sanction of Nature leaving his own Son Constantine Emperour and Augustus in his stead And after some other words Constantine Son to this man being immediately from that very time of his Fathers death Proclaimed supream Emperour and Augustus by the Souldiers but long before that by the supream God exhibited himself an emulatour of his Fathers Piety towards our Religion And at the close of his History he expresses himself in these very words But Constantine the mighty Conquerour gloriously adorned with all the Virtues of Religion together with his Son Crispus a Prince highly beloved of God and in all things like his Father recovered his own East Doubtless Eusebius who survived Constantine would never have so highly extolled Crispus if he had been murdered by his Father Moreover Theodoret relates in his History that Constantine at the very close of his life was made partaker of Salutary Baptism at Nicomedia and that he defer'd it till that time because he was desirous of being baptized in the River Jordan Thou sayst moreover most execrable and impurest of Mortalls that the Roman Empire from such time as the Christian Religion shewed it self hath decayed and been utterly destroyed which thou affirmest either because thou hast read nothing of what hath hapned in ancient times or else with a designed malice to attack the Truth For the contrary is manifestly apparent to wit that the Roman Empire hath increased together with our Faith Consider therefore how about the very time of the Advent of Christ our God amongst men most of the Cities of the Macedonians were ruined by the Romans Albania also and Iberia the Colchi and Arabians were made Subjects to the Romans Consider likewise how Caius Caesar on the Hundredth eighty second Olympiad in great fights subdued the Galli Germani and Britanni which Nations inhabited Five hundred Cities and annexed them to the Roman Empire as it has been recorded by Historians This is the Caesar who after the Consuls was the first Monarch of the Roman Empire who made a way out of Polytheism and Democracy and introduced a praevious Veneration of a Monarchy on account of that just ready to come The Monarchy of Christ. Immediately all Judaea and the Neighbouring Countries were annext to the Roman Empire in so much that The First Inrollment was then made in which Christ also together with others was Enrolled to the end that Bethlehem might publickly declare the completion of that Prophecie which had been uttered concerning it self For it hath been predicted by the Prophet Micah concerning it in this manner And Thou bethlehem in the Land of Juda art not the least amongst the Princes of Juda for out of thee shall come forth to me a Governour who shall rule my people Israel And after the Nativity of Christ our God Egypt was added to the Roman Empire Augustus Caesar under whom Christ was born having totally subdued Antonius and Cleopatra who killed themselves After which persons Cornelius Gallus is constituted Praefect of Egypt by Augustus Caesar and he was the First who Governed Egypt after The Ptolemies as it has been recorded by Historiographers Further how many Countries have been taken away from the Persians by Ventidius and by Corbulo Nero's Dux by Trajan also Severus and Carus by
not yet perswaded me to believe that the Legion Melitina was named the Lightning Legion upon that account Some may object that there was indeed a Legion called the Lightning Legion before Antoninus's time but that he gave the Legion Melitina that name also because of the benefit he received by their means But if it were so it ought to be called the second Lightning Legion and yet Dio makes no mention of any such Legion although he reckons up exactly all the Legions enrolled by the former Emperours Moreover Dio says that the Lightning Legion had its station in Cappadocia which agrees very well with the Legion Melitina In the book called Notitia Imperii Romani the prefecture of the 12 Legion termed Fulminea at Melitina is reckoned under the disposition of the Duke of Armenia Whence t is collected that Melitina was not the name of the Legion but of the Town wherein the 12 Legion called Fulminea abode But 't was not usual to give the Legions their denomination from the places where they were in Garison but from the Countreys wherein they were inrolled Therefore what Eusebius says concerning the Legion Melitina seems to me scarce probable Besides Rufinus purposely omitted this name of the Legion as I suppose because he knew that Melitina was the name of a Town in Armenia the less wherein the 12 Legion called Fulminea kept guard in his time But that I may freely say what I think it seems not very probable to me that a whole Legion of Roman Souldiers should at that time be Christians which yet Eusebius seems to affirm who errs in this also because he has not produced the place of Apollinaris nor shown the book wherein he wrote these things But the words with which Eusebius closes this whole story doe sufficiently shew that he himself doubted of the truth of this matter for thus he says in this chap. Let every one determine concerning these things according to his own pleasure Vales. e Tertullians words are these At nos è contrario èdimus protectorem si litera Marci Aurelii gravissimi Imperatoris requirantur quibus illam Germanicam sitim Christianorum forte militum precationibus impetrato imbriodis cussam contestatur Tertul. Apol. pag. 6. Edit Regal Paris 1634. f Quales ergo leges istae quas adversus nos soli exequntur impii injusti turpes truces vani dementes Quas Trajanus ex parte frustratus est vetando inquiri Christianos quas nullus-Hadrianus quanquam curiositatum omnium explorator nullus Vespasianus quanquam Judaeorum debellator nullus Pius nullus Verus impressit Tertul. Apol. pag. 6 and 7. Edit as before We have added these words of Tertullian here that the learned Reader may see how different the translation Eusebius here quotes is from the original copies of Tertullian which we now have g Baronius has placed the election of Irenaeus to the See of Lyons on the year of Christ 180. For after the death of Pothinus which happened in the year 179 he says that See was vacant till the heat of the persecution was over Vales. D r Cave in his Chronological Table says Pothinus died in the year of Christ 177 to whom succeeded Irenaeus the year following * 2 Tim. 4. 21. a Our M. SS copies read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I doctrine I would rather read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 succession as Christophorson S r Hen. Savill and the old Translatour of Irenaeus read it Vales. a The Mâ—â— Med. Fuk. and Savill M. SS read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prayer the Kings M. S. and Robert Stephens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purity Vales. a These words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. of which number Irenaeus was one seem to be superfluous and written in the margin onely by some Scholiast But they are in the Maz. Med. Fuk. and Savil. M. SS Vales. b Irenaeus in that he affirms here that The Gospel according to Mark was written after the death of Paul and Peter does contradict what Eusebius related before at the 15 th chap. of the second book where he says Mark 's Gospel was publish't at Rome whilest Peter was alive and approved of by that Apostle But 't is no wonder that the antient fathers disagree amongst themselves in this matter seeing we have almost nothing of certainty about the writing of the sacred Gospels save that they are four and written by four several Authours But when or for what reason they were written and whether the Gospel of S. Matthew were first penned in Hebrew it s not very evident Vales. c All the ancient Ecclesiastick Writer as before was noted call that book the Wisedom of Solomon which we now call the Proverbi But that B. entitled now the Wisedom of Solomon is Apocryphal Vales. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the term here in the original does properly signifie the sayings of wise men which are repeated by heart Vales. e Irenaeus is the ancientest writer that makes mention of Theodotion Wherefore we will see if from hence we can make out the time when Theodotion lived Epiphanius in his book de ponderib says Theodotion flourished under Commodus and then put forth his translation The Chronicon of Alexandria follows Epiphanius's opinion and says he publisht that work in the sixth year of the Emperour Commodus I Judge Theodotion to be somewhat ancienter For seeing Irenaeus has mentioned him in his books against Heresies which books t is manifest he wrote when Eleutherus was Bishop of Rome for he says so in the 3 d B. of thaâ— work we must necessarily grant that Theodotion flourisht before Eleutherus was made Bishop of Rome Vales. f Some of the Ancients doe declare that the Greek translation of the holy Scriptures was performed under Ptolemaeus the son of Lagus others mention it to have been done under Ptolemaeus Philadelphus Which latter opinion in that 't is confirmed by the authority of the greater number of writers has at last prevailed Anatolius says the translation of the 72 was made both in the Reign of Ptolomy the Son of Lagus and also in that of his successour Philadelphus which to me seems very probable For seeing Aristobulus Josephus and Tertullian doe say in express words that Demetrius Phalereus put Ptolomy upon this business and it being manifest that the said Demetrius was in great favour with and authority under Ptolomy the son of Lagus and died soon after him we must necessarily say that this translation if it were done by the procurement of Demetrius was begun in the Reign of Ptolomy the son of Lagus And seeing that Philadelphus reigned about two years together with his father being made his Colleague in the Kingdom therefore perhaps 't is related that this translation was made under both the Princes Vales. The Learned Petavius is of the same opinion with Valesius in this matter as may be seen from his Annotations on Epiphanius's Book de ponderib pag. 379. Edit Paris 1622. g Cleâ—oens Alexandrinus says
for some little time quiet Resuming their boldness presently after they had by subtlety crept into the Prince's favour by all ways and arts they began to Persecute the Catholick Prelates Their first assault was made against Eustathius Bishop of the City Antioch who was Eminent both for the Glory of Confession and was also accounted the Chief amongst the Assertors of the Nicene Faith Him therefore they accuse before the Emperour because he maintained Sabellius ' s impiety and because he had reproach't Helena Augusta the Emperour's Mother A numerous Assembly of Bishops is conven'd in the City Antioch in which presided Eusebius of Nicomedia the Chief and Ring-leader of the whole Faction Eusebius of Caesarea was likewise present at this Synod Eustathius therefore having been accused by Cyrus Bishop of the Beroeans because he held the impious Doctrine of Sabellius and moreover an accusation of incontinency having been framed against him is thrust out of his own See On which account a most impetuous Tumult is rais'd at Antioch the people being divided into two Parties some requesting Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea might be put into Eustathius ' s place others desiring Eustathius their Bishop might be restored to them And it had come to blows had not a fear of the Emperour and the Judges authority repress'd them The Sedition being at length quieted and Eustathius banisht Our Eusebius although entreated both by the people and by the Bishops also that were present to undertake the Administration of the Antiochian Church yet refused to do that And when the Bishops by Letters written to Constantine had acquainted Him both with their own vote and with the suffrage of all the people Eusebius wrote his Letters also to Constantine Whereto the Emperour Constantine gave answer and highly commended Eusebius ' s resolution Eustathius having in this manner been depos'd which was done on the year of Christ 330 as I have remark'd in my Annotations the Arians turn the violence of their fury upon Athanasius And in the first place they complain of his Ordination in the Prince's presence then that he exacted an Impost of a Linen Garment from the Provincials that he had broken a sacred cup lastly that he had murdered one Arsenins a Bishop Therefore Constantine wearied with their most troublesome complaints indicted a Council in the City Tyre and commanded Athanasius the Bishop to repair thither to make his defence In that Synod Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea amongst others sate as Judge whom Constantine had a mind should be present at that Council Potamo Bishop of Heracleopolis who had come thither with Athanasius the Bishop and some Prelates of Egypt seeing him sitting in the Council is said to have accosted him in these words Is it fit Eusebius that You should sit and that the innocent Athanasius should stand to be judg'd by You Who can bear such things as these Tell me were not you in Custody with me during the time of the Persecution And I lost an eye in defence of the Truth but you appeared maim'd in no part of your body nor did you undergo Mariyâ—dome but are alive and whole By what means did you escape out of Prison Unless you promised our persecutors that you would do the detestable thing and perhaps you have done it These things are in this manner related by Epiphanius in the Hereâ—iâ— of the Meletians From which words by the by is appears that they are mistaken who relate that our Eusebius had sometime sacrificed to Idols and that that was openly objected against him in the Tyrian Synod For Potamo accused not Eusebius â—s if he â—ad sacrificed to Idols but onely his dismission out of Prison sâ—fe and whole had given Potaâ—â—o an occasion of suspecting that concerning him Nevertheless 't is possible that Eusebius might have been dismist out of Prison by some other way than that which Potamo has related Farther from Epiphanius ' s words it may I think bâ— gathered that Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea presided at this Synod For he adds that Eusebius being sorely vex'd at the hearing of these words dismissed the Council Yet from other Writers we have it for certain that not Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea but Eusebius of Nicomedia presided at the Tyrian Synod After the Council held at Tyre all the Bishops who had sate together there by the Emperour's Order betook themselves to Jerusalem to celebrate the Consecration of that Great Church which Constantine had erected in that place in honour of Christ. There Our Eusebius grac'd the Solemnity by several Sermons which he made in the Church And when the Emperour by most sharp Letters had summon'd the Bishops to his own Court that in his presence they might give an account of those things which by fraud and out of hatred they had transacted against Athanasius Our Eusebius together with five others came to Constantinople and certified the Prince concerning all Transactions Then also he recited his Tricennalian Oration in the Emperour 's own presence in the Palace Whereto the Emperour hearkened with the greatest joy imaginable not so much in respect of his own as God's Praises whom Eusebius has magnified thorowout that whole Oration This was the Second Oration that Eusebius spoke in the Palace as he himself attests in his Fourth Book concerning the Life of Constantine For he had before made an Oration in the Palace concerning the Sepulchre of Our Lord which the Emperour heard standing nor could he ever be perswaded though he was once and again entreated by Eusebius to sit down in the Seat set for him saying 't was fit that Discourses concerning God should be heard by persons standing as Eusebius relates in the thirty third Chapter of the same Book Farther how dear and acceptable Our Eusebius was to Constantine may be known both from these matters I have mentioned and also from many other circumstances For he both frequently received Letters from him which occur inserted in the foresaid Books Nor was it seldom that he was sent for to the Palace and entertain'd at Table and honoured with private discourse Moreover Constantine related that Vision of the Cross which he saw in the Heaven at such time as he was making his Expedition against Maxentius to Our Eusebius and shewed him the Labarum which he had ordered to be made to express the likeness of that Cross as Eusebius himself does attest And when he wanted Copies of the Sacred Scriptures for the use of those Churches which he had built at Constantinople he committed the care and over-sight of transcribing them to Eusebius in regard he well knew him to be most skilfull in these matters Lastly when Our Eusebius had Dedicated a Book concerning the Feast of Easter to him that Present was so acceptable to Constantine that he ordered that Book to be forthwith translated into Latine and by a Letter written to Eusebius entreated him that he would as soon as possible communicate the works of this nature
who is over all and worshipped him with virtuous works and not with the ceremonious service of the Law delivered afterwards by Moses Unto him being such a one it was said that In him shall all the Tribes of the earth and all Nations be blessed The very same manner of Religion which Abraham followed is found at this present among Christians alone throughout the world practised by them in works which are far more evident than words What then hindreth but that we may henceforth confess that one and the same way of living and the same kind of Religion is common to us who have our name from Christ with them who of Old sincerely served God and were so dear unto him It plainly appears therefore that that perfect and exact rule of Religion which hath been delivered unto us by the Doctrine of Christ is neither New nor Strange but if we ought to speak the truth the first the onely and the true one And of these matters let thus much suffice CHAP. V. Of the times of our Saviours Manifestation unto Men. BUt after this preparation wherein by way of Preface we have laid down such things as are fit to usher-in the Ecclesiastical History we design it now remaineth that we take the first step as it were of our journey from the appearance of our Saviour in the flesh calling upon God the Father of the Word and upon Jesus Christ himself of whom we Treat our Saviour and Lord the heavenly Word of God that he will be our help and fellow-labourer in the declaration of the Truth It was now therefore the two and fortieth year of the Reign of Augustus and the eight and twentieth year after the subduing of Egypt and the death of Antonius and Cleopatra in whom the Rule of the Ptolomees in Egypt ceased when our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ at the time of the first Taxing which was when Cyrenius was Governour of Syria was born in Bethlehem of Judea agreeable to the Prophecies that went before of him Which Taxing under Cyrenius Flavius Josephus a most famous Historiographer among the Hebrews maketh mention of adding thereto another History concerning the Sect of the Galileans which sprang up about the same time whereof amongst us also Luke in the Acts of the Apostles maketh mention saying thus After this man rose up one Judas of Galilee in the days of the Taxing and drew away much people after him he also himself perished and all even as many as obeyed him were dispersed The same indeed Josephus before mentioned in his eighteenth Book of Antiquities doth agree in and confirm thus word for word Cyrenius one of the number of the Roman Senatours a man who had born all Offices and by all the degrees of Honour had climbed at length to the Consulship and who was greatly renowned in other respects came with a few men into Syria being sent on purpose by Caesar as Judge of the Nation and to take the Valuation of their Estates And a little after he saith Judas Gaulanites a man of the City named Gamala having taken unto him one Saddochus a Pharisee earnestly sollicited the people to Rebellion Both of them affirming that the Taxing of this Tribute inferred nothing but manifest Servitude and exhorting the whole Nation to maintain their Liberty And in his Second Book of the Wars of the Jews he writeth thus of the same Person At that time a certain Galilean by name Judas stirred up the people of that Region to defection upbraiding them for paying Tribute so tamely to the Romans and having God their Sovereign for suffering mortal men to be their masters So far Josephus CHAP. VI. That in his time according to the Predictions of the Prophets the Princes of the Jewish Nation who before by succession had held the Principality surceased and that Herod the First of the Aliens became their King NOw at that time when Herod the First of them who by descent was a Forreigner had obtained the Rule over the Jewish Nation the Prophecy written by Moses was fulfilled which said There shall not want a Prince in Juda neither a Leader fail of his Loyns untill he come for whom it is reserved Whom he declares to be the expectation of the Gentiles Indeed the things of that Prophesie hung unaccomplished all the time that it was lawful for the Jews to live under Princes of their own Nation who taking their beginning as high as Moses himself continued down their Reign even to the Empire of Augustus under whom Herod the First Forreigner had the Government of the Jews granted him by the Romans who as Josephus declares was by his fathers side an Idumaean by his mothers an Arabian But as Affricanus one not of the vulgar sort of Writers says they who have been more accurate about his pedegree say he was the son of Antipater who was the son of one Herod an Ascalonite who was one of the servants which Ministred in the Temple of Apollo This Antipater being taken by Idumaean theeves while he was yet a child remained a long time among them because his father being one of a mean Estate was not able to redeem him And being brought up after their manner of breeding became at length very familiarly acquainted with Hyrcanus the High-priest of the Jews This very mans son was that Herod who lived in the time of our Saviour When therefore the principality of the Jews was come into the hands of this Alien then was the expectation of the Gentiles even at the doors according unto that Prophesie For then the Line of their Native Princes and Governours was broken off which had been drawn down by a continued Succession from Moses himself untill that time For before they were taken Captives and carried into Babylon Kings reigned over them beginning from Saul who was the first and from David Before their Kings Princes bore Rule over them whom they called Judges beginning their Government after Moses and his Successour Jesus After their return from Babylon there ceased not amongst them a form of Government an Aristocracie together with an Oligarchie the best ruling and they but few in number For the High-Priests had held that preeminence untill Pompey the Roman Captain coming upon them by main force besieged and ransacked Jerusalem polluted the Holy places by entring into the Sanctuaries of the Temple and sent prisoner to Rome the High-priest whose name was Aristobulus with his sons who by succession from his Progenitors had continued unto that time both Prince and Priest and committed the Office of High-priesthood unto his brother Hyrcanus and from that time â—orth made the whole Jewish Nation become Tributary to the Romans And indeed not long after Hyrcanus the last of those to whom the High-priesthood by succession befell being taken prisoner by the Parthians Herod the first Forreigner as I said before had the Government of the Jewish nation delivered to him by the Roman
Annas from being High-priest made Ismael the son of Baphi High-priest not long after he removed him and made Eleazar son of the High-priest Annas High-priest within a year after he deprived him and gave Simon the son of Camithus the High-priesthood He after he had held that honour not more than a year had Josephus whose name also was Caiphas for his successour It is manifest therefore that the whole time of our Saviours Preaching was not compleat four years within which space of time there were as many High-priests made reckoning from Annas his bearing that Office to Caiphas his promotion to it every one of which bore the Office one year The Holy Gospel therefore is right in noting Caiphas to be the High-priest that same year in which our Lords salutary passion hapned From which authority of the Gospel also it is evident that the time of Christs Preaching does not disagree with the account we have laid down Now our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ not long after his beginning to Preach called twelve men whom he named Apostles giving to them in particular a Title more honourable and preferring them before the rest of his disciples Besides he chose other seventy men whom he sent two by two before his face into every of those places and Cities whither he himself would come CHAP. XI What hath been testified concerning John the Baptist and concerning Christ. THe sacred History of the Gospel also mentions the beheading of John the Baptist by Herod Junior to have been not long after this To which also agrees Josephus who both makes mention particularly of Herodias by name and also expresly declares how that Herod having put away his former wife lawfully married to him took this woman his brothers wife by force from him being yet alive and married her she was the daughter of Arethas King of the Arabians and that upon her account Herod having slain John went to war with Arethas incensed at the disgrace of his daughter In which war he relates that Herod and his whole Army were vanquished in a Battel and that these things befell him upon account of his cruelty towards John The same Josephus does agree with the Evangelical History in the account it gives of this John especially as to his confessing him to have been a most righteous man and a Baptist. He says further that Herod was deprived of his Kingdom for the sake of this Herodias and was together with her banisht to Vienna a City of Gallia All this he relates in his eighteenth Book of Antiquities where also he writes these very words concerning John But some of the Jews judged Herods Army to have been overthrown by God he avenging justly on him the murther of John called the Baptist. For him Herod had slain who was a good man and one that exhorted the Jews to the exercise of virtue commanding them to deal justly with one another and to behave themselves piously towards God and so to come to be baptized For Baptism said he was then onely well-pleasing to God when it was used not for the excusing of some certain offences but in order to the cleansing of the body the soul being before purified by righteousness Now when many flockt to him from every quarter for they were strangely taken with hearing of such discourses Herod fearing least through the powerfull perswasion of the man his subjects should revolt for they seemed ready to doe any thing that he advised judged it better to cut him off before any innovation hapned by him than after it was come to pass and had greatly endangered his affairs to repent he did not when it was too late Upon this very mistrust of Herods he being put into bonds was sent to the foresaid Castle of Machaerous and there slain Thus far he concerning John The same Authour in the same Book makes mention also of our Saviour in these words About that time there was one Jesus a wise man if he may be called a man for he wrought wonderfull miracles and taught all that with delight would embrace the truth He had many followers both Jews and Gentiles This was he that was called Christ. Whom though he was accused by the chief men of our Nation and Pilate condemned him to be crucified yet those who at first loved him forbore not to worship him For he appeared unto them alive on the third day as the holy Prophets had predicted who foretold these and many more wonderfull things concerning him And till this day that Sect continues which of Him are called Christians Seeing therefore that this Writer being a Jew born and bred has in his works recorded thus much of our Saviour and John the Baptist what evasion can remain to the Forgers of those Acts against them that they should not evidently be proved to be the most impudent of men But thus far of these matters CHAP. XII Concerning our Saviours Disciples MOreover the names of our Saviours Apostles are to all apparently manifest in the Gospel but as to the seventy disciples a particular catalogue of them is no where extant But Barnabas is said to have been one of them of whom we have frequent mention both in the Acts of the Apostles and also most especially in Pauls Epistle to the Galatians Softhenes also they say was another of them he that together with Paul wrote to the Corinthians for so says Clemens in the fifth Book of his Institutions where also he affirms Cephas that Cephas of whom Paul speaks But when Cephas came to Antioch I withstood him to the face a name-sake of Peters to have been one of the seventy disciples Matthias also who was numbred with the Apostles in the room of the Traitor Judas and the other who had the honour to be proposed in the same lot with him are reported to be of the number of the Seventy Thaddaeus likewise of whom I will by and by adjoyn an History as it came to our hands is reported to have been one of them But he that shall attentively observe will find even from Pauls testimony alone that our Saviours disciples were more in number than Seventy For he says Christ after his Resurrection was seen first of Cephas then of the twelve after that he was seen of above five hundred Brethren at once of whom some were fal'n asleep but the greatest part he declares were alive when he wrote these things Then says he he appeared to James He is said to have been one of the Seventy disciples of our Saviour and also one of the Lords Brethren Lastly there being many more besides the twelve who were called Apostles by way of imitation of which sort Paul himself was one he farther adds saying Then he was seen of all the Apostles But so much of this The fore-mentioned History concerning Thaddaeus was thus CHAP. XIII The History of the Prince of the Edessens THe Divinity of our Lord and Saviour
the same Writer relates saying that a Prophecy was found in the holy Scriptures comprehending thus much to wit that about that time one was to come out of their Country who should rule over the whole world which this Writer understood to have been fulfilled in Vespasian But he did not rule over the whole world onely obtained the Roman Empire This therefore may more justly be referred to Christ to whom it was said by the father Desire of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession And the sound of whose Holy Apostles at the very same time went out into all Lands and their words unto the ends of the world CHAP. IX Of Josephus and the Writings he left AFter all this it is fit that we should not be ignorant of this same Josephus who has given us so great assistance in the History we now have in hand from whence and of what stock he came And he himself does manifest even this also saying after this manner Josephus the son of Mattathias a Priest of Jerusalem who my self also at first fought against the Romans and was by necessity forced to be present at what was done afterwards This man was esteemed the most eminent person of all the Jews of those times not onely by his own country men but also by the Romans insomuch that he was honoured with a Statue dedicated to him in the City of Rome and the Books compiled by him were accounted worthy to be placed in the publick Library He wrote all the Jewish Antiquities in twenty entire Books and the History of the Jewish war in his own time in seven Books which History he himself testifies he put forth not onely in Greek but also in his own Country language and He is worthy to be credited both in this and in other things There are also two other Books of his extant very worthy to be read which are about the Ancientness of the Jews in which he answers Apion Grammaticus who at that time wrote a Volume against the Jews and some others who had attempted to calumniate the Antiquity and Laws of the Jewish Nation In the former of these he sets forth the number of the Canonical Books of that called the Old Testament which of them are among the Hebrews unquestionable and undoubted as being received from antient tradition discoursing of them in these words CHAP. X. How Josephus makes mention of the Holy Bible THere are not therefore amongst us an innumerable company of Books disagreeing and contradicting one another but onely two and twenty containing an Historical account of all times which are worthily believed to be divine And five of these are the works of Moses which comprehend both the Laws and also a continued Series of the generations of men and what was done by them from their first creation untill his own death This space of time wants little of three thousand years And from the death of Moses untill the Reign of Artaxerxes King of the Persians successour to Xerxes the Prophets who succeeded Moses wrote what was done in their Ages in thirteen Books The remaining four contain Hymnes to God and precepts and admonitions for the well ordering of mens lives Also from Artaxerxes untill our own times every thing is indeed recorded but these Books have not been accounted worthy of the like authority with the former in that the succession of the Prophets was not so accurately known But it is manifestly apparent how highly we revere our own Writings For in so many ages now passed over no one has dared either to adde or to diminish from them or to change any thing therein but it is implanted upon all us Jews immediately from our very birth to think that these are the Precepts of God and to persevere in them and if need so require willingly to die for them And let these words of this Writer be profitably here inserted He compiled also another elaborate work not unworthy of himself about the Empire of Reason which some have entitled Maccabees because it contains the conflicts of those Hebrews in the writings called the Maccabees so termed from them who valiantly fought for the worship of God And at the end of his twentieth Book of Antiquities he intimates as if he purposed to write in four Books according to the opinion of the Jews which they had received from their Ancestours of God and of his essence also of Laws why according to them some things are lawfull to be done and others forbidden Himself also in his own Books mentions other works compiled by his diligence Moreover it is also consonant to reason to adjoyn those words of his which he has inserted at the conclusion of his Antiquities for the confirmation of the quotations and Authorities we have taken out of him He therefore blaming Justus Tiberiensis who had taken in hand as well as he to write an History of those very times as having not related the truth and accusing the man of many other faults at last adds thus much in these words But I was not in that manner as you were timorous concerning my Writings but gave my Books to the Emperours themselves when the deeds done were fresh and almost yet to be seen for I was conscious to my self that I had all along faithfully observed the delivery of the truth upon account whereof hoping for their evidence I was not disappointed of my expectation and moreover I communicated my History to many others some of whom were actually present in the war as was King Agrippa and several of his Relations Also Titus the Emperour was so willing that the knowledge of what was done should be delivered to men solely out of them that he subscribed my Books with his own hand and gave command they should be publickly read And King Agrippa wrote Sixty two Epistles testifying therein that the truth was delivered by me Two whereof Josephus there adjoyns But let thus much be thus far manifested concerning him We will now proceed to what follows CHAP. XI How after James Simeon Governed the Church at Jerusalem AFter the Martyrdom of James and the taking of Jerusalem which immediately followed thereupon report goes that the Apostles and disciples of our Lord who were yet alive met together from all parts in the same place together also with the kinsmen of our Lord according to the flesh for many of them hitherto survived and that all these held a consultation in common who should be adjudged worthy to succeed James and moreover that all with one consent approved of Simeon the son of Cleophas of whom the History of the Gospel makes mention to be worthy of the Episcopal seat there which Simeon as they say was Cousin German by the Mothers side to our Saviour for Hegesippus relates that Cleophas was the brother of Joseph CHAP. XII How
who as Fame says flourished at the same time with the daughters of Philip in the gift of prophecy Many others also besides these were famous at that time having obtained the first place among the successours of the Apostles Who because they were the eminent disciples of such men built up those Churches the foundations whereof were every where laid by the Apostles promoting greatly the doctrine of the Gospel and scattering the salutary seed of the Kingdom of heaven at large over the whole world For many of the then disciples whose souls were inflamed by the divine Word with a more ardent desire of Philosophy first fulfilled our Saviours commandment by distributing their substance to those that were necessitous then after that travelling abroad they performed the work of Evangelists to those who as yet had not at all heard the word of Faith being very ambitious to Preach Christ and to deliver the Books of the divine Gospels And these persons having onely laid the foundation of faith in remote and barbarous places and constituted other Pastours committed to them the culture of those they had perfectly introduced to the faith departed again to other Regions and nations accompained with the Grace and cooperation of God For the divine Spirit as yet wrought many wonderfull works by them insomuch that at the first hearing innumerable multitudes of men did with most ready minds altogether admit of and engage themselves in the worship of that God who is the Maker of all things But it being impossible for us to recount by name all those who in the first succession of the Apostles were Pastours or Evangelists in the Churches throughout the world we will here commit to writing the mention of their names onely whose writings containing the Apostolical doctrine they delivered are to this day extant amongst us CHAP. XXXVIII Concerning the Epistle of Clemens and those other Writings which are falsly attributed to him AS for example the Epistles of Ignatius which we have reckoned up and that of Clemens acknowledged by all as undoubted which he wrote in the name of the Roman to the Corinthian Church Wherein seeing he has inserted many sentences taken out of the Epistle to the Hebrews and sometimes had made use of the express words of it it evidently manifests that that work is not new whence it has seemed agreeable to reason to reckon this Epistle amongst the rest of the Writings of that Apostle For Paul having written to the Hebrews in his own country Language some say that Luke the Evangelist but others that this Clemens of whom we speak translated that work Which latter seems the truest opinion because the stile both of Clemens his Epistle and also of that to the Hebrews appeares to be very like and the sense and expressions in both the works are not much different You must also know that there is a second Epistle which is said to be Clemens his But we know for certain that this is not so generally acknowledged nor approved of as the former because we are sure the Antients have not quoted any authorities out of it Further also some have of late produced other voluminous and large works as if they were his containing the Dialogues of Peter and Apion of which there is not the least mention extant amongst the Antients neither does there appear in them the pure form of Apostolical sound doctrine Now therefore 't is apparent which are the genuine and undoubted writings of Clemens we have also spoken sufficiently concerning the works of Ignatius and Polycarpe CHAP. XXXIX Concerning the Books of Papias THe Books of Papias now extant are five in number which he entitled an explication of the Oracles of the Lord. Irenaeus mentions no more than these five to have been written by him saying thus And these things Papias the Auditour of John the companion of Polycarpe one of the antients attests in writing in the fourth of his books for he compiled five Thus far Irenaeus But Papias in the preface to his books does not evidence himself to have been a beholder or an Auditour of the Holy Apostles but onely that he received the matters of faith from those who were well known to them which he declares in these words But it shall not be tedious to me to set down in order together with my interpretations those things which I have well learnt from the Elders and faithfully remembred the truth whereof will be confirmed by me For I delighted not in those who speak much as most doe but in those that teach the truth nor in those who recite strange and unusual precepts but in such as faithfully rehearse the commandments given by the Lord and which proceed from the truth Now if at any time I met with any one that had converst with the Elders I made a diligent enquiry after their sayings what Andrew or what Peter said or what Philip or Thomas or James or John or Matthew or any other of the Lords disciples were wont to say And what Aristion and John the Elder the disciples of our Lord uttered For I thought that those things contained in books could not profit me so much as what I heard from the mouths of men yet surviving In which words its very observable that he recounts the name of John twice the former of whom he reckons among Peter James Matthew and the rest of the Apostles manifestly shewing thereby that he speaks of John the Evangelist but making a distinction in his words he places the other John with those who are not of the number of the Apostles putting Aristion before him and expresly calls him The Elder So that hereby is shown the truth of their relation who have said that there were two in Asia who had that same name and that there are two Sepulchres at Ephesus and each of them now called the Sepulchre of John Now I judged it very requisite to make this observation For its likely that the second unless any one would rather have it to be the first saw that Revelation which goes under the name of John Further this Papias whom we speak of professes he received the sayings of the Apostles from those who had been conversant with them and was as he says the hearer of Aristion and John the Elder Indeed he mentions them often by name and has set down in his works those traditions he received from them And thus much has been said by us not unprofitably as we judge It is also worth our adding to the fore-quoted words of Papias other relations of the same Authours wherein he gives an account of some miracles and other passages which he received by tradition Indeed that Philip the Apostle together with his daughters lived at Hierapolis has been manifested by what we said before Now we are to shew that Papias who lived at the same time mentions his receiving a wonderfull narration from the daughters of Philip. For he relates that
after this manner CHAP. IX The Rescript of Adrian that we Christians should not be unjustly prosecuted TO Minutius Fundanus I received a letter written to me from that eminent person Serennius Granianus your predecessour Indeed this business a I judge is not to be passed by undiscussed least both the Christians be molested and also an occasion of doing mischief given to Sycophants Wherefore if the men of your Province can by a due way of complaint openly charge the Christians with any accusation and so doe it as that they appear and answer it before the seat of judicature let them make it their business onely to take such a course as this against them but let them not use tumultuous outcries and clamours For it s most requisite if any person preferr's a complaint that you should have the cognisance of the matter If therefore any one does accuse them and make out that they doe any thing contrary to the Laws doe you give sentence according to the nature of the offence But if it be certain that any does frame an accusation meerly out of a malicious detraction doe you determine according to the heinousness of the crime and take care that due punishment be inflicted on him And thus much concerning the Rescript of Adrian CHAP. X. Who in the Reign of Antoninus were Bishops of the Roman and Alexandrian Sees BUt Adrian having paid the dues of nature after he had reigned one and twenty years Antoninus surnamed Pius succeeded in the Roman Empire In whose first year Telesphorus departing this life in the eleventh year of his presidency Hyginus assumed the Episcopal Government of the Roman Church Moreover Irenaeus relates that Telesphorus ended his life with a glorious Martyrdom manifesting in the same place that in the times of the aforesaid Hyginus Bishop of the Romans flourished at Rome both Valentinus the introducer of his own Heresie and also Cerdo the Founder of the errour of the Marcionites his words are these CHAP. XI Concerning those who were Arch-Hereticks in these times FOr Valentinus came to Rome when Hyginus was Bishop there but he flourisht in the times of Pius and continued to those of Anicetus Cerdo also who was master to Marcion flourisht in the times of Hyginus who was the ninth Bishop he went into the Church and openly confessing his errour so continued at Rome sometimes teaching privately other while again acknowledging his errour but being now and then reprehended for his impious doctrine he withdrew himself from the assembly of of the brethren Thus far Irenaus in his third book against Heresies Moreover in his first book he again says this concerning Cerdo But one Cerdo deriving the original of his errours from the Tenets of Simon came to Rome in the times of Hyginus who was the ninth that in the Episcopal succession from the Apostles had that See and taught that that God who was Preacht under the Law and by the Prophets is not the father of our Lord Jesus Christ For the one is known the other unknown the one is just the other good Marcion of Pontus an impudent blasphemer succeeding him did mightily propagate that opinion But the same Irenaus having sounded the bottom of that immense depth of matter full of various errours which Valentinus had put together does fully discover the secret and occult deceit and wickedness that like a Serpent lurking in its hole lies hid within him Moreover he says there was at the same time another person by name Mark who was most expert at Magical delusions and further he declares their prophane rites of initiation and their most detestable mysteries in these very words For some of them prepare a nuptial-bed and perform a secret ceremony by pronouncing some words over such as are to be initiated and a marriage they say thus made by them is spiritual and conformable to the celestial nuptials But others of them bring those that are to be initiated to the water and dipping them use this form of words In the name of the unknown Father of all In the truth the Mother of all In Him who descended upon Jesus Another sort of them pronounce Hebrew names to put those that are to be initiated into the greater consternation But Hyginus dying after he had been Bishop four years Pius undertook the Government of the Roman Church Moreover at Alexandria Mark was chosen Pastour Eumenes having sat there thirteen years compleat Which Mark dying after he had presided there ten years Celadion assumed the Government of the Alexandrian Church and at Rome Pius departing this life in the fifteenth year of his presidency Anicetus was preferred to that See In whose time Hegesippus relates that he himself came to Rome and continued there untill Eleutherus was made Bishop But at that time flourished Justin and was singularly eminent one that in a Philosophical habit was an assertour of the Divine Word and earnestly contended for the Faith in his writings who in the book he wrote against Marcion mentions the man to be alive at that time when he compiled that work His words are these And one Marcion of Pontus who now at this time teacheth his followers and instructs them to believe there is another God greater than him that made the world This man also assisted by devils hath perswaded many throughout the world to speak blasphemy to deny the Maker of the universe to be the Father of Christ and to affirm there is another greater than he that made it And all their followers as we said are called Christians after the same manner as the name of Philosophers derived from Philosophie is in common given to all that profess it though they differ as to their Sects and Opinions To this he adds further saying We have compiled a book against all the Heresies that ever were which if you be willing to read it we will deliver to you The same Justin having wrote many elaborate works against the Heathens dedicated also some other books containing an Apology for our faith to the Emperour Antoninus surnamed Pius and to the Roman Senate For he dwelt at Rome But in his Apologie he makes known himself who and whence he was in these words CHAP. XII Concerning Justin's Apologie to Antoninus TO the Emperour Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius Caesar Augustus and to Verissimus his son the Philosopher and to Lucius By Nature son of Caesar the Philosopher but by Adoption son to Pius the lover of Learning To the sacred Senate also and people of Rome I Justin the son of Priscus the Grandchild of Bacchius who were of Flavia Neapolis a City of Syria-Palestine make my Request and Petition in behalf of those men being my self one of them who are unjustly hated and most injuriously treated by all mankind And the same Emperour being addrest too by other brethren Inhabitants of Asia who were vexed with all manner of molestations by the men of their own Province voutsafed
succession was the thirtieth from the Apostles CHAP. XIII Concerning Rhodon and the dissention of the Marcionites which he has made mention of ABout the same time also Rhodon born in Asia who as himself relates had been instructed at Rome by Tatianus whom we mentioned before wrote many books and together with others ingaged against the Heresie of Marcion Which he relates was in his time divided into several opinions He has recorded the Authours of this dissention and with exquisite diligence confuted the lies invented by every one of them Hear therefore what he has written in these words Wherefore also they disagree amongst themselves because they are assertours of an opinion which is ill put together For Apelles one of their gang who boasts of his age and pretends to lead a more abstemous and strict course of life confesses there is but one principle but says the Oracles of the Prophets proceed from an opposite spirit being induced to believe this by the responses of a Virgin possessed with a devil by name Philumena But others of them in like manner as does Marcion himself the Mariner assert there are two Principles of which number are Potitus and Basilicus and these followers of that Wolfe of Pontus being unable to find out the distinction of things which neither could he doe have given themselves over to rashness and have simply and without any thing of demonstration affirmed there are two Principles Others again differing from these and running themselves into worse assertions suppose there are not onely two but also three natures Of which sort Syneros was the ringleader and first founder as the defenders of his doctrine doe say The same Authour writes that he discours't with Apelles he says thus For the old man Apelles having had a conference with us was convinc't that he maintained many things that were false upon which account he said â—aith should in no wise be too severely inquired into but that every one should persist in what he had believed For he asserted that those who hoped in Christ crucified should be saved provided they be found doing of good works He concluded the question concerning God to be to him as we said before the most obscure thing of all For he affirmed there was but one principle as our religion asserts Then having set forth his whole opinion he subjoyns these words But when I said to him whence have you this demonstration or for what reason can you affirm there is but one principle tell us He answered that the prophecies confuted themselves because they uttered nothing that was true For they disagree and are false and opposite to themselves but how there was but one principle he profes't he knew not but was induced onely to think so After this when I conjured him to speak the truth he swore he spoke what was true to wit that he knew not how there could be one unbegotten God but he believed it I laughed and reprehended him because he stiled himself a Doctour and knew not how to make good what he taught But in the same book which he dedicated to Callistion the said Rhodon doth confess that he himself was instructed at Rome by Tatianus Moreover he says Tatianus compiled a book of Questions wherein Tatianus having promised to explain the dark and obscure passages of the sacred Scriptures this Rhodon professes he would set forth the solutions to his Quâ—stions There is also extant of this Persons a Comment upon the six days Work of the Creation Indeed this Apelles uttered many impious expressions against the Law of Moses in many books speaking irreligiously of the divine Scriptures and using his utmost diligence to confute and as he thought to overthrow them But thus much concerning these things CHAP. XIV Concerning the False Prophets of the Cataphrygians MOreover that adversary of Gods Church who hates goodness and makes mischief his chiefest delight omitting in no wiâ—e any ways or methods of Treachery towards men caused new Heresies again to grow up against the Church the followers whereof crawl'd like venemous Serpents all over Asia and Phrygia and boasted that Montanus was the Paraclete and that the two women Priscilla and Maximilla his companions were his prophetesses CHAP. XV. Concerning the Schism of Blastus raised at Rome OThers also sprang up at Rome whom Florinus degraded from being a Presbyter of the Church headed Blastus was in like manner intangled in the same errour Which two persons drew away many from the Church and inticed them to imbrace their opinion each of them severally endeavouring to introduce innovations against the Truth CHAP. XVI What has been committed to memory concerning Montanus and his False Prophets MOreover That power which is the defender of the Truth raised up Apollinaris Bishop of Hierapolis whom we made mention of before and together with him many others who at that time were eloquent and learned men as it were a strong and inexpugnable defence against the said Heresie of the Cataphrygians By which persons we have a copious subject left us for this our History One of the said persons therefore in the preface to his work against the Cataphrygians does in the first place shew that he assaulted them with unwritten arguments For he begins after this manner Having a sufficient while since been enjoyned by thee Beloved Avirciâ—s Marcellus to write a book against the Heresie of Miltiades till now I have in a manner continued doubtfull and unresolved not that I wanted ability both to confute falsehood and also to give evidence to the truth but I was fearfull and cautious lest to some I should seem by writing to add to or make a further determination about the doctrine of the new covenant of the Gospel to which nothing must be added nor any thing taken away from it by him that resolves to lead a life agreeable to the Gospel it self But being lately at Ancyra a City of Galatia and finding the Church then filled with the noise of this New not as they call it Prophecy but as it shall be demonstrated False Prophecy as well as I was able God assisting me I discourst frequently in the Church many Days both concerning these very things and also about other points proposed by them insomuch that the church did greatly rejoyce and was confirmed in the Truth but the adversaries were at that time confuted and the enemies of God made sorrowfull When therefore the Presbyters of that place requested me to leave some written Record of what had been spoken against those adversaries to the Word of Truth Zoticus Otrenus our fellow Presbyter being then present also I did not indeed doe that but promised that by the assistance of the Lord I would write here and send it quickly and carefully unto them Having said these words and some others after these in the Preface of his book he proceeds and sets forth the Authour of the foresaid Heresie
also of the works of others who then flourished are come to our knowledge INdeed very many Monuments of the virtuous and laudable diligence of those antient and Ecclesiastick men which then flourisht are to this day preserved amongst many But the works of those whom we our selves could discern to be such are Heraclitus's Comments upon the Apostle and the Book of Maximus concerning that question so much talk't of amongst Hereticks whence evill proceeds and concerning this that matter is made Also Candidus's piece on the six days work and that of Apion upon the same Subject In like manner Sâ—xtus's book Concerning the Resurrection and another piece of Arabianus's and of very many more whose times wherein they lived because we want assistances from the proof thereof we can neither commit to writing nor yet declare any memorable passages of their's in this our History There are also come to our hands the books of many others whose very names we are unable to recite all which were indeed Orthodox and Ecclesiastick persons as the interpretations of the Sacred Scripture produced by every one of them doth demonstrate but yet they are unknown to us because what they have written has not their name prefixt to it CHAP. XXVIII Concerning those who from the beginning were defenders of Artemon's Heresie what manner of persons they were as to their moralls and how that they were so audacious as to corrupt the Sacred Scriptures IN an Elaborate piece of one of those Authours composed against the Heresie of Artemon which Heresie Paulus Samosatensis has again attempted to revive in our age there is extant a certain Relation very accommodate to the History we now have in hand For the Book now cited evincing that the foresaid Hereste which asserts our Saviour to be a meer man was an innovation of a late date because the indroducers of it had boasted it was very ancient after many arguments brought to confute their blasphemous lie has this Relation word for word For they affirm that all the Ancients and the very Apostles received and taught the same things which they now assert and that the Preaching of the truth was preserved till the times of Victor who from Peter was the thirteenth Bishop of Rome but from the times of his successour Zephyrinus the truth has been adulterated Peradventure this saying of theirs might seem probable did not in the first place the Sacred Scriptures contradict them and then the writings of some brethren antienter than the times of Victor which books they wrote in defence of the truth against the Gentiles and against the Heresies of their own times I mean the writings of Justin Miltiades Tatianus and Clemens and of many others in all which books the Divinity of Christ is maintained For who is he that is ignorant of the books of Irenaeus Melito and the rest which declare Christ to be God and man The Psalms also and Hymns of the brethren written at the beginning by the faithfull doe set forth the praises of Christ the Word of God and attribute Divinity to him Seeing therefore this Ecclesiastical opinion has been manifestly declared for so many years since how can it be that the Antients should have preacht that doctrine which these men assert untill the times of Victor How can they choose but be ashamed of framing such lies of Victor when as they know for certain that Victor excommunicated Theodotus the Tanner the Founder and Father of this Apostacy which denies God who first asserted Christ to be a meer man For if Victor were as they say of the same opinion with that which their blasphemie does maintain why did he proscribe Theodotus the Inventour of this Heresie And such was the face of affairs in the times of Victor to whom having presided in his publick charge ten years Zephyrinus was made successour about the ninth year of Severus's Empire Further the Person that compiled the foresaid book concerning the Authour of the now-mentioned Heresie relates another thing which was done in the times of Zephyrinus in these very words I will therefore advertize many of the brethren of a thing done in our Age which had it happened in Sodom would I suppose have put those inhabitants in mind of Repentance There was one Natalis a confessour who lived not a long time a goe but even in our times this man had been seduced by Asclepiodotus and another Theodotus a Banker both which Persons were disciples of Theodotus the Tanner who before had been excommunicated as I said by Victor then Bishop for this doctrine or rather madness Natalis was perswaded by them to be Elected a Bishop of this Heresie upon the consideration of a Salary whereby he was to receive of them monthly an hundred and fifty pence Being therefore become one of their associates he was by visions in his sleep frequently admonished by the Lord For our compassionate God and Lord Jesus Christ was unwilling that he who had been a witness of his own sufferings should perish whilest he was under excommunication But after he was regardless of the visions in his sleep being beguiled with the bait of primacy among those of that Sect and of filthy lucre which is the destruction of many men at last he was scourged by the holy Angels and sorely beaten all night long In so much that he arose very early and having put on sackcloth and besprinkled himself with ashes in great hast and with tears in his eyes he cast himself down before Zephyrinus the Bishop falling down not onely before the feet of the Clergy but of the Laity also and with his tears moved the compassionate Church of the Mercifull Christ and after he had used much intreaty and shown the prints of the stripes he had received with much difficulty he was admitted into the communion of the Church Hereunto we will also annex some other words of the same Writers concerning these Hereticks they are these They have impudently adulterated the Sacred Scriptures they have rejected the Canon of the Primitive faith and have been ignorant of Christ they are not inquisitive after that which the holy Scriptures say but bestow much labour and industry in finding out such a Scheme of a Syllogism as may confirm the System of their impiety And if any one proposes to them a Text of the divine Scriptures they examine whether a connex or disjunctive form of a Syllogism may be made of it leaving the holy Scriptures of God they studie Geometry being of the earth they speak of things terrestrial and are ignorant of him who comes from above therefore amongst some of them Euclids Geometry is with great diligence studied Aristotle and Theophrastus are admired and in like manner Galen is by others of them even adored what need I say that these persons who make use of the Arts of Infidels for the confirmation of their Heretical opinion and by the craft of Atheists adulterate
searching all places both high-ways Rivers and fields where he thought I might be conceal'd or where he conjectur'd I might have gone but he was so blinded that he found not my house Neither could he imagine that I should stay at home when there was inquisition made for me And at length after the fourth day when God had commanded me to depart thence and had miraculously â—opened a way for me I and my servants and many of the Brethren went out together Now that that was a special act of God's Providence the sequel declar'd in which peradventure I was profitable to some Again after the interposition of some words he relates what happened to him after his flight in these words I my self and my companions being much about the time of Sun-setting apprehended by some Souldiers was brought to Taposiris But Timothcus according to the providence of God was not with us neither was he taken But when he at last came he found the house empty and Souldiers keeping Guard about it and us reduced to slavery After some other words he saith thus What now was the order and manner of this miraculous act of providence I will tell nothing but truth A certain country man met Timothy as he was flying and thus disturb'd in mind and he inquired of him the reason of this great hast he told him the real truth When the man had heard his relation he was then a going to a marriage feast and 't is customary amongst them to tarry all night at such meetings he went his way and coming into the house told the story to those that were set at the table All of them with an unanimous earnestness as if it had been by a compact amongst them rose up together set a running and with great clamours came speedily upon us The Souldiers who guarded us being by them forthwith put to flight they came upon us as we were and found us lying upon Couches without any furniture on them I God knows at first supposing them to be thieves who came thither for prey and pillage continued lying on the Couch naked as I was excepting onely a linnen garment which I had on and offered to them my other cloathes which lay by me But they bid me arise and come out immediately Then understanding what was the cause of their coming thither I cry'd out intreating and beseeching them to depart and let us alone But if their intent was to do me a kindness I begg'd of them to behead me and by that means to prevent those who brought me prisoner thither While I thus cry'd out as my companions and fellow-sufferers in all my troubles doe know they compell'd me to rise up I threw my self on my back upon the ground but they took me by the hands and feet and dragg'd me out There follow'd me those who are my witnesses of these things Caius Faustus Peter Paul who took me together with that Couch upon their shoulders and convey'd me out of the village and having set me upon an Ass unsaddled they carried me away These things Dionysius relates concerning himself CHAP. XLI Concerning those who suffer'd Martyrdom at Alexandria THe same man in an Epistle of his to Fabius Bishop of Antioch gives this account of the combats of those Martyrs who suffer'd at Alexandria in the times of Decius The Persecution amongst us did not begin at the time when the Imperial Edict was issued out but preceded it one whole year For a Soothsayer and a Poet whoever he was who so endamag'd this City had stirr'd up and encouraged the tumults of the Heathens against us exciting them to their Countrey Superstition They being prick't forward by him and having obtained free power of acting all mischief thought it the most acceptable service and worship of their Gods to slaughter us First of all therefore they lay hands upon an old man named Metrá and bid him pronounce some Atheistical words and because he obey'd them not they beat him with clubs and prick'd him in the face and eyes with sharp Reeds and when they had led him into the Suburbs they ston'd him to death Afterwards they dragg'd a believing woman call'd Quinta to the Temple of their Idol and compell'd her to fall down and worship but she turning away her face and abominating it they bound her feet and dragg'd her through the City which is pav'd with sharp stones and having dash'd her against Millstones and scourg'd her they led her to the same place without the City and ston'd her Afterwards all with one accord violently broke into the houses of pious men and every one of them ran to their Neighbours whom they knew and plunder'd and rob'd them their goods which were of greater value they purloin'd but the lumber and what was made of wood they cast forth and burnt in the streets so that the City seem'd as if it had been taken by an enemy but the Brethren withdrew themselves thence and privately fled and like those S t Paul speaks of took joyfully the spoyling of their goods And not one of them that I know of except one who somewhere fell into their hand renounc'd the Lord till this time Moreover at that time they took a most admirable Virgin who was antient call'd Apollonia and buffeting her on the cheeks they dash'd out all her teeth And when they had built a pile of wood before the City they threatned to burn her alive except she would repeat together with them some profane words But she having begged a little respite being let loose forthwith leapt into the fire and was consum'd to Ashes They also apprehended Serapion as he was in his house and having tortur'd him with grievous torments and broken all his joints they cast him down headlong out of an upper room There was now no way for us not the common highway not so much as any narrow street through which we could securely pass either by day or by night Every body proclaiming at all times and in all places that whosoever would not repeat those blasphemous words he should be dragg'd away and burn't immediately After this manner these things continu'd for a great while Afterwards followed Sedition and a Civil war which seized these wretches and returned the cruelty they us'd towards us upon themselves And we had a little breathing time their fury towards us being something appeas'd But presently news came of the translation of that Empire which had been more favourable to us and much fear of a threatning storm appear'd And now arrived the Imperial Edict almost like that foretold by our Lord representing those most terrible times in so much that even the Elect if it were possible should be discouraged Indeed all were put in great fear Immediately many of them who were more eminent yielded up themselves to their Idolatry through fear others who had to doe in the management of the Publick
preludiums directing his words as in the following passages he has declared against those who denyed that Christ came in the flesh Wherefore on set purpose he subjoyneth this And what we have seen we bear witness to and shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you He is constant to himself and does not in the least wander from his subject proposed but in the same Periods and words he does prosecute all points some of which expressions we will briefly recount He who does carefully read them will both in his Gospel and Epistle very frequently meet with life very often with light an avoiding of darkness very frequently with truth grace joy the flesh and bloud of our Lord judgment forgiveness of sins the love of God towards us the commandment of mutual love one towards another and that we ought to keep all the Commandments There is also contained in them the condemnation of the World of the Devil and of Antichrist the promise of the Holy Ghost the Adoption of the sons of God a faith Universally required of us mention of the Father and the Son in every place In summe they who note the phrase in all things throughly may easily discern that the Genius and Stile both in the Gospel and the Epistle appears to be one and the same But the Revelation is altogether different from and unlike to these it has no alliance to nor as I may so say familiarity with either of these nor has the Revelation so much as one syllable in it which is common to these Neither does the Epistle for I omit the Gospel make the least mention of the Revelation nor the Revelation of the Epistle And yet Paul in his Epistles mentions something concerning his Revelations which he did not digest into a volume by themselves Furthermore by the phrase the difference betwixt the Epistle and Gospel and the Revelation may be easily conjectured for those are not onely written most correctly and agreeable to the purity of the Greek tongue but they are also composed with great elegancy in the words in the Argumentations and whole contexture of the discourse So impossible it is for any one to find any Barbarism or Soloecism or lastly any Idiotism in them For the Evangelist 't is apparent had both faculties the Lord had endewed him with both that is the gift of knowledge and the gift of speaking As touching this other John I doe not indeed deny that he saw the Revelation and that he received the gift of knowledge and of prophesie But I take notice that his dialect and stile is not pure Greek but he makes use of some Barbarous words yea and in some places he has Soloecismes which it is not now necessary to give a Catalogue of For I would have no one suppose that I have said these things in a way of derision but onely on this account that I might explain the dissimilitude of these books CHAP. XXVI Concerning Dionysius's Epistles THere are extant many more of Dionysius's Epistles besides these As for example his Epistles to Ammon Bishop of Berenice against Sabellius and an Epistle to Telephorus also one to Euphranor and again another to Ammon and Euporus He also wrote four more Books upon the same subject and dedicated them to his namesake Dionysius Bishop of Rome There are also more of his Epistles besides these extant amongst us and moreover some Books of his which are something verbose and prolixe and are written in an Epistolary form As for example his Books concerning Nature which are dedicated to Timotheus a child concerning Temptations which he dedicated to Euphranor Besides these Books in his Epistle to Basilides Bishop of Pentapolis he says he wrote a comment upon the beginning of Ecclesiastes He has also left us several Epistles which he wrote to this Basilides Thus many are Dionysius's works But now after an Historical relation of those things we will deliver to the knowledge of Posterity an account of our own Age. CHAP. XXVII Concerning Paul of Samosata and the Heresie founded by him at Antioch DIonysius namesake to Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria succeeds Xystus after he had presided over the Church of Rome Eleven years About the same time also died Demetrianus Bishop of Antioch whom Paul of Samosata succeeded in his Bishoprick This Paul had an abject and low opinion of Christ contrary to the Doctrine of the Church as if he had been by nature no more then a meer man Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria was intreated to come to the Synod He having complained of his Age and also of his infirmity of body deferred his coming But he openly declared by letter what was his sense and opinion concerning the matter in debate But the rest of the Pastors of the Churches from all parts hastned to Antioch and were convened there as against the corrupter of Christ's flock CHAP. XXVIII Concerning the Eminent Bishops of those times THe most eminent of these assembled were Firmilianus Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia Gregory and Athenodorus both brothers Bishops of the Churches of Pontus Besides these there were Helenus Bishop of Tarsus and Nichomas Bishop of Iconium Also Hymenaeus Bishop of Jerusalem and Theotecnus Bishop of Caesarea upon the Confines of Jerusalem Besides these Maximus who with great commendation governed the Brethren of Bostra And a great many more may be reckoned who together with Presbyters and Deacons were convened in the aforesaid City at the time aforesaid and upon the same account But these were the most eminent of them All these therefore being assembled in the same place together divers times and often disputations and Questions were raised in every Synod On the one side Paul of Samosata endeavoured to conceale and hide his Heterodox Opinions on the other these persons striving with all diligence to denudate and make apparent his Heresie and Blasphemie against Christ. In the interim Dionysius dies in the twelfth year of Gallienus's Empire after he had presided in the Bishoprick of Alexandria seventeen years Maximus succeedeth him But Gallienus having held the Empire fifteen years compleat Claudius was constituted his successour He having Reigned two years left the Government to Aurelianus CHAP. XXIX How Paul being confuted by Malchion a Presbyter who formerly had been one of the Sophistae was deposed IN this Emperours time was the last Synod convened which consisted of a very great number of Bishops The Authour of that Heresie at Antioch being now convicted and by all manifestly condemn'd of false Doctrine was excommunicated out of the Catholick Church which is under heaven But one Malchion most especially confuted and convinced him being desirous to keep himself conceal'd He was a most eloquent man and Master of the Grecian Philosophy School at Antioch And moreover for his surpassing sincerity in the faith
Martyr who exhibited an admirable example of piety towards the only God in the sight of all the inhabitants of Caesarea before the Gates of that City when he had not fully completed the twentieth year of his age Indeed whilst he resided at Berytus where he had formerly spent much time upon account of furnishing himself with secular literature for he had his descent from very rich parents 't is wonderfull to relate how during his continuance in that City he subdued youthfull lusts and having in no wise been debauch't in his moralls either by the vigour and youthfulness of his body or the society of his young companions he became a lover of temperance leading an orderly chast and Religious life according to the prescripts of Christianity and framing his converse agreeable thereto If it be supposed convenient that we should mention his Country and commend it because it produced so couragious a champion of piety we will most readily do it If any one therefore knows Pagas a City of no mean note in Lycia there this young man was born After his return from his studies at Berytus his father being promoted to the chiefest place of honour in his own Country he was unable to endure the converse of his father and those that were his relations because they refused to live according to the sanctions of Religion but having been inspired as it were by a divine spirit and by reason of his innate desire after Philosophy or rather after the divine and true wisedom making small account of the reputed glory of this life and contemning the delights of the body he secretly withdrew himself from his relations and being not at all sollicitous about a daily provision for his subsistance because of his hope and faith in God he was led by the hand as it were to the City of Caesarea by the divine spirit where a crown of Martyrdom for Religion awaited him Being conversant there with us having in a short time made a great proficiency by reading the sacred Scriptures and furnished himself with courage of mind by congruous exercises of a strict and severe abstinence at length he made such a glorious conclusion of his life as whoever saw could not but be astonished thereat and he that shall hear the bare relation of it cannot but deservedly admire his confidence his fearlesness his continued earnestness and constancy of mind and above all the boldness of his attempt which contains most evident signs of a zeal for Religion and of a spirit more than humane For when Maximinus renewed the insolencies practised towards us in the third year of our persecution under Diocletian and when the Tyrants Edicts were first sent abroad over all the Provinces ordering the Governours to make it their chief care and business that all the inhabitants in every City should publickly offer sacrifice and when the Criers had made proclamation over all the City Caesarea that the men together with the women and children should by the Governours order go to the Temples of the Idols and moreover when the Tribunes of the Souldiers had summoned every particular person by name our of a written roll all the Christians every where being put into confusion by this unspeakable storm of afflictions this foresaid person having communicated to no body what he was about to do it being unknown to us who lived in the same house with him and even to the whole military guard that stood round the Governour fearlesly approach't Urbanus as he was offering sacrifice and having with an intrepid mind catch't hold on his right hand stopt him immediately from sacrificing Then with a divine gravity and confidence of mind he prudently advised and exhorted him to desist from that erroneous way of worship For 't is absurd said he to relinquish the worship of the one and only true God and offer sacrifice to Idols and Daemons This the young man attempted induced thereto 't is very probable by a divine power which openly proclaimed as it were by this fact that the Christians to wit those who are truly such are so far from being withdrawn from the worship of the supream God which they have once imbided that they are not only above menaces and which are the consequences thereof tortures but also become more confident and fearless in their confessions with a couragious and intrepid voice freely set forth the truth and if it were possible perswade their persecutours to relinquish their ignorance and acknowledge him who is the only true God After this the young man of whom we speak was immediately as it was likely to happen torn by the Presidents guards in such sort as if they had been savage beasts because of the audacious fact he had committed and having most couragiously indured an infinite number of stripes all over his body was forthwith committed to prison Where after he had lain a night and a day with both his feet distended in the stocks on the day following he was brought before the Judge Then being compelled to offer sacrifice he demonstrated an invincible constancy of mind in undergoing all sorts of pains and horrid tortures his sides being not once nor twice but many times furrowed to his very bones and entrails and he received so many blows in his face and neck that they who before had been very well acquainted with him did not now know him because his face was so much swell'd But when he yielded not at the suffering of so many and great tortures the tormentours by the Presidents order wrap't up his feet in flax wetted in oyl and kindled a fire under them The pains which the blessed Martyr was put to thereby are in my judgment inexpressible For the fire having consumed his flesh penetrated to his very bones in so much that the whole moysture of his body being melted like wax was distilled and descended by drops But being not overcome even by these tortures although the adversaries were vanquished and in a manner wearied out because of his miraculous fortitude he was again put into bonds On the third day after he was brought before the Judge and having professed that he continued in the same resolution of mind although he was already half dead yet he was drowned in the depths of the Sea What happened immediately hereupon if we relate it will by those who saw it not be disbelieved as incredible But although we know assuredly this will so fall out yet we can in no wise forbear to deliver a full narration hereof to posterity because all the inhabitants of Caesarea in a manner were witnesses of what came to pass Indeed there was no person of Caesarea of what age soever that was not present at this stupendious spectacle After therefore they had cast this truly sacred and thrice blessed person into the most unfathomable abysses as they supposed which were in the midst of the Sea on a sudden there happened an unusual noise and
Proselytes Cretians and Arabians This was the only thing wanting that Meeting in the Apostles times did not consist of the Ministers of God only But in this present assembly the number of the Bishops exceeded three hundred And the Presbyters that accompanied them the Deacons Acoluthi and the many other persons were almost innumerable Of these Ministers of God some were eminent for their Wisdom and Eloquence others for their sober and discreet Lives others for their patient sufferance of hardships and others were adorned with modesty and a courteous behaviour Some of them were highly respected by reason of their great age and others were eminent for their youthfull vigour both of body and mind Some were newly initiated into the Order of the Ministry To all these the Emperour commanded a plentifull provision of food to be daily allowed Thus much saies Eusebius concerning those there Assembled When the Emperour had ended his triumphal solemnities for his Victory over Licinius he himself came also to Nice The most eminent amongst the Bishops were these two Paphnutius Bishop of the upper Thebais and Spyridion Bishop of Cyprus but for what reason we have made mention of these two particularly shall in the sequel be declared There were also present a great many Laïcks well skilled in Logick ready to assist each their own party Now the Patrons of Arius's Opinion were these Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia whom we mentioned before Theognis and Maris the first was Bishop of Nice and Maris was Bishop of Chalcedon in Bithynia Against these Athanasius who was then but a Deacon of the Church of Alexandria contended vigorously But Alexander the Bishop had an high esteem for him upon which account he became the subject of envy as we shall declare in the sequel A little before the convention of the Bishops in one place the Logicians exercised themselves by engaging in some skirmishing disputes with several persons and when many had been enticed to take a delight in disputing a Laick one that was a Contessour an honest well meaning man oppos'd these Disputants and told them thus that neither Christ nor his Apostles taught us the art of disputing nor vain subtileness or fallacies but a plain Opinion which is to be guarded by faith and good works All that stood by hearing him speak these words admired him and approved of what he said and the Logâ—cians themselves having heard this plain and honest declaration of the truth did in future more patiently acquiesce and thus was that tumult which had been raised by disputing composed The next day after this all the Bishops were conven'd in one place after whom came the Emperour Who when he came in stood in the midst of them and would not take his seat till such time as the Bishops had by bowing of their heads signified to him that it was their desire he should sit down so great a respect and reverence had the Emperour for those men After such a silence was made as was agreeable to the occasion the Emperour from his Chair of State began to speak to them in kind perswasive words exhorting them to unanimity and concord He also advis'd them to pass by all private animosities For many of them had brought in accusations against one another and some of them the day before had presented petitionary Libells to the Emperour But he advising them to proceed to the business before them for which they were conven'd gave command that the Libells should be burnt adding only this maxim Christ commands him who desires to obtain forgiveness to forgive his brother Therefore after he had at large discoursed upon Concord and Peace he referred it to their power and arbitrement with a greater accuracy to make a further inspection into the points of our Religion It will be very opportune to hear Eusebius's relation of these affairs in his third book of Constantin's Life His words there are these Many Questions being proposed by both parties and a great controversie raised even at the first beginning of their debate the Emperour heard them all very patiently and with an intent mind deliberately received their propositions by turns he assisted the assertions of both parties and by degrees reduced them who pertinaciously opposed each other to a more sedate temper of mind by his gratious speeches to every person which he spoke in the Greek tongue for he was not unskilled in that Language he rendred himself most pleasant acceptable and delightfull inducing some to be of his Opinion by the force of his Arguments wooing others by intreaties praising those who spoke well and exciting all to an accommodation at length he reduc'd them all to an unanimity and conformity in Opinion concerning all points that were in debate So that there was not only an universal agreement about the Articles of Faith but also a set time generally acknowledg'd for the celebration of the salutary Feast of Easter Moreover the Decrees ratified by a common consent were engrossed and confirm'd by the subscription of every person These are Eusebius's own words concerning these things which he has left us in his Writings we thought it not unseasonable to make use of them and have inserted them into our History relying upon the testimony of what has been said by him that in case any should condemn this Council of Nice as erroneous in the matters of Faith we might take no notice of them nor credit Sabinus the Macedonian who terms all those that were convened in this Council idiots and simple persons For Sabinus Bishop of those Macedonians which dwell at Heraclea a City of Thrace who made a Collection of the Canons which several Synods of Bishops published reviles the Bishops of the Council of Nice as being Idiots and Ignorant fellows being insensible that he does also at the same time accuse Eusebius himself as an Idiot who after a most exquisite search into it made a confession of that Faith Some things he hath designedly omitted othersome he has depraved and changed but he has interpreted all passages according to his own sense and design He does indeed commend Eusebius Pamphilus as a witness worthy to be credited he does also praise the Emperour for his judgment and skill in the Principles of Christianity but he complains of the Creed published at the Council of Nice as being set forth by Idiots and men that understood nothing And that same mans words whom he calls a wise and faithfull witness he voluntarily contemns For Eusebius testifieth that of those Ministers of God that were present at the Council of Nice some were eminent for their prudent Eloquence others for their gravity and solidness of life and that the Emperour being present reduced them all to an agreement and made them to be of the same mind and opinion But of Sabinus wheresoever necessity requires we shall hereafter make mention Now the agreement in the Articles of our Faith published with loud acclamations by
Laodicaea one that was present at this Synod informs us For he says in the Book he wrote concerning his Life that this Eusebius was descended from noble personages of Edessa in Mesopotamia and that from his childhood he Learned the sacred Scriptures that he was afterwards instructed in the Grecian literature by a Master who then lived at Edessa and in fine that he had the sacred Scriptures interpreted to him by Patrophilus and Eusebius the latter of which persons presided over the Church in Caesarea and the former over that in Scythopolis After this when he came to Antioch it hapned that Eustathius being accused by Cyrus of Beroea was deposed as being an assertor of Sabellius's opinion Wherefore Eusebius afterwards lived with Euphronius Eustathius's successour Afterwards that he might avoid being made a Bishop he betook himself to Alexandria and there studied Philosophy Returning from thence to Antioch he conversed with Flaccillus Euphronius's successour and was at length promoted to the See of Alexandria by Eusebius Bishop of Constantinople But he went thither no more because Athanasius was so much beloved by the people of Alexandria He was therefore sent to Emisa But when the Inhabitants of that City raised a Sedition at his Ordination for he was reproacht as being a person studious of and exercised in the Mathematicks he fled from thence and went to Laodicaea to Georgius who hath related so many passages concerning him When this Georgius had brought him to Antioch he procured him to be sent back again to Emisa by Flaccillus and Narcissus But he afterwards underwent another accusation for being an adherent to Sabellius's principles Georgius writes at large concerning his Ordination And in fine adds that the Emperour in his expedition against the Barbarians took him along with him and that miracles were wrought by him But hitherto we have recorded what Georgius hath related concerning Eusebius Emisenus CHAP. X. That the Bishops convened at Antioch upon Eusebius Emisenus's refusal of the Bishoprick of Alexandria Ordained Gregorius and altered the expressions of the Nicene Faith BUt when Eusebius who had been chosen Bishop of Alexandria at Antioch was afraid to go thither they then proposed Gregorius to be Ordained Bishop of Alexandria And having done this they altered the Creed finding fault indeed with nothing that had been determined at Nice but in reality their design was to subvert and destroy the Homoöusian Faith by their continual assembling of Synods and by their publishing sometimes one sometimes another form of the Creed that so by degrees all persons might be perverted to the Arian opinion Moreover how these things were done by them we will manifest in the procedure of our History But the Epistle they published concerning the Faith runs thus We have neither been Arius ' s followers for how should we that are Bishops be the Followers of a Presbyter Nor have we embraced any other Faith than what was from the beginning set forth But being made inquirers into and examiners of his Faith we have admitted and entertained rather than followed him And this you will understand from what shall be said For we have learned from the beginning to believe in one supream God the maker and preserver of all things as well intelligible as sensible And in one only begotten Son of God subsisting before all ages existing together with the Father that begat him by whom all things visible and invisible were made who in the last days according to the Fathers good pleasure descended and assumed flesh from the holy Virgin and when he had compleatly fulfilled all his Fathers will he suffered and arose and ascended into the heavens and sits at the right hand of the Father and he shall come to judge the quick and dead and continues a King and God for ever We believe also in the holy Ghost And if it be requisite to add this we also believe the Resurrection of the flesh and the life everlasting Having written these things in their first Epistle they sent them to the Bishops throughout every City But when they had continued sometime at Antioch condemning as it were this their former Epistle they again publish another in these very words Another Exposition of Faith Agreeable to Evangelick and Apostolick tradition We believe in one God the Father Almighty the Framer and Maker of all things And in one Lord Jesus Christ his only begotten Son God by whom all things were made begotten of the Father before all worlds God of God Whole of Whole Only of Only Perfect of Perfect King of King Lord of Lord the living Word the Wisedom the Life the true Light the way of Truth the Resurrection the Shepherd the Gate immutable and inconvertible the most express image of the Father's Deity Substance Power Council and Glory the First begotten of every Creature Who was in the beginning with God God the Word according as 't is said in the Gospel and the word was God by whom all things were made and in whom all things have subsisted Who in the last days came down from heaven and was born of the Virgin according to the Scriptures And was made man the mediatour of God and men the Apostle of our Faith and the Prince of life as he himself says * For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me Who suffered for us and rose again for us the third day and ascended into the heavens and sitteth at the right hand of the Father And he shall come again with Glory and Power to judge the quick and dead And we believe in the holy Ghost who is given to believers in order to their Consolation Sanctification and Perfection according as our Lord Jesus Christ commanded his disciples saying Go ye and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost to wit of the Father being truly the Father and of the Son being truly the Son and of the holy Ghost being truly the holy Ghost which terms are not simply or insignificantly made use of but they do accurately manifest the proper and peculiar Person Glory and Order of each of those that are named So that they are three in Person but in consent One We therefore holding this Faith in the presence of God and of Christ do anathematize all manner of Heretical and ill opinions And if any one shall teach contrary to the â—ound and true Faith of the Scriptures saying that there is or was a time or an age before the Son of God was begotten let him be Anathema And if any one says that the Son is a Creature as one of the Creatures or that he is a Branch as one of the Branches and shall not hold every one of the foresaid points according as the sacred Scriptures have set them forth or if any one Teaches or Preaches
raised by the different opinion of the Emperour For his Letter was produced in one passage whereof he gave order for the debating of this matter in the first place in another for that A disagreement therefore hapning concerning this matter a Schism was made amongst the persons present And this was the original cause of the Seleucian-Synods being divided into two parties The one faction was headed by Acacius Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine Georgius of Alexandria Uranius of Tyre and Eudoxius of Antioch of the same mind with whom there were only two and thirty other Bishops The principal persons of the other faction were Georgius of Laodicea in Syria Sophronius of Pompeiopolis in Paphlagonia and Eleusius of Cyzicum who were followed by the major part When therefore that side prevailed which was for debating in the first place concerning the Faith Acacius's party manifestly rejected the Nicene Creed and intimated the publication of another But those of the other faction who were superiour in number approved of all other matters determined in the Nicene Synod excepting only the term Homoöusios which they found fault with Therefore after a very sharp contest amongst one another untill Evening at length Silvanus who presided over the Church at Tarsus spake a loud saying there was no necessity of publishing a new Draught of the Creed but that they ought rather to confirm that set forth at Antioch at the consecration of the Church When he had said this Acacius's party secretly withdrew out of the Council but the other faction produced the Creed composed at Antioch after the reading whereof the Council broke up for that day On the next day they met in a Church in Seleucia and having shut the doors they read that Creed and confirmed it by their subscriptions Instead of some Bishops who were absent the Readers and Deacons there present subscribed by whom the absent persons had professed that they would acquiess in that Draught of the Creed CHAP. XL. That Acacius Bishop of Caesarea dictated another Draught of the Creed in the Synod at Seleucia BUt Acacius and those of his party found fault with what was done because they had subscribed covertly when the Church-doors were shut For matters said he transacted in secret were naught and to be suspected He made these objections because he was desirous of publishing another Draught of the Creed instead of that subscribed by them which form he had about him ready drawn up and had before recited it to Lauricius and Leonas the Governours and he made it his whole business to get that Draught only established and confirmed These were the transactions of the second day when nothing else was done On the third day Leonas was again very earnest to procuâ—e a meeting of both parties At which time neither Macedonius of Constantinople nor Basilius of Ancyra were absent When therefore both these persons had joyned themselves to one and the same faction the Acacians were again unwilling to meet saying that as well those who had before been deposed as them at present accused ought in the first place to be put out of the assembly After a great contest on both sides at length this opinion was prevalent the persons charged with an accusation went out and the Acacians came in Then Leonas said that Acacius had delivered a Libell to him Leonas not discovering it to be a Draught of the Creed which in some passages secretly in others openly contradicted the former When silence was made amongst those that were present they supposing the Libel to contain any thing else rather than a form of the Creed Acacius's composure of the Creed with a Preface thereto was then recited the Contents whereof are these We having met together at Seleucia a City of Isauria according to the Emperours Command yesterday which was before the fifth of the Calends of October used our utmost endeavour with all modesly to preserve the peace of the Church stedfastly to determine concerning the Faith as our Emperour Constantius most dear to God hath ordered according to the Prophetick and Evangelick expressions and to introduce nothing into the Ecclesiastick Faith contrary to the Divine Scriptures But in regard certain persons in the Synod have injured some of us have stopt the mouths of others not permitting them to speak have excluded othersome against their wills have brought along with them out of divers Provinces persons deposed and have in their company such as have been ordained contrary to the Canon of the Church in so much that the Synod is on all sides filled with tumult of which the most eminent Lauricius president of the Province and the most Illustrious Leonas the Comes have been eye-witnesses upon this account we interpose these things Not that we forsake the Authentick Faith published at the Consecration at Antioch but we give that the preference especially in regard our Fathers concurred about the proposition at that time in controversie But whereas the terms Homoöusion and Homoiöusion have in times past disturbed very many and do still disquiet them and moreover whereas 't is said that there is an innovation lately coyned by some who assert a dissimilitude of the Son to the Father Upon this account we reject Homoöusion and Homoiöusion as being terms not to be met with in the Scriptures but we anathematize the term Anomoion and do look upon all such as are assertours thereof to be persons alienated from the Church But we do manifestly profess the likeness of the Son to the Father agreeable to the Apostle that hath said concerning the Son Who is the image of the invisible God We acknowledge therefore and believe in one God the Father Almighty the maker of heaven and earth of things visible and invisible Moreover We believe in our Lord Jesus Christ his Son begotten of him without any passion before all ages God the Word the only begotten of God the Light the Life the Truth the Wisedom by whom all things were made which are in the heavens and which are on the earth whether visible or invisible We believe him to have assumed flesh from the holy Virgin Mary at the consummation of ages in order to the abolition of sin and that he was made man that he suffered for our sins and rose again and was taken up into the Heavens and sitteth at the right hand of the Father and that he shall come again in Glory to judge the quick and dead We believe also in the holy Ghost whom our Lord and Saviour hath termed The Paraclete having promised after his departure to send him to his disciples and he sent him By whom also he sanctifies all Believers in the Church who are Baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost But those who Preach any thing contrary to this Creed we look upon to be alienated from the Catholick Church This is the Draught of the Creed published by Acacius The persons who subscribed it
were Acacius himself and such as adhered to his opinion being as many in number as we have mentioned a little before After the recitation hereof Sophronius Bishop of Pompeiopolis in Paphlagonia spake these words aloud If to explain our own particular opinion every day be the exposition of the Faith we shall be destitute of the exact discussion of the truth These words were spoken by Sophronius And I do affirm that if as well those who lived before these men as they that succeeded them had at first entertained such sentiments concerning the Nicene Creed all contentious disputes would have ceased nor would a violent and irrational disturbance have been prevalent in the Churches But let such as are prudent pass their judgment concerning the state of these matters After they had mutually spoken and heard many things concerning this business and concerning the persons accused the convention was for that time dissolved On the fourth day they all met again in the same place and with the same contentiousness began to dispute again Amongst whom Acacius explained his opinion in these words in as much as the Nicene Creed hath been once and after that frequently altered nothing hinders but a new Creed may be now published Hereto Eleusius Bishop of Cyzicum made a return and said the Synod is at present convened not that it should learn what it had not the knowledge of before nor to receive a Creed which it was not heretofore in possession of but that proceeding on in the Creed of the Fathers it should never recede from it either during life or at the time of death With these words Eleusius opposed Acacius's opinion terming that Creed published at Antioch the Fathers Creed But any one might have answered him also in these words how is it that you stile those convened at Antioch the Fathers O Eleusius whereas you acknowledge not their Fathers For they who were assembled at Nice and by their consent firmed the Homoöusian Faith ought more properly to be termed the Fathers both because they preceded in time and also in regard those convened at Antioch were by them promoted to the Sacerdotal dignity Now if those assembled at Antioch have rejected their own Fathers they who come after them do not perceive themselves to be followers of Parricides Moreover how can they have admitted their Ordination to be Legitimate whose Faith they have rejected as impious For if those persons had not the holy Ghost which is infused by Ordination these have not received the Priesthood For how could these have received it from them who had it not to give These words might have been spoken in opposition to what was said by Eleusius After this they proceeded to another question For in regard the Acacians asserted in that Draught of the Creed which had been recited that the Son was like the Father they enquired of one another in what respect the Son was like the Father The Acacians asserted that the Son was like the Father in respect of his Will only not as to his Essence But all the rest maintained that he was like the Father in respect of his Essence also They spent the whole day in their altercations about this query and they confuted Acacius because in the books by him composed and published he had asserted that the Son is in all things like the Father And how can you said they now deny the likeness of the Son to the Father as to his Essence Acacius made this answer no modern or ancient Authour was ever condemned out of his own writings When they had maintained a tedious fierce and subtle dispute against one another concerning this question and could in no wise be brought to an agreement Leonas arose and dissolved the Council And this was the conclusion which the Synod held at Seleucia had For on the day after Leonas being intreated refused to come any more into the Congress saying that he had been sent by the Emperour to be present at an unanimous Synod But in regard some of you do disagree I cannot said he be there go therefore and prate in the Church The Acacians looking upon what had been done to be a great advantage to them refused to meet also But those of the other party met together in the Church and sent for the Acacians that cognizance might be taken of the Case of Cyrillus Bishop of Jerusalem For you must know that Cyrillus had been accused before upon what account I cannot tell But he was deposed because having been frequently summoned in order to the examination of his cause he had not made his appearance during the space of two whole years Nevertheless when he was deposed he sent an Appellatory Libel to them who had deposed him and appealed to an higher Court of Judicature To which appeal of his the Emperour Constantius gave his assent Indeed Cyrillus was the first and only person who contrary to the usage of the Ecclesiastick Canon did this to wit made use of Appeals as 't is usually done in the publick secular Courts of Judicature He was at that time present at Seleucia ready to put himself upon his trial and therefore the Bishops called the Acacians into the assembly as we have said a little before that by a general consent they might pass a definitive sentence against the persons accused For they had cited some other persons besides that were accused who for refuge had joyned themselves to Acacius's party But in regard after their being frequently summoned they refused to meet the Bishops deposed both Acacius himself and also Georgius of Alexandria Uranius of Tyre Theodulus of Chaeretapi in Phrygia Theodosius of Philadelphia in Lydia Evagrius of the Island Mytilene Leontius of Tripolis in Lydia and Eudoxius who had heretofore been Bishop of Germanicia but had afterwards crept into the Bishoprick of Antioch in Syria Moreover they deposed Patrophilus because being accused by Dorotheus a Presbyter and summoned by them to make his defence he was contumacious These persons they deposed But they Excommunicated Asterius Eusebius Abgarus Basilicus Phoebus Fidelis Eutychius Magnus and Eustathius determining they should continue Excommunicate till such time as by making satisfaction they had cleared themselves of their accusations Having done this and written Letters concerning those Bishops they had deposed to each of their Churches they constitute a Bishop of Antioch in the room of Eudoxius whose name was Annianus Whom the Acacians soon after apprehended and delivered him to Leonas and Lauricius by whom he was banished Those Bishops who had Ordained Annianus being incensed hereat deposited Contestatory Libels against the Acacians with Leonas and Lauricius by which they openly declared that the determination of the Synod was injured And when nothing further could be done they went to Constantinople to inform the Emperour concerning the matters determined by them CHAP. XLI That upon the Emperours return from the Western parts the Acacians were convened in the
a return as at present comes into our mind The Grecian Learning was not admitted of either by Christ or his disciples as being divinely inspired nor was wholly rejected as hurtfull And this in my opinion was not inconsiderately done by them For many of the Philosophers amongst the Grecians were not far from the knowledge of God For being furnished with a discursive knowledge they strenuously opposed those that denied Gods Providence of which sort were the Epicureans and other contentious Cavillers and confuted their ignorance And by these Books they rendred themselves very usefull to the Lovers of piety but they apprehended not the principal head of Religion because they were ignorant of the Mystery of Christ Which hath been hid from generations and ages And that this is so the Apostle in his Epistle to the Romans does declare in these words For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them For God hath shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead that they may be without excuse because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God From these words 't is apparent that they had the knowledge of the truth which God manifested unto them But they were obnoxious in regard when they knew God they glorified him not as God Whereas therefore the Apostles prohibited not an education in the Grecian Learning they left it to the choice of such as were desirous of it Let this be one argument in answer to the objection made against us Another is this The divinely inspired Scriptures do indeed deliver doctrines that are admirable and truly divine they do likewise infuse into the minds of those that hear them both an eminent piety and exact course of life and also exhibit to persons that are studious a faith acceptable to God But they teach not an art of reasoning whereby we may be enabled to answer those that resolutely oppose the truth Besides the Adversaries are then most effectually baffled when we make use of their own weapons against them But the Christians could not be furnished herewith from the Books written by the Apollinaris's Which when the Emperour Julianus had accurately considered he by a law prohibited the Christians from being instructed in the Grecian Literature For he very well knew that the fables therein contained would render the opinion he had imbibed obnoxious to reproach Which fabulous stories when Socrates the eminentest of the Philosophers amongst them contemned as if he had been a person that attempted to violate their Deities he was condemned Further both Christ and also his Apostle do give order that we should be skilfull Exchangers of money that we should prove all things holding fast that which is good and to beware least any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit But we shall never obey this precept unless we can possess our selves of the Adversaries weapons and whilst we are in possession of them we are not to entertain the same sentiments with our Adversaries but must abominate the evil and retaining what is Good and true examine all things we embrace For Good where-ever it is is the property of truth But if any one does suppose that by asserting these things we use violence towards the Scriptures by wresting of them let such a one consider that the Apostle does not only not forbid our being instructed in the Grecian Learning but he himself seems not to have neglected it in regard he knew many sayings which were spoken by the Grecians For whence took he an occasion of using this saying The Cretians are always lyers evil beasts slow-bellies except it were from his perusal of the Oracles of Epimenides the Cretian a person that was an Initiator Or whence knew he this For we are also his off-spring unless he had been acquainted with the Phoenomena of Aratus the Astronomer Moreover this Evill communications corrupt good manners is a sufficient evidence that he was not unacquainted with Euripides's Tragedies But what need is there of making a large discourse concerning these things For 't is evident that antiently by an uninterrupted usage as it were the Ecclesiastick Doctors studied the Grecian Arts and Sciences untill they arrived at a very great age and this they did partly upon account of gaining Eloquence and of polishing the mind and partly in order to a confutation of those things concerning which the Heathens were mistaken Let thus much be said by us according to our capacity upon account of the two Apollinaris's CHAP. XVII How the Emperour making preparations for an expedition against the Persians arrived at Antioch and being derided by the Antiochians he published an Oration against them entitled Misopâ—gâ—n BUt the Emperour having extorted a vast treasure from the Christians and hastning his expedition against the Persians goes to Antioch in Syria When he was come thither being desirous to demonstrate to the Antiochians how superabundantly he affected glory he depressed the prizes of vendible commodities lower than was fitting for he respected not the present time nor considered with himself that the presence of a numerous Army does necessarily endammage the inhabitants of a Province and cut off plenty of provisions from the Cities Wherefore the petty Merchants and Provision-sellers unable to endure the loss they sustained by the Imperial Edict at that time left off trading Whereupon the Markets were unfurnished with Provisions The Antiochians could not tolerate this violence used towards them for they are persons naturally prone to revile but presently brake forth into invectives against the Emperour and cried out upon him They also derided his beard for he wore a very large one saying it ought to be shaved and ropes made of it They said likewise that he had the stamp of a Bull on his Coyn which was an Emblem that he had turned the world upside down For the Emperour extreamly addicted to superstition and continually sacrificing Bulls upon the Altars of his Idols had commanded that an Altar and a Bull should be stamp't upon his Coyn. The Emperour enraged at these Scoffs threatned that he would most severely punish the City of Antioch and that he would return to Tarsus in Cilicia and reside there And having given order for a provision of necessaries to be made there he prepared for his departure thence Upon which account Libanius the Sophista took an occasion of writing two Orations the one he composed by way of address to the Emperour in behalf of the Antiochians the other he wrote to the Antiochians concerning the Emperours displeasure But 't is said this Sophista wrote these Orations only and did not recite them in publick Moreover
blasphemy That the Emperour made it his business to cavil in his discourses before ignorant and the simpler sort of men not in their presence who retain a representation of the truth taken from the sacred Scriptures is evident from hence For having pickt out as many expressions as upon account of necessity are by way of dispensation used concerning God in a more humane manner and put them and many such like phrases all together at length he subjoynes these very words Every one of these expressions therefore unless the phrase contains in it some secret and occult sense and meaning which I suppose is stuft with a deal of Blasphemy against God Thus much he has said in express words in his Third Book against the Christians And in that Book of his to which he gave this title Concerning the Cynick Phylosophy declaring after what manner sacred Fables ought to be feigned he says that in such things as these Truth must be concealed these are his very words For Nature loves concealment and the hidden substance of the Gods cannot endure to be thrown into polluted ears in bare and naked words From these words 't is apparent that the Emperour had this sentiment concerning the divine Scriptures to wit that they were mystical Discourses containing in them an abstruse sense and meaning Moreover he is very angry because all men do not entertain the same opinion concerning them and inveighs against those persons amongst the Christians who take the sacred Oracles in their plain and obvious sense But it was not decent to rail in such a manner against the simplicity of the Vulgar nor upon their account to use such insolence towards the sacred Scriptures nor yet to hate and have an aversion for those things which are rightly understood by others because all persons understood them not as he had a mind they should But now the same accident seems to have befal'n him which hapned to Porphyrius For he having been beaten by some Christians at Caesarea in Palestine and being unable to master his passion in a great fury relinquished the Christian Religion and out of his hatred towards those that had beaten him he fell to writing Blasphemous Books against the Christians as Eusebius Pamphilus has manifestly made it out against him who has clearly confuted his Books But the Emperour having uttered disdainfull expressions against the Christians in the presence of unthinking persons through the same distemper of mind fell into Porphyrius's Blasphemy Since therefore both these persons voluntarily deserted the truth and brake out into impiety they are punished by the very knowledge and consciousness of their own crime Further whereas Libanius the Sophista in derision to the Christians does say that they make a man of Palestine God and the Son of God in my opinion he seems to have forgot that he himself has deified Julianus at the close of his Oration For they almost stoned to death says he the first messenger of his death as if he had bely'd the God Then a little afterwards he adds these words O Thou darling says he of the Daemons Thou Disciple of the Daemons Thou Assessor with the Daemons Although Libanius himself understood this otherwise yet in regard he avoided not the ambiguity of the term Daemons which is sometimes taken in an ill sense he seems to have said the same which the Christians usually do in their reproaches Wherefore had it been his design to have commended the Emperour he ought to have shun'd an ambiguous term as he did avoid another word for which being reproacht he afterwards raz'd it out of his Orations Moreover how man in Christ may be said to be God and how he was apparently man but invisibly God and after what manner both these assertions are infallibly true the Divine Books of the Christians do evidently shew But the Heathens before they believe cannot understand For 't is the Oracle of God which saith that If ye will not believe surely you shall not understand Wherefore they are not ashamed to deify many men and I wish at least they had been men good as to their morals just and sober and not rather impure unjust and persons addicted to drunkenness I mean the Hercules's Bacchus's and Aesculapius's by whom Libanius blushes not to swear frequently in his Orations Whose Sodomies and Adulteries should I give a particular account of my discourse thereof would be long and a tedious digression Those that are desirous of information about these things will find a satisfactory account thereof in Aristotles Peplum Dionysius's Corona Rheginus's Polymnemωn and in the crowd of the Poets who by writing concerning these things do demonstrate to all men that the Heathen Theology is trifling and ridiculous Further that 't is the peculiar practise of the Heathens and a thing usual amongst them with great readiness to deifie men 't will be sufficient to advertize you by a few instances To the Rhodians who consulted the Oracle upon their being faln into a calamitous distress an answer was given that they should worship Attis the Phrygian an Heathen Priest who instituted mad ceremonies in Phrygia The contents of the Oracle are these Appease Attis the great God chast Adonis The Doner of a prosperous Life and happiness The beautifully-hair'd Bacchus The Oracle calls Attis who by reason of his Love-madness castrated himself Adonis and Bacchus And when Alexander King of the Macedonians passed over into Asia the Amphictyones made him presents and Pythia uttered this Oracle Adore the supream God Jove And Minerva Tritogenia The King concealed in a mortal Body Whom Jove has begotten of a race ineffable Mortals Defender of Equity King Alexander These are the words of the Oracle which the Daemon uttered at Delphos He himself when he would flatter Potentates Deified them And this was perhaps done meerly out of flattery But what shall we say concerning Cleomedes the Champion whom they have made a God and uttered this Oracle concerning him The last of the Hero's Cleomedes Astypalaeus Him worship with sacrifices as being no longer a Mortal Upon account of this Oracle Diogenes the Cynick and Oenomaus the Philosopher condemned Apollo Pythius The Inhabitants of Cyzicum have declared Adrianus to be the thirteenth God And Adrianus himself has deified Antinous his own Catamite These things Libanus does not term ridiculous and meer trifles although he very well knew these Oracles and that single Book which Adrias wrote concerning the Life of Alexander Nor is he himself ashamed to Deifie Porphyrius For his words are these May the Tyrian be propitious to me whose Books he preferred before the Emperours Let thus much suffice to have been said by us by way of digression upon account of the Sophista's scoffing and reproaches I thought fit to omit the rest which requires a particular Treatise We must now subjoyn the remaining part of our History CHAP. XXIV That the Bishops flockt from all
not give the Onset before he had received the Signall from thence Many other actions which deserve great commendation were performed by Narses for he vanquished Buselinus and Sindvaldus and reduced many Regions as far as the Ocean to the Roman Empire Which Actions Agathias the Rhetorician has recorded but as yet they are not come to our hands CHAP. XXV That Chosroes Stimulated with Envy at the prosperous successes of Justinian broke out into a War against the Romans and ruined many Roman Cities amongst which he destroyed Antioch The Great also THe same Procopius has related these matters also how Chosroes after he had received information that affairs both in Africa and Italy had succeeded so fortunately to the Roman Empire was excessively inflamed with envy and objected some things against the Roman Empire affirming that the League was violated by them and that they had broken the Peace which had been agreed on between the two Empires And that in the first place Justinian dispatch't away Embassadours to Chosroes who might perswade him not to break that Interminate Peace which had been made between them nor to violate the Articles of agreement but rather that the matters in controversie might be inquired into and composed in an amicable manner But he says that Chosroes corroded by envy which stimulated him within would accept of none of those rationall proposalls but with a numerous Army made an Invasion into the Roman Territories in the Thirteenth year of Justinian's Governing the Roman Empire The same Procopius relates likewise how Chosroes laid Siege to and destroyed Sura a City scituate on the Banks of The Euphrates with the Inhabitants whereof he seemingly made some Articles of agreement but dealt with them far otherwise perpetrating all the most Impious and Nefarious Facts amongst them having not in the least heeded the Articles of agreement and was made Master of that City by Treachery rather than his Arms. Also how he burnt Beroea and after that made an Attack upon Antioch Ephraemius being then Bishop of that City who had left it in regard nothing of what he did succeeded according to his design Which Prelate is reported to have preserved the Church and all the Edifices about it having adorned the Church with sacred Gifts on this design that they might be the price of its Redemption Moreover the same Writer also gives a most patheticall and lively description of the Siege of Antioch laid to it by Chosroes and how Chosroes becoming master of it ruined and destroyed all things with Fire and Sword Also how he went to Seleucia a neighbouring City to Antioch then to the Suburb Daphne and after that to Apamea Thomas then Governing the Chair of that Church a person admirable and most powerfull both in words and deeds This Prelate wisely refused not to be a Spectatour together with Chosroes of The Cirque-Sports in the Hippodrome though that was a thing contrary to the usage of the Church it being his desire by all imaginable ways to gratifie Chosroes and to mitigate his mind Whom Chosroes asked whether he should be willing to see him at his own City And they say that Thomas answered really and according to the true Sentiment of his own mind that he would not willingly see Chosroes in his own City Which answer as 't is reported Chosroes wondred at and deservedly admired this man for the love he bore to Truth CHAP. XXVI Concerning the Miracle of the Pretious and Vivifick wood of the Cross which hapned at Apamia BUt in regard I am fallen upon this relation I will also declare a Miracle that hapned there which deserves to be inserted into our present History When the Inhabitants of Apamia were informed that Antioch had been burnt by Chosroes they earnestly besought the forementioned Thomas to bring forth and expose to view though contrary to the usuall custome the Salutary and Vivifick wood of the Cross to the end they might have the last sight of and kiss the only Salvation of men and might take the Viaticum of another life the pretious Cross being their Convoy to a better allotment Which thing Thomas performed and brought forth the Vivifick wood having appointed some set days for its being exposed to view to the end that all the neighbourhood might come together thither and enjoy the safety arising from thence Together therefore with others my Parents also went thither leading me along with them who then went to the School of a Grammar master Wherefore at such time as we were vouchsafed to reverence and kiss the pretious Cross Thomas lifting up both his hands shewed the wood of the Cross which was the abolition of the Old Curse and went all about the sacred Church as 't was the usage on solemn and set days of veneration But as Thomas moved up and down there followed him a vast flame of a shining not of a burning fire in so much that every place where he stood to shew the pretious Cross seemed to be all on a flame And this hapned not once or twice but oftner whilst the Bishop went round all that place and whilst the people there assembled earnestly entreated Thomas that that might be done Which thing predicted that safety which hapned to the Apamensians A picture therefore was hung up at the Roof of the Church which by its representation might declare these things to those who know them not Which picture was preserved intire untill the incursion of Adaarmanes and the Persians At which time it was burnt together with Gods holy Church and that whole City And these things hapned thus But Chosroes at his going away violated his Articles of agreement for he had agreed to some things then also and did the quite contrary which behaviour was agreeable indeed to his unstable and inconstant humour but does in no wise befit a man of sense and reason much less a King who has a value for his Articles of agreement CHAP. XXVII Concerning Chosroes's Expedition against Edessa THe same Procopius records what has been related by the Ancients concerning Edessa and Agbarus and how Christ wrote to Agbarus Further also how in another Incursion Chosroes resolved upon a Siege of the Edessens supposing he should enervate what had been divulged by the Faithfull to wit that Edessa should never be subdued by an Enemy Which thing is not indeed extant in that Letter sent from Christ our God to Agbarus as may be gathered by the studious from what has been related by Eusebius Pamphilus who has inserted that Letter word for word into his History Nevertheless 't is both divulged and believed amongst the Faithfull and the Event it self declared the Truth Faith bringing the Prediction to effect For after Chosroes had made an Attack against the City and had severall ways attempted to break into it and had raised so vast a Rampire that in heighth it
Emperour Mauricius received these Crosses with great pomp Dedicated them to and deposited them in the Sacred house of the Martyr Not long after the said Chosroes sent other presents also to the same Sacred Church and on a Bason made of Gold ordered this Inscription to be set in the Greek Tongue I Chosroes King of Kings the Son of Hormisda have ordered this Inscription to be set upon this Bason not that it might be seen by men nor that by my words the Greatness of Your Venerable Name might be made known but on account of the truth of what is inscribed and by reason of those many Favours and Benefits which I have received from You. For 't is my happiness that my Name is extant on Your Sacred Vessells When I was at a place called Beramais I requested of You Holy Man that You would come to my assistance and that Sira might conceive And in regard Sira is a Christian and I a Gentile Our Law allows Us not to have a Christian Wife On account therefore of my Benevolence towards You I disregarded this Law and have had a kindness for this Woman above my other Wives and doe Love her every day more and more Wherefore I have taken a resolution at present to desire of Your Goodness Holy Man that She might conceive I have requested therefore and solemnly vowed that if Sira shall conceive I will send the Cross worn by her to Your Venerable house And on this account I and Sira have this design that we will retain this Cross in Memory of Your Name Holy Man And we have resolved instead thereof in regard its value exceeds not Four thousand four hundred Miliaresian Staters to transmit Five thousand Staters And from such time as I conceived this Request within my self and entertained these thoughts untill we came to Rosumchosrum ten days had not fully past And Thou Holy Man not that I deserved it but because of Thine own goodness appearedst to me in a dream by night and didst affirm thrice to me that Sira should be with child And in the same Vision I answered Thee thrice saying 't is well And because Thou art a Giver of what is requested of Thee from that day Sira was not sensible of the Custome of Women But I might perhaps have doubted in relation to this matter had I not given credit to thy words because thou art an holy person and a Granter of requests that Sira should not in future be sensible of the Custome of Women From hence I understood the Virtue of the Vision and the truth of what was predicted by thee I have therefore forthwith transmitted the Cross it self and its value to your Venerable house with order that of its price one Bason and one Cup be made to be used at the holy Mysteries moreover that a Cross be made which is to be fixed upon the Sacred Table and a Censor all of Gold and Further an Hunnick Veyle adorned with Gold And our order is that the remaining Miliaresians of the price shall belong to thine holy house that by thy Genius Holy Man thou wouldest give assistance in all things to me and Sira but especially in relation to this Request and that what hath hapned to us from thine intercession by the mercy of thy Goodness may arrive at perfection agreeable to the will of Me and Sira To the end that I and Sira and all persons in the world may place our hope in thy power and in future believe in Thee These are the expressions contained in the Sacred Presents transmitted by Chosroes which disagree in nothing from Balaam's Prophecy the compassionate God having wisely disposed all things in such a manner that the tongues of Gentiles should some times utter salutary words CHAP. XXII Concerning Naamanes the Saracen AT the same time Naamanes also the Chief of a Tribe of those Saracens that were Enemies a Pagan so wicked and abominable that with his own hand he sacrificed men to his Daemons came to Holy Baptisme and having melted down a Statue of Venus which was nothing else but a reall Mass of Gold he distributed it amongst the poor and brought over all those persons about him to the worship of God But Gregorius after Chosroes's Crosses had been presented by the Emperour's order went a Circuit to the Solitudes of those termed The Limits wherein Severus's Tenets were highly prevalent in which places he set forth the Ecclesiastick Dogmata and brought over to the Church of God many Castles Villages Monasteries and whole Tribes CHAP. XXIII Concerning the Death of Saint Symeon Junior the Stylite BUt in the interim Saint Symeones fell sick of a distemper whereof he died and upon my giving Gregorius notice thereof he made all the hast he could to him to pay him his last Salutes But Gregorius obtained not what he desired Further this Symeones for Virtue far excelled all persons of his own time having from his tender years lead an austere Course of Life upon a Pillar in so much that his teeth were changed in that Station upon the Pillar He went up upon a Column on this account Whilst he was yet very young he wandred up and down over the Tops of the Mountain playing and leaping And by chance hapned upon a wild Beast termed a Libard about whose neck he cast his girdle and as with the rein of a bridle as 't were lead the Beast who forgat his naturall ferity and brought him to his own Monastery Which when Symeones's Instructer a person who kept his Station upon a Pillar beheld he asked the Boy what that was Symeones made answer that it was an Aelurus which they usually term a Cat. From hence his Instructer conjectured how eminent a person Symeones would prove in the Study of Virtue and therefore carried him up into a Pillar In which Pillar and in another that stood upon the very top of the Mountain he spent Sixty eight years being vouchsafed all manner of Grace both as to the casting out of Devills as to the curing every disease and all manner of languishing distempers and in relation to the foreseeing things future as if they had been present He foretold Gregorius that he should not see him die but said that he was ignorant of what would happen after his own death And when I my self was troubled with various thoughts at the loss of my children and doubted within my own mind why the same troubles befell not the Pagans who had many children although I had not opened my mind to any person whatever yet he wrote to me to abstain from such thoughts as those in regard they were displeasing to God Moreover when the wife of one of my Amanuenses had her milk stopt after her delivery by reason whereof the Infant was in imminent danger the same Symeones put his hand upon her husbands right hand and ordered him to lay it upon the breasts
him Crowns of Tricennalian Orations wherewith we lately encircled his Sacred Head within his own Imperial pallace But now I am doubtfull and at a stand desirous indeed to utter something according to the usuall manner but ignorant which way to turn my self and amazed at this only miracle of a new and surprizing spectacle For which way soever I look with a fixt and steady eye whether to the East or West upon the whole Earth or to Heaven it self I behold the Blessed Emperour present every where and in all places conversing with Imperiall Majesty her self And I see his Sons like some new Luminaries filling the whole Earth with their Father's Rays and I behold himself as yet living in Power and Authority and managing the whole affairs of the world better and more potently than before in regard he is diffused and enlarged by the succession of his Sons Who before had been invested with the Caesarian Dignity but having now clothed themselves with their whole Father on account of their eximious Virtue and Religion are proclaimed Supream Soveraigns Augusti Adorable Emperours being illustrated with all their Fathers Ornaments CHAP. II. The Preface yet AND when I behold him who a little before was seen in a Mortall Body and converst with us our selves in a most admirable manner enjoying the same Imperial Pallaces honours and commendations even after the end of this life when Nature rejects as forreign whatever is superfluous I am stricken with an incredible amazement But now when with an acuteness of mind I reach up to the very Arches of Heaven it self and there Contemplate his thrice happy Soul conversing with God wholly divested of its Mortall and Terrestriall Garment and beautified with a most Splendid Stole of Light and when I perceive it not any more involved in the short periods of Time within these fading Habitations but honoured with an ever-flourishing Diadem and endowed with an endless life and a blessed immortality I am dumb and wholly deprived of the use of my Tongue and Reason And being unable to utter one word but passing sentence my self upon mine own weakness and decreeing silence against my self I give place to one more potent who may declare his praises in a manner correspondent to his deserts to him namely who being Immortall and God The Word is only able to confirm and ratifie his own expressions CHAP. III. Concerning God who honoured the Pious Emperours and destroyed the Tyrants FOr whereas he has predicted that they who glorifie and honour him shall by him be compensated with reciprocall Gifts and Rewards but that those who have profest themselves his Enemies and Adversaries shall procure to themselves â— destruction of their souls long since even from this life he hath ascertained the Truth of these his own words and promises For he hath evidently set before our eyes the detestable Exits of impious and God-opposing Tyrants but hath demonstrated not only the Life of his Servant but his death also to be desirable and worthy of the highest commendations in so much that even this deserves a commemoration and is egregiously worthy not of Mortall but immortall Sepulchrall Monuments The wit of men hath indeed found out a comfort and preservative against a Mortall and frail End and by Consecrations of Statues as 't were by immortall honours have thought good to Reverence the Memories of their Ancestours And some have framed Representations of men with the shadowed Colours of Encaustick Painting others with the Sculptures of inanimate matter othersome have cut deep Letters on wooden or stone Tablets wherewith they have taken occasion of consigning to Eternall Memory the Virtues of those whom they honour But all these things were mortall and consumed by length of time in regard they exprest the proportions of mortall bodies not the Idea's of an immortall mind However these things seemed to content those persons who after the conclusion of this mortall life had conceived in their minds an hope of no other thing that was good But God God I say the Common Saviour of all things who hath treasured up with himself greater Goods than Man can have a conception of for the Lovers of Piety gives as a foregoing pledge even in this life the First fruits of future Rewards and in a manner represents and confirms immortall hopes to mortall eyes The ancient Oracles of the Prophets which are committed to writing do plainly foretell these things The Lives of persons dear to God who heretofore have shined with all manner of Virtues whose Lives are as yet celebrated by posterity do give attestation hereto The same is clearly evinced to be true by the Testimony of this our present Age wherein Constantine the only person of all those who ever yet Governed the Roman Empire having been made the friend of God the supream King is proposed to all men as a powerfull and illustrious instance of a Religious life CHAP. IV. That God honoured Constantine LAstly God himself whom Constantine worshipped confirmed this with effectuall suffrages by affording him his favourable and benigne presence and assistance at the beginning procedure and end of his Reign which person God proposed to mankind as an Exemplar for their information in relation to the divine worship Indeed of all the Emperours whom we ever yet heard of he was the only one whom God by those Blessings of all sorts which he conferred on him demonstrated to be the greatest Luminary and Loudest Proclaimer of steady Piety and true Religion CHAP. V. That he Reigned upwards of Thirty years and lived above Sixty HE honoured the Time of his Reign with three compleated periods of Ten years and something more but he circumscribed the whole Life he lead amongst men with a space of time double as much Further because He would propose him as the portraicture of his own Monarchicall power He made him the Conquerour of the whole Tyrannick Brood and the Destroyer of the Impious Giants who instigated by a desperation and madness of mind took up Arms of Impiety against God himself the supream King But having made their appearance even during a shorter time than is required to speak they were extinguished But God who is one and the sole God when he had fortified his Servant one opposed to many with divine Armour and by his means had cleared the world of the multitude of impious persons constituted him the Teacher of his own Worship to all Nations who in the hearing of all men attested with a loud voice that he acknowleged the True God but abominated the Errour of false Deities CHAP. VI. That he was the Servant of God and a Vanquisher of Nations ANd like a faithfull and good servant he practised and asserted this openly styling himself a servant and owning himself a worshipper of the supream
he might instruct all men in the Laws of Temperance Wherefore he accounted it not a thing below himself to Preach even to these persons by his own Letter and to exhort them to hasten to the knowledge of God And in that place he added works consonant to his words erecting even amongst them a most spacious Church with the Edifices belonging thereto In so much that what had no where been heard of by any preceding age whatever was then first of all really compleated and a City of men addicted to the superstitious worship of Daemons was vouchsafed a Church of God and Presbyters and Deacons and a Bishop consecrated to the supream God presided over the inhabitants of that place Moreover the Emperour taking great care that many persons might come over to the Faith of Christ made large distributions there in order to the relief of the poor and in this wise he perswaded and invited men to the salutary Doctrine in a manner uttering those very words spoken by Saint Paul whether in pretence or in truth Christ is preached CHAP. LIX Concerning the disturbance raised at Antioch on Eustathius's account BUt whilst all persons passed their lives in the greatest joy imaginable on account of these Blessings and the Church of God was all manner of ways exalted amongst all Nations every where the envy of the Devil who is always contriving Plots against the Good began again to make an insurrection against this so great a prosperity of our affairs supposing that the Emperour exasperated at our disturbances and indecencies would in future have his affection towards us alienated Having therefore kindled a great fire he filled the Church of Antioch with Tragical Calamities in so much that there wanted but little of the whole Citie 's being utterly subverted For the people of the Church were divided into two Factions and the Commonalty of the City in an hostile manner were so highly enraged against the Magistrates themselves and the Milice that they were just upon the point of drawing their Swords had not the providence of God and the fear of the Emperour represt the violence of the multitude And here the clemency of the Emperour like a Saviour and Physitian of souls did again by discourse administer a Cure to those distempered For he dispatcht away thither one of those about him whom he had had tryal of a person honoured with the dignity of a Comes a man eminently trusty and faithfull by whom he spake to those people in a most gracious manner And by Letter after Letter he exhorted them to entertain thoughts of Peace and taught them to practise such things as were agreeable to the divine Religion And at length he prevailed with them and excused them in those Letters he wrote to them affirming that he himself had publickly heard him who had been the occasioner of that Tumult And these Letters of his which were filled with no ordinary Learning and Utility I had inserted at this place had they not set a Brand of infamy on the persons guilty Wherefore I will at present omit them being resolved not to renew the memory of mischiefs and will only annex those Letters to this Work which he wrote to express the joy and satisfaction of his own mind in reference to the Peace and agreement of others In which Letters he entreats them that they would not in any wise challenge to themselves the Prelate of another place by whose intervention they had made up a Peace amongst themselves but that agreeable to the Canon of the Church they should rather choose him Bishop whom our Lord himself the Common Saviour of all should design for that office He writes therefore both to the people and also to the Bishops severally these following Letters CHAP. LX. Constantine's Letter to the Antiochians that they should not draw away Eusebius from Caesarea but should seek another Bishop VICTOR CONSTANTINUS MAXIMUS AUGUSTUS To the people of Antioch HOw gratefull and pleasing is the Concord amongst You to all the prudent and wise men of this Age Even I my Self Brethren have determined to embrace You with an everlasting affection being invited thereto both by the Rule of Religion and by your way of Life and also by your love and favour This is most certainly the genuine product of Blessings to act with an understanding that is right and sound For what can so much become you Wonder not therefore if I shall affirm the Truth to have been to you a cause of safety rather than of hatred Indeed amongst Brethren to whom one and the same affection of mind and a progress in the way that is right and just doth by Gods assistance promise an enrollment into the pure and holy family what can be more goodly and valuable than with a joy and unanimity of mind to rest contented at their beholding the Blessings of all men Especially in regard the instruction of the divine Law incites your purpose of mind to a greater perfection and because 't is our desire that your judgment should be confirmed by the best determinations This will perhaps seem strange to you what namely this preface of our Letter should mean Truly I will neither avoid nor refuse to declare the reason of this matter For I confess that I have perused the Acts wherein both from your honourable commendations and Testimonies in reference to Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea whom I my Self also have long since very well known on account as well of his Learning as his Modesty I perceive you have an inclination towards him and are desirous of making him your own What think you came into my mind who am earnestly hastning to an accurate disquisition of what is right and true What a care and solicitude do you believe me to have taken on account of that your desire O Holy Faith which by the Words and Precepts of our Saviour dost exhibite to us as 't were an express representation of Life with what trouble wouldest even Thou thy self resist Sinners unless Thou shouldest wholly refuse to serve in order to gain and favour Indeed to Me he seemes to have conquered even Victory her self who makes Peace his more earnest study and endeavour For where that which is decent is lawfull to any one no body can be found who is not highly pleased with it I beseech you therefore Brethren on what account should we so determine as thereby to procure others an injury For what reason do we follow those things which will certainly overthrow the Faith of Our Opinion Indeed I do highly praise that person who by you also is approved of as worthy of honour and affection Nevertheless that which amongst all should remain firm and ratified ought not in such a manner to have been enervated as that all persons should not be contented with their own
of body Others lived without having any Children not that they would not have had Children to succeed them but because they would avoid Carnal Copulation with a Woman which sort of continency they embraced out of their most ardent Love to Philosophy Besides many women consecrated to the service of God were studious followers of Chastity and spotless Virginity having dedicated themselves in reference as well to their minds as bodies to a chast and most holy Life What then Ought this to be accounted worthy of punishment or rather of praise and admiration For the very inclination to this thing deserves an high commendation but to perfect and bring it to effect is a matter above the strength of humane Nature 'T is fit therefore that those who though very desirous of Children nevertheless are deprived of them by the infirmity of Nature should be pitied rather than punished But he who is lead by the Love of a Sublimer Philosophy is so far from deserving punishment that he ought to be the wonder and admiration of all men In this manner the Emperour with the greatest equity mended that Law Further provision had been made by the Old Laws that dying persons who were at the very last gaspe as I may say should make their Wills with a great deal of exactness in some certain words and there were Set Forms and Solemnities prescribed and what expressions ought to be added And hereupon many frauds were practised in order to the disannulling the Will of the dead Which when the Emperour perceived he corrected this Law also affirming that a dying person ought to have a liberty of making his Will as he pleased whether in bare words or in any ordinary expressions and that he might declare his Last Will in any written Form or if he had rather do it by word of mouth he might provided it were done in the presence of Credible Witnesses who were able to preserve integrity with the Truth CHAP. XXVII That he made a Law that a Christian should not be Slave to a Jew and that the Decrees of Synods should be firm and authentick and so forth MOreover he made a Law that no Christian should serve Jews For it was he said a thing not to be permitted that those who had been redeemed by our Saviour should be reduced under the yoak of Slavery to those who were the Murderers of the Prophets and of the Lord. But if any person professing the Christian Religion should be found to be Slave to a Jew his order was that he should be set at Liberty but that the Jew should be punished with a pecuniary mulct He also confirmed those Decrees of Bishops which were promulged in Synods by his own authority in so much that 't was not in the power of the Governours of Provinces to resciâ—d the Bishops determinations For the Priests of God he said were to be preferred before any Judge whatever He issued forth to His Subjects a vast number of Laws of this nature to comprize all which in a peculiar Volumn to the end an accurate inspection may be made into the Emperour's prudence even in this particular would require a greater leisure What necessity is there of our relating at present in what manner he applied himself to the supream God and was from morning to night sollicitously inquisitive what sort of men he might do good to and how in reference to His Beneficence He shewed himself equal and obliging to all persons CHAP. XXVIII His Gifts bestowed on the Churches and His Distributions of money to Virgins and to the Poor BUt on the Churches of God He conferred innumerable Gifts in a manner that was extraordinary and transcendent sometimes bestowing Lands at others Annonae for the maintenance of poor men fatherless children and widows Lastly He took all imaginable care that even infinite numbers of garments should be provided for the naked and such as wanted clothing But above all others He vouchsafed them the highest honour who had wholly addicted themselves to the divine Philosophy Indeed he paid little less than a Veneration to the most Holy Quire of God's perpetual Virgins in regard he was fully perswaded that that very God to whom they had consecrated themselves had taken up his habitation within the minds of such persons CHAP. XXIX Speeches and Discourses written by Constantine YEa farther He spent whole nights without taking any rest to the end He might accomplish his own mind by a meditation on divine matters He likewise employed his vacant hours in writing Orations and made frequent Speeches in publick accounting it as a duty incumbent on himself to Govern his Subjects by the precepts of reason and to make His own Government an Empire of Reason Wherefore He himself would call a Meeting Numerous multitudes of people flock't into the place of hearing that they might be Auditours of a Philosophizing Emperour But if during his Speaking any occasion was offered of treating concerning Divinity he stood upright immediately and with a composed Countenance and low Voice seemed to initiate those that were present in the Mysteries of the Divine Doctrine with all imaginable piety and modesty And when His Hearers applauded him with their Acclamations He gave them notice by a nod that they should look upwards to Heaven and with pious praises highly admire and honour that One Supream King Farther he divided his Speeches in such a manner that in the first place he would lay the Confutation of the Errour of Polytheism as the foundation of his Discourse asserting by most evident arguments that the Superstition of the Pagans was meer fraud and the Bulwark of impiety Then he discoursed concerning the Sole Empire of God After this he treated about Providence whereby as well all things in general as every individual is governed From hence he proceeded to the Salutary Dispensation and shewed That to have been done necessarily and in an agreeable manner Passing from that point he began a discourse concerning the Divine Judgment In his treating whereof he gave the minds of His Hearers most sharp and severe Touches reproving the Rapacious and Deceitfull and those that had enslaved themselves to an insatiable desire of money He likewise whip't as 't were and scourg'd with his Expressions some of His Confidents that stood round Him and forc't them when stung by their own Consciences to Cast down their eyes To whom he evidenc'd and declared with a loud voice that they themselves should give God an account of their own undertakings For he told them that the Supream God had given him the Empire of the world but that he in imitation of the Deity had committed the parts of His Empire to their Government moreover that all of them should at a fit opportunity render an account of their Actions to the Supream King These things he attested continually these things he suggested to them with these
very Light of Truth and embracing the impenetrable darkness of Errour Nor was Force and Cruelty wanting especially when the Will of Princes gave assistance to the rash and heady impetus of the Vulgar or rather when they themselves headed an unseasonable Fury Wherefore this way of Life having been confirmed by the usage of many Generations was the Occasion of dismal Calamities to the men of those times But as soon as ever the presence of our Saviour shined forth immediately instead of unjust Actions Justice was advanc't in place of a most destructive Storm arose a Calm and all those things which had been predicted by the Prophets were fulfilled For after that Saviour of ours was taken up on high to his Father's House having enlightned the world with the Rayes of Modesty and Continence He founded a Church on earth like some sacred Temple of Virtue a Temple that is eternal and incorruptible wherein might be piously performed due Acts of worship both to God the supream Father and likewise an agreeable service to Himself But what did the mad wickedness of the Nations invent after these things It endeavoured to reject the Benefits and Favours of Christ and to ruine the Church constituted in order to the Salvation of all men and in place thereof to substitute its own Superstition Again hapned horrible Seditions Wars Fights Morosity a luxurious Furniture of Life and a love of Riches which having its Being in men contrary to nature a thing that is the property of wickedness does sometimes recreate by false and specious hopes at others it astonishes with Fear But let Her lie prostrate on the ground being vanquished by Virtue and as 't is fit She should let Her rend and tear Her self by reason of Her Repentance But at present we must discourse of those matters which appertain to the Divine Doctrine CHAP. II. An Address to the Church and to his Hearers that they would Pardon and amend his Mistakes HEar therefore Thou Master of the Ship who art possest of Chastity and Virginity And Thou Church that art the Nurse of immature and unskilfull Age To whose Care and Charge Truth and Clemency are committed From whose everlasting Fountain flows a Salutary Stream Be Ye Candid Hearers also Ye who worship God with sincerity and for that reason are His Care be Ye attentive not so much to the words themselves as to the truth of what is delivered and respect not Me that Speak but the Religious Office of Devotion rather For what can the benefit and advantage of an Oration be when the mind of the Speaker remains undiscovered Indeed I do peradventure attempt Great things But that which occasions my Boldness is the Love of God implanted in me for this Love puts a Force upon Modesty Wherefore my desire is that Ye who are eminently knowing in the Divine Mysteries should be joyned with Me as My Assistants to the end that if any mistake shall happen during My Speaking You may go along with Me and correct it Expect not any Perfect and Consummate Doctrine from Me but rather give a kind reception to the attempt of My Faith Farther may the most benign influence of the Father and Son be effectually present with us whilst we are uttering those things which it shall Command and Suggest to Our Mind For if any person professing Rhetorick or any other Art shall suppose Himself able without the Divine Assistance with an accuracy to perfect His Work He Himself as also the Work He has undertaken will be found ignorant and imperfect But such persons as have once obtained the Divine influence must neither loiter nor be careless Wherefore having beg'd Your Pardon for the length of this Our Preface We will enter upon the Head and Principal matter of Our design CHAP. III. That God is both the Father of The Logos and the Framer of the whole Creation and that it were impossible for things to consist if their Causes were diverse GOD who is above every Essence being always that Good which all things desire has no Generation and consequently no Beginning But He Himself is the Origine of all things that are brought forth But He who has His Procession from Him is united with Him again the disjunction and conjunction being performed in Him not locally but intellectually only For that Foetus exists not by any dammage of His Father's bowels as for instance those things do which are born of Seed but by the dispose of Divine providence Our Saviour has appeared that he might preside as well over this visible world as over all things and works framed therein The Cause therefore both of subsistence and Life to all things which are contained within the Complex of this world is derived from hence Moreover hence proceeds the Soul and every Sense and the Faculties by whose assistance those things which are signified by the senses are perfected What then does this Discourse conclude Thus much that there is one President over all things which are and that all things whatever are subject to his sole Dominion as well things Celestial as Terrestrial both Natural and also Organical Bodies For if the Dominion over all these things which are innumerable should be in the hands not of one but of many Partitions and Divisions of the Elements as 't is in the ancient Fables and Envy and a desire of having more powerfully contending to overcome would disturb the harmonious Concord of all things in regard those many would manage that portion allotted to each of them in a different manner But whereas this whole world does keep it self always in one and the same order 't is plain that this is not performed without Providence and that it has not proceeded from chance But who could ever have acknowledged a Framer of universal Matter To whom in the first place or in the last were prayers and supplications to have been assigned How could it be that by my worshipping one of them by choice I should not have been impious towards the rest Or having perhaps requested something necessary for this life shall I return thanks to that God who has given me assistance but revile him who was mine opposer But to whom shall I make my supplication that he may declare to me the occasion of my Calamity and may vouchsafe me a deliverance from it Let us suppose that an answer has been given us by Oracles and Prophecies but that these things are not in their power but belong to another God What is the Compassion then Of what sort is the providence of God towards man Unless perhaps some one of them inclinable to be kinder being more forcibly moved shall give assistance against another who is not in the least kindly disposed towards men Moreover
likewise the highest admiration which by their flowing night and day give a representation of an eternal and never-ceasing life Also the continual vicissitude of night and day is in the same manner admirable CHAP. VIII That God does plentifully supply men with those things that are usefull but with such as are for delight He furnishes them in an indifferent manner only bestowing both sorts so as may be agreeable to their profit and advantage ALL These words have been spoken by Us in confirmation of this Truth that nothing has been done without reason or without understanding but that Reason it self and also Providence are the Works of God Who has likewise produced the several kinds of Gold Silver Brass and of the other Metals in a manner and measure that is fit and agreeable For with those things the use whereof was like to be manifold and various men are by his order plentifully furnished but such things as are of use for the delight of the world and for Luxury only them he hath bestowed both liberally and also sparingly observing a Mean between a parcimony and a profuseness For if the same plenty of those things which were made for ornament had been granted the Searchers after Mettals by reason of their overmuch avarice would have despised those Mettals that are of use for Husbandry and Building as well of Houses as Ships Iron namely and Brass and would have neglected the gathering of them together but would have made it their whole business to provide such things as serve for delight and a vain and fruitless superfluity of Riches Wherefore there is they say more of Difficulty and Labour in finding Gold and Silver than in finding all other Mettals whatever for this reason namely that the soreness of the Labour may be opposed to the vehemency of the desire How many other works of Divine Providence may besides be reckoned up whereby in all those things which it has plentifully conferred on us it does plainly incite the Life of men to Modesty and the other Virtues and draws them off from unseasonable and importunate desires To find out the reason of all which things is a greater Work than can be performed by man For how can the understanding of a corruptible and infirm Creature arrive at the accuracy of truth How can it apprehend the pure and sincere Will of God from the beginning CHAP. IX Concerning the Philosophers who because they desired to know all things erred as to their Opinions and some of them were exposed to dangers Also concerning the Opinions of Plato WHerefore we ought to attempt those things that are possible and which exceed not the capacity of Our Nature For the perswasiveness of such matters as are found in Dialogues and Disputations does usually draw away most of us from the truth of things And this befell many of the Philosophers whilst they exercise their wits in discourses and in finding out the Nature of things For as often as the Greatness of things transcends their enquiry they involve the Truth by various methods of arguing Whence it happens that their Sentiments are contrary and that they oppose one anothers Opinions and this they do when they would pretend to be wise From whence have been occasioned Commotions of the people and severe Sentences of Princes against them whilst they think that the usages of their Ancestours are subverted by them And their own ruine has very frequently been the consequence hereof For Socrates proud of his knowledge in disputing when he would undertake to render Reasons that were weaker more strong and would frequently make Sport in contradicting was killed by the envy of those of his own Tribe and of his fellow-citizens Moreover Pythagoras who pretended highly to the exercise of Temperance and Silence was taken in a Lye For he declared to the Italians that those things long before predicted by the Prophets which he had heard whilst he was a Traveller in Aegypt were revealed by God to him as 't were in particular Lastly Plato the mildest and sweetest tempered person of them all and the first man that drew off mens minds from the senses to things intelligible and such as always continue in the same state accustoming men to look upwards and instructing them to raise their eyes to things sublime in the first place taught that God was above every Essence wherein he did well To Him he subjoyned a Second and in number distinguished the two Essences although the perfection of them Both be one and notwithstanding the Essence of the Second God proceeds from the First For He is the Framer and Governour of the Universe and therefore transcends all things But He who is the Second from Him ministring to His Commands ‖ ascribes the Constitution of all things to Him as to the Cause Therefore according to the most accurate way of Philosophizing there will be but One who takes the Care of all things and consults their Good God The Logos namely who has beautified all things Which Logos Himself being truly God is also the Son of God For what other Name shall any one impose upon Him besides the appellation of a Son who at the same time shall not commit a sin of the deepest dye For He who is the Father of all is deservedly esteemed the Father of His own Word also Thus far Plato's Sentiments were right But in those things which follow He is found to have wandred far from the Truth whilst he both introduces a multitude of Gods and also ascribes different Forms to each of them Which was the occasion of a greater mistake amongst unthinking men who do not consider the Providence of the most High God but pay a veneration to Images framed by themselves made according to the likeness of men and some other Creatures And thus it hapned that that excellent Wit and that Learning worthy of the highest Commendation being mixt with some such errours as these had in it less of purity and perfection The same person seems to Me to reprove Himself and to correct that discourse whilst he attests in express words that the Rational Soul is the Spirit of God For He divides all things into two sorts intelligible namely and sensible the Former sort is simple and uncompounded the Latter consists of a Frame of Body And that is apprehended by the understanding but this is perceived by Opinion with sense Therefore that which partakes of the Divine Spirit in regard 't is unmixt and immaterial is also eternal and has for its allotment an endless life But that which is sensible because 't is dissolved the same way whereby it was at first framed has no portion in an endless life But the Doctrine which he delivers in the following words is highly admirable that those who have lived well the Souls namely of holy and good men after their departure out of the
at this present Visible For no man since the Creation either amongst the Grecians or Barbarians hath ever exerted such mighty Efforts of a Divine Power as Our Saviour has done But why do I say men when as even they who amongst all Nations are styled Gods have not been endued with such a mighty power upon Earth Or if the thing he otherwise let Him that is desirous make it out to us Let any of the Philosophers come forth and inform us what God or Hero was ever heard of from the very first Beginning of Time who hath delivered to men the Doctrine of an Eternal Life and a celestial Kingdome in such a manner as Our Saviour hath done who has induced innumerable multitudes of men thorowout the whole world to live in a conformity to the Precepts of a celestial Philosophy and has perswaded them that they should aspire to Heaven and hope for those Mansions there provided for Pious Souls What person whether God or Hero or man hath euer overspread and enlightened the whole world from the rising as far as the setting Sun with the brightest Beames of His Own Doctrine running in a manner the same Course with the Sun in so much that all Nations where ever inhabiting perform one and the same worship to The One God Who whether God or Hero hath crush't all the Gods and Hero's both Grecian and Barbarian and hath made a Law that no one of them should be esteemed a God and hath so far prevailed that this His Law should obtain every where after which when He was opposed by all He Himself being but One hath routed the whole Force of His Adversaries hath vanquished all those who had always been accounted Gods and Hero's and hath brought the matter to this Issue that all over the whole world even from its remotest Limits He Himself should alone be termed The Son of God by all Nations Who hath commanded them who inhabit this vast Element of the Earth as well those in the Continent as them that live in the Isles that meeting together every week they should observe that termed the Lord's day and celebrate it as a Festival and that they should not feed fat their own Bodies but should make it their business to enliven and cherish their Soules with Divine instructions What God or Hero so opposed as Our Saviour hath been hath erected Victorious Trophies over His Enemies for from the first Times hitherto they have not ceased their Hostilities both against His Doctrine and People But He being invisible by an undiscern'd Power hath advanced His own Servants together with the Sacred Houses to the height of Glory But what necessity is there with so much of earnestness to attempt a Narrative of Our Saviour's Divine Performances which exceed all manner of expression In as much as though we be silent the Things themselves do cry aloud to those who are possest of Mental Ears Undoubtedly this is a new and wonderfull thing and which was once only seen amongst the Race of mankind that such signal Blessings as these should be conferred on men and that He who really is the only Son of God from all eternity should be visible on earth BUT these things which You have heard from us will perhaps be superfluous to You Great Sir Who by experience it Self have frequently been made sensible of the presence of Our Saviour's Divinity and who not so much in words as deeds have approved Your Self a Preacher of the Truth to all men For You Your Self Dread Sovereign When You shall have leisure can relate to us if You please innumerable Appearances of Our Saviour shewing You His Divinity innumerable Visions in Your sleep I mean not those Suggestions of His to You which to us are secret and inexplicable but those divine Councils and Advises infused into Your mind and which are productive of matters universally advantagious and every way usefull in reference to the Care and Providence of Humane affairs You will likewise unfold to us in such a manner as they deserve the apparent assistances of God Your Defender and Keeper in Your Wars the Ruine of Your Enemies and those that combin'd and plotted against You Your Rescues in dangers Your ready and expedite knowledge in difficulties Your defence in Solitudes Your industry and readiness in straits and distresses Your fore-knowledges of things future Your Provident Care in reference to the whole of affairs Your deliberations concerning matters uncertain and obscure Your undertakings in relation to the most momentous Things Your Administration of Civil matters Your Ordering of Your Military Forces Your Reformations every where Your Constitutions in reference to publick Right Lastly Your Laws which are of singular use to the Lives of men You will likewise without any Omission recount each of those matters which are obscure to us but most apparently manifest to Your Self alone and are kept deposited in Your Imperial Memory as in some secret Treasuries In regard to all which particulars as 't is likely when You had made use of the very same clear and cogent Arguments of Our Saviour's Divine Power You raised a Basilica as a Trophy of His Victory gain'd over Death a Fabrick which You design'd all should view as well the Faithfull as Infidels and an Holy Temple of the Holy God and most stately splendid and glorious Monuments of an immortal Life and a divine Kingdom and You gave sacred Gifts in memory of the Victory of Our Saviour the Supream King Gifts that are every way sutable to the Donour and which do most exactly befit an Emperour who is a Victor Wherewith You have adorned that Martyrium and Monument of immortal Life that in Royal Characters You might express and represent the Celestial Word of God to be the Victor and Triumpher to all Nations and as well really as verbally might publish a Pious and Religious Confession of God in expressions which are clear and that can't be obscur'd THE END THE INDEX Of the Chief Matters contained in the Text of these HISTORIANS The First Number shews the Page the Second the Column A. ABari or Abares a Scythick Nation being heavily opprest by the Turks leave their habitation and come to the Bosphorus 500. 1. at length lodge themselves on the banks of the Danube ibid. They make an excursion as far as the Long Walt and take many Cities 519. 2. Abasgi embrace the Christian faith under Justinian 486. 2. Abdas Bishop of Persia. 373. 1. Abdâ—â— son of Abdus and Edessen cured by Thaddaus 15. 1. Abgarus or Agbarus King of the Edessens sends a Letter to Christ. 14. 1. Christ's answer to Abgarus ibid. Ablabius a Rhetorician and a Bishop 374. 2. Abramius Bishop of Urimi 304. 1. Acacius Bishop of Amida melts down the sacred Vessels and with their price redeems captives 379. 2. Acacius Bishop of Beroea in Syria 365. 2. Acacius Bishop of Caesarea 247.
possession of the Churches should be delivered to such persons only as would acknowledge and profess one and the same Deity of the Father Son and Holy Spirit in a subsistency of three persons equal in honour and power In order to a more clear manifestation of those persons that owned this acknowledgment and profession such of them as were in Constantinople and Thracia were by this Imperial Law obliged to hold communion with Nectarius Prelate of the Constantinopolitan See those in the Pontick Dioecesis with Helladius Gregorius and Otreïus c. For these Prelates says Sozomen the Emperour himself approved of after he had seen and spoken with them and also they had an eminent repute for their pious Government of their Churches And the Emperour orders further in his Edict that whosoever dissented from a communion of faith with these Prelates in their several districts he should be expelled out of the Church as a manifest Heretick You see then that the power given to these Prelates here was not properly Patriarchichal but only this that their faith was to be the standard as it were to measure that of others by and a communion with them the Test for admitting persons to or expelling them from Ecclesiastick preferments But though we affirm that the Prelates here mentioned by Socrates were not constituted Patriarchs properly so called yet we see no reason of making an inference from hence as Valesius in his note here does that Patriarchs were not constituted by the Constantinopolitan Fathers For this is plainly repugnant to our Socrates's fore-mentioned words in this chap. viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they constituted Patriarchs having made a distribution or division of the Provinces On which distribution of the Provinces the entire constitution of Patriarchs has its sole dependence For from it arose Dioecesis's over which Patriarchs were set See the Learned D r Beveredge's notes on the 6 th Canon of the Nicene Council pag. 52 and on the second Canon of the Constant. Synod pag. 94. * See Socrates book 2. chap. 26. book 2. chap. 16. note a. a This Funeral Oration in praise of Melitius Bishop of Antioch is now extant amongst the Works of Gregorius Nyssenus Vales. a Athanarichus King of the Goths entred Constantinople in the Consulate of Eucherius and Evagrius on the eleventh of January and died on the twenty fifth of the same month as 't is recorded in Idatius's Fasti and in Marcellinus's Chronicon On the year following which was the year of Christ 382 when Antonius and Syagrius were Consuls the whole Gothick Nation surrendred it self to Theodosius on the 3 d of Octob. as says the same Idatius Vales. * In the Greek he is called Merogaudus here and hereafter †His name in the Greek is Satornilus b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christophorson renders these word thus the forms of the Creed delivered by the Ancients Epiphanius Scholasticus thus the traditions of the Ancients I like neither Version For Socrates means the Books of the Ancient Doctors of the Church and more especially the interpretations of Sacred Scripture put forth by them 'T is certain what he terms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Expositions here he does a little after call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Books of the Ancients Wherefore I have here chosen to render it Expositions as Musculus does For what Socrates here calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little lower he terms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Exposition of the Ancients Vales. c Instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accommodated it must undoubtedly be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 flourished Which emendation is confirmed by Epiphanius Scholasticus for thus he renders it De Antiquis Ecclesiae Doctoribus qui ante divisionem floruissent concerning the Ancient Doctors of the Church who flourished before the division Vales. * Insist or rely upon †Or Dispersion d Instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make known their Draught of the Creed I had rather read as Nicephorus does 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to set forth and deliver in to him in writing a Draught c Vales. c This Draught of the Creed which Eunomius then presented to the Emperour Theodosius I have by me in Manuscript for which I am oblieged to the most famous and Learned Emericus Bigotius In the Bavarian Manuscript and in Livineius's Copy this Draught of the Creed was placed at the latter end of Gregorius Nyssenus's Books against Eunomius as Gretser attests But in the Florentine Copy from which Bigotius transcribed this Creed it was placed before those Books Nor will it be unusefull to insert it here For though it contains Eunomius's whole impiety yet some things occur in it in no wise despicable EUNOMIUS's Creed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whereas God and our Saviour Jesus Christ according to a most just sentence has said that he will confess before God and the Father those which should confess Him before men and that he will deny such as should deny Him and whereas the Apostolick Doctrine does exhort us to be always ready to give an account to every one that asketh it Whereas lastly the Imperial commands do require this Confession with all readiness We confess what our Sentiments are and that We Believe in one only true God according to his own Doctrine not honouring Him with a false voice For He cannot lye But is by nature and Glory truly one God without beginning always and eternally alone Not parted or divided into many as to his Substance according to which he is one nor existing sometimes one at others another no◠receding from what he is nor formed from one Substance into three Persons For he is altogether and wholly one continuing always alone in one and the same manner Having no companion of his Divinity no partaker of his Glory no Consort of his power no Assessour of his Kingdom For he is one and the only Omnipotent God God of Gods King of Kings and Lord of Lords The Highest over all the earth the Highest in the heavens the Highest in the Highest the Heavenly things true in being what he is and always continuing so True in his Works true in his Words The beginning of all Subjection Power Empire Above Conversion and free from change as being incorrupt Not dividing his own Substance in begetting nor being the same begetting and begotten or existing the same Father and Son For he is incorrupt In working in no wise wanting matter or members or natural instruments For he stands in need of nothing WE BELIEVE also in the Son of God the only Begotten God the First begotten of every Creature Christ the true God not unbegotten not before he was named the Son without Generation begotten before every Creature Not uncreated The Beginning of the Waies of God in order to his Works and being the Word in the beginning not without a beginning The living Wisdom the operating Truth the subsisting Power the begotten Life as being the Son of God
They occur indeed in the Acts of the Chalcedon-Councill but to me they seem not very necessary Vales. In Rob. Stephens's Edition they are wanting * Or second †See chap. 18. note x. * Or hath estranged him l In the Acts of the Chalcedon-Councill the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will Decree Which in my judgment is right For the future tense is in this place put for the Imperative mood For whereas the Legates of the Apostolick See do here speak to the Synod they would not use the Imperative because it seems more arrogant They made use therefore of the future tense as being the softer and more modest mode of expression Notwithstanding The old Translatour of the Chalcedon Council has rendred it in the Imperative mood In Nicâ—phorus book 15. chap. 30. the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. In Robert Stephens's Edition and in the Greek Text here the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth Decree which perhaps is the â—ruer reading m This definition of the Faith is contained in the Fifth Action of the Chalcedon-Synod 'T is extant also in Nicephorus book 15. chap. 6. Vales. * Jo. 14. 27. †Or opinions * That is the Constantinopolitane Creed at the drawing up whereof there were 150 Fathers See Socrat book 5. c. 9. n The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enemies is wanting in the Acts of the Chalcedon Councill and the reading of this whole place is thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Those who attempt to reject and abrogate the Preaching of the Truth by their c. Which reading seems to me far better Vales. * Or bred or brought forth * Or stop up †Or Preaching ‖ That is the Nicenâ— Creed * Or fight against o Instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do reproach so impudently it must doubtless be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do rave so impudently agreeable to the reading in the Florentine M. S. and in the Acts of the Chalcedon Synod Vales. p The reading here and in Nicephorus is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Which Letter agrees with the confession of the Great Peter c. But the contexture of the words does necessarily require that we should read thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. in regard it agrees c. and so 't is written in the Acts of the Chalcedon-Synod Vales. * Or resists q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Acts of the Chalcedon Synod this place is worded otherwise to wit in this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To confess our Lord Jesus Christ to be one and the same Son with one consent we do all teach and declare Which reading seems to me to be far the truer Vales. * Or known †Or runs together into one c. * Or estranged from †Or alienated from the Clergy ‖ Removed or put to flight * Or recalled †Constantinople ◠‖ Or in regard it was the second after the elder Rome * Or was condemned to dwell at c. a I have restored this place from the Florentine Manuscript to which agrees Nicephorus book 15. chap. 8. Christophorson had mended it very ill thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Praefect of Thebaïs came at that time to Alexandria But the Province of Thebaïs was not governed by a Praefect but by a President as we are informed from the Notitia Imperii Romani Besides Priscus Rhetor says not that the Governour of the Province of Thebaïs but that he himself came then to Alexandria Priscus had indeed been long conversant in the Province Thebaïs with Maximinus the Commander whose Councellour and Assessour he was when he waged war against the Nubae and Blemmyae as himself informs us in his Excerpt Legationum In the Tellerian Manuscript I found this place written thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 came by Alexandria from the Province of Thebaïs But I should rather write it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. came to Alexandria out of the Province of Thebais Vales. In Robert Stephens the reading here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b Nicephorus has added some passages here concerning Serapis's Temple which are sufficiently profound and which I remember not to have read any where else Therefore I conjecture that Nicephorus wrote these passages out of Priscus Rhetor's History which then was extant entire Vales. See Nicephorus's Eccles. Histor. book 15. chap. 8. c Of this Florus who was Praefectus Augustalis and also Dux of Egypt Jordanes has made mention in his book De Successione Regnorum where he writes thus concerning the Emperour Marcianus Nobades Blemmyesque Aethiopia prâ—olapsos c. He appeased the Nobades and the Blemmyes who had fallen down from Aethiopia by Florus Procurator of the City Alexandria and drove them from the Territories of the Romans This Florus had succeeded Theodorus the Augustalis as we are informed from Liberatus's Breviarium chap. 14. Under whom Proterius is ordained Bishop and that Sedition which Evagrius describes here was raised at Alexandria in the year of Christ 452. On account of which Sedition whenas the publick allowance of bread-corn which was wont to be delivered out to the Alexandrians the Baths also and Shows by the Emperour's order had been taken from the Inhabitants of Alexandria the multitude mer together in the Cirque and entreated Florus the Praefectus Augustalis who was come to Alexandria a little before this that these things might be restored to them Therefore this hapned on the year of Christ 453. Vales. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the Citizens of Alexandria as well as to those of Rome and Constantinople Loaves of bread were every day delivered out as we are informed from the fourteenth book of the Theodosian Code Tit. De Frumento Alexandrino But who had been the Beginner of this thing 't is uncertain Diocletian was the first Emperour who bestowed the Paâ—is Castrensis the Camp-bread upon the Alexandrians as the Author of the Alexandrian Chronicle relates at Constantius Caesar's and Maximianus Jovius Caesar's fourth Cousulate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 says he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on this year the Panis Castrensis was given at Alexandria by Diocletian Which passage occurs in the very same words in the Chronologicall Excerptions set forth by Scaliger at the end of Eusebius's Chronicon Procopius in his Anecdot pag. 119. says this Bread-corn was allowed by Diocletian to the poor only of the City Alexandria Which when the Citizens of that City had in after times divided amongst themselves they then transmitted it to their posterity Procopius's words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diocletian having been made Emperour of the Romans Decreed that a vast quantity of Bread-corn should every year be given by the people to the indigent Alexandrians The people having at that time quarrelled amongst their own selves about this Bread-corn transmitted it to their descendants even to this day In which words of Procopius's there is a very great fault which Nicolaus Alemannus a person otherwise
Shined upon * God a Eusebius praises the Emperour Constantine's Eloquence For that is the meaning of these words But Christophorson seems to have read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the truth of our discourse It must also be written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Turnebus has mended it at the side of his Copy and the same is the reading in the Fuketian and Savil. Manuscripts Besides from these words the 24 th Chapter is begun both in the Fuketian Manuscript and in the Old Sheets Vales. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Fuketian Manuscript 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which reading the Geneva-men have taken notice of as occuring in some Copies But this way of writing is not to be born with For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the singular number follows Besides Eusebius produces but one Constitution of Constantine's here to wit that which had been sent by Constantine to the Provincials He does indeed attest that two Laws had been issued forth together in favour of the Christians the one to the Catholick Church the other to the Provincials But he annexes the Copy but of one of them namely of that which had been sent to the Provincials of Palestine The other sent to the Churches is omitted by Eusebius either because it had been drawn according to the same Copy with that to the Provincials or for some other reason Vales. * Or Right band †Or Record the evidence of the confirmation of our discourse a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Medicaean Manuscript I found it written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Palestinian Provincials Further from these words I began the 24 th Chapter following the authority of the Kings and Fuketian Manuscripts Vales. * Distinction or diversity b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From the Medicaean Manuscript make it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And such as c. And a little after from the same Manuscript it must be read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worship of Christianity and the same is the reading in the Kings Sheets and Fuketian Manuscript Vales. In Robert Stephens 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Medicaean Manuscript has it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desirous of contemning it which reading seems to me much truer Vales. * Or Goods d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The reading in the Medicaean Manuscript is far truer For thus it runs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. even the Events c. And after the word Worship it has a point which is the mark of an interrogation Vales. e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The reading in the Medicaean Manuscript is far more elegant thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Indeed the things c. Vales. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is wanting in the Medicaean Manuscript nor is it very necessary Presently where the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heretofore transacted the same Manuscript has it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at any time transacted Also instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Issue of their attempt 't is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their attempts to an issue in which manner I found it written in the Kings Sheets and Fuketian Manuscript Vales. b This place is imperfect and ought thus to be restored from the Medicaean Manuscript 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which reading we have exprest in our Rendition Vales. * Or Publications of Goods c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Medicaean Manuscript 't is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the King's Manuscript also 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. a At these words I began the 26 th Chapter from the Fuk. Manuscript and the King's Sheets Vales. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The reading in the Medicaean Manuscript is truer thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But such as have either dishonourably c. 'T is much like what he had said above at chap. 25 where see note b. Vales. * Or Follow c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Medicaean Manuscript the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is truer if I mistake not A little after the same Copy has it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have ended in a most reproachfull Overthrow Vales. * Or Heavy a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Medicaean Manuscript 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impendent Miseries And a little before in the same Copy the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. From such impieties as these bloudy Wars arise Vales. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Medicaean Copy adds a word in this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perished by an unhappy death A little after in the same Manuscript the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For each of them hath found or met with c. which doubtless is truer Vales. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Medicaean Copy 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And a little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great salutary Cure without the Conjunction Vales. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Medicaean Copy the simple term occurs instead of the compounded thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which has less of roughness A little after the reading in the same Copy is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The reading in the Medicaean Manuscript is truer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Nor will it in any wise c. which emendation Sozomen confirms book 1. chap 8. where he has epitomized this Law of Constantine Vales. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For God Himself hath required c. In the Medicaean Copy the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is wanting which to me seems altogether superfluous Vales. e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a certain divine power The two last words are wanting in the Medicaean Copy and the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is referred to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which went before in this manner by a divine necessity the Sun is ordered to set and having expelled c. Vales. f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After these words the Fuketian Turnebian and Savil. Copies adde these two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath wholly taken away And so Christophorson read as 't is apparent from his Version which at this place is very intricate But I am of opinion that those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Who having begun from that Brittish Ocean c. are spoken concerning Constantine himself and not concerning God as Musculus and Christophorson thought Wherefore there is no need of those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which occur not either in the Medicaean or King's Copy or in the Old Sheets especially in regard it follows in the next chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am come as far as the Eastern parts Vales. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Medicaean Copy the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 right if you make it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For I could never have been ungratefull
of them ought to be allured to our side by various ways and arts Then he makes use of an instance of Physitians who that they may restore health to the sick devise all things which they believe may be of advantage to them These words 't is certain the Translatours understood nor in whose Versions the Reader will find all things contrary To this place is to be referred a passage of Eusebius in chap. 58. of this book where he says that the Emperour Constantine gave a great quantity of Gold to the Churches for the maintenance of the poor in regard he was desirous that all men should be invited even this way also to embrace the doctrine of the saving faith according to the example of the Apostle who in his Epistle to the Philippians says these words whether in pretence or in truth Christ is Preached Further in the Fuketian and Savilian Copies and in Turnebus's Book this whole place is written thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which questionless is the true reading This only I would have mended that instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it should be written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and afterwards instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the reading be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to partake of the doctrine of the salutary Faith in which sense 't is taken by S t Paul where he says that God would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth This verb is in this sense proper to the Christian Religion In which signification nevertheless the Philosophers of the latter age used it as I remember I have read in the Commentaries of Proclus on Timaeus Vales. e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is rather to be written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by understanding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was made use of a little before and we have rendred it accordingly But the Fuketian Copy has opened to us the true reading wherein 't is thus worded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But I suppose you are not ignorant that c. And so Turnebus had mended it at the margin of his Book from a Manuscript Copy Vales. f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A new and unusual word instead whereof it ought as I think to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 allowed The meaning of this passage is the same with that we have set in our Version For Constantine says that the Pagans are wont to be converted to our Religion on various accounts and occasions That some are drawn by the hope of food namely because of the Aims of the Christians Others by the hope of Patronage to wit on account of the authority of the Bishops who could do much with the Emperour and Grandees at Court 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Patronage Protection or Favour as I have noted at Amm. Marcellinus which term John Chrysostome makes frequent use of In the excellent Fuketian Copy the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is wanting and this whole place is thus worded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For some rejoyce as 't were on account of food others are wont to run under those who are possessed of or have procured Patronage Vales. g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Fuketian Copy and S r Henry Savil's have it written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lovers of true discourses And in the same manner 't is mended in the margin of Turnebus's Book But the common reading exprest in our Version pleases me best by reason of those words which immediately follow to the end a tautology might be avoided A little after the Fuketian Copy and the Kings Sheets have it written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in one Body not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 't is in the common Editions In the same Copy I found it written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For which reason they ought to fit and conform themselves to all men not as 't is commonly Printed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. †Or A friend of truth is rare * Or Brave exploit viz. the union of the Church * Or In relation to Peace †Or Cherished †Or His own writing * Or Piously †Or Partly ‖ Or Multitudes a Indeed Eusebius did afterwards perform what he here promises and in a peculiar volume comprized all the Letters and Sanctions of the Emperour Constantine which bore a reference to the Catholick Faith This I am informed of from the Medicaean Copy wherein at the close of his Eccles. Hist. Constantine's Letter to the Palestinians is written out which Eusebius hath recorded in the foregoing book and after the foresaid Letter these words occur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Let these things therefore be here placed by me But come on now let us from another head or beginning gather together the Laws and all the Letters of our Pious and most mild Emperour written in defence of the true Religion Vales. ‖ Or Body a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first word ought I think to be expunged as being superfluous unless it should be made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on account of its memorableness It may also be worded thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Turnebus at the margin of his Copy hath made it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. a I supposed the word their was to be referred to the women which came early to the Sepulchre of our Lord. But Christophorson referred it to those stony and incredulous persons concerning whom Eusebius hath spoken a little before which I approve not of Vales. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I would rather read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is from what place soever they could get it Vales. * Or Cover c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christophorson has rendred this place very ill in this manner tum detestabiles ibi victiâ—â—as super impuras aras immolarâ— also to offer detestable victims there upon impure Altars But the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does sufficiently shew that Eâ—sebius speaks not here concerning Victims or Beasts killed in Sacrifice but concerning Libations to wit Wine Milk and the like which the Heathens offered to their Gods Besides 't is wholly absurd that Victims should be killed upon the Altars For Sacrifices were killed by not upon the Altars This is a known Verse of Ovid Rode caper vitem Tamen hinc cùm stabis ad aras c. Vales. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This place is imperfect of which sort very many occur in these Books of Eusebius It may as I think not unfitly be made good in this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. in the like manner as 't is impossible c. Indeed Eusebius's following words do most plainly confirm this our emendation But Christophorson has confounded all things here as 't is apparent from his Version Vales. †Or Own * Military Commanders †Or Matters * Or Daemons * Or Of
〈◊〉 This verse was omitted from Moraeus's Book the Fuketian Copy the Kings Sheets and from that Edition of the Sibylline Verses which Seb. Castalio published it is to be supplied in this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Although I had rather read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Neuter Gender Now that this verse was omitted we are informed from the Old Version in Saint Austin de Civit. Dei B. 18 chap. 23 which runs thus Exuret terras ignis pontumque polumque Inquirens Further they had expunged this Greek Verse for this reason because the Acrostick seemed to be entire without it Nor did they perceive that in the Acrostick the name of Christ is written with a diphthong thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reason of doing which I don't understand Yet the Latine Acrostick in Saint Austin has retained it Indeed the Old Greeks made the name of Christ to consist of eight Letters writing it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a diphthong as Irenaeus informs us Book 1. Chap. 10. Vales. f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the reading is in the ordinary Edition of the Sibylline Verses The Old Version does likewise confirm this writing for thus it runs Volvetur Coelum c. Yet I doubt not but it should be made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is understood which occurs a little before Vales. g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Fuketian Copy and the Kings Sheets the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Vales. h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Castalio's Edition this verse is written thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which reading the Old Version in Saint Austin confirms where 't is thus rendred Sed Tuba tunc sonitum tristem dimittet ab alto Orbe gemens facinus misâ—rum variosque Labores In the Fuketian Copy the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Edition of the Sibylline Versâ—s the reading is truer thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enlightening Believers In the Edition of the Sibylline Verses the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the call'd which I am better pleased with both because the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is made use of a little before and also in regard it cannot be rightly said of the Faithfull that they are illuminated by Baptism For the Faithfull are not enlightned by Baptism but the Gentiles rather who are called to the Faith But after they shall have been illuminated by the Sacred Laver then they are termed the Faithfull Father the twelve Streams denote as I suppose the twelve Apostles Vales. l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Betuleius has well remarked that the Sibyll does allude here to the second Psalm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt rule or feed them with a Rod of Iron Whence it appears that what we have observed above from Gregory Nazianzene is true namely that the Sibyll or whoever wrote the Sibylline Verses hath borrowed many passages out of the Sacred Scriptures Therefore in my opinion 't is plain that these Verses as Cicero has long since told us were not published by a Sibyll possest with a Prophetick Fury but were written with a considerate and composed mind by some body under the Cover of â— Sibyll's name Vales. * Or In Riddles a In the Fuketian Copy and in the Old Sheets this chapter is begun from these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And these things were predicted after the end of the Acrostick Vales. b ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I embrace Christophorson's Emendation who read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the truth it self c. Vales. * Or Our men c The passage in Cicero which Constantine means is extant in his second Book de Divinatione where he makes mention of some Verses of the Sibyll and of an Acrostick But that Acrostick spoken of by Cicero can no way be proved to be the very same with this which Constantine produces here Yea the contrary may be gathered from Cicero's words For in that Acrostick mentioned by Cicero the Romans were warned that they should choose themselves a King if they would be safe as Cicero does there attest Therefore the first Letters of those Verses shewed as 't is probable the name of Julius Caesar. But in this Acrostick produced by Constantine there is no such thing extant Wherefore 't is not to be doubted but Cicero meant an Acrostick different from this though Sebastianus Castalio thought otherwise as did likewise several other persons Besides what Constantine adds is false namely that Cicero rendred this Greek Acrostick concerning Christ into Latine and inferted it into his own Books Vales. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here also we must acknowledge the unskilfullness of the Translatour who has made use of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no good expression but it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. †Begun or instituted e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Fuketian Copy and in the Sheets I found it written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is apparent that it must be made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 place And so 't is in the Fuketian Copy Further neither the Fuketian Manuscript nor the Old Sheets begin a new chapter here Vales. g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Add these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wisht-for King of whom mention is made in the fast Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nevertheless in Virgil's Verse there is no such expression as this But Constantine as it may be supposed had altered Virgil's Verses a little and had designedly expunged Saturn's name that he might serve his own design Vales. h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The last word is wanting in the Fuketian Copy and in the Sheets But Turnebus had noted at the margin of his Book that perhaps it should be written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This verse is in my judgment to be restored thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the verse which precedes this wants no mending Yet in the Fuketian Copy and Turnebus's Book 't is written thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And a little after where the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ's Divinity these words seem necessary to be added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Fuketian Copy 't is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so 't is in S r Henry Savils Book Vales. l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c But least any one which is an amendment wholly necessary and 't is strange to me that neither Scaliger nor any of the other Correctors saw it For whereas these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c went before of necessity it must follow
First Book of his Divine Institutes Chap. 21 in these words Apud Cypriot In Thysius's Edition 't is Apud Cypri Salaminem At Salamine a City of Cyprus Humanam hostiam Jovi Teucer immolavit idque sacrificium posteris tradidit quod est nuper Hadriano imperante sublatum Amongst the Cypriots Teucer offered an humane sacrifice to Jupiter and delivered that sacrifice down to posterity which was lately abolished in the Reign of Hadrian Tertullian in the ninth Chapter of his Apology relates that in Africa infants were publickly offered in sacrifice to Saturn untill Tiberius's Proconsulate who for that reason crucified the Priests of Saturn And he adds that the Milice of his own Country or as some Copies have it written Patris sui of his own father which executed that very office under Tiberius the Proconsul were witnesses of this thing Whence it appears that the memory of this matter was as yet fresh For why should he cite the Souldiers or Apparitors of the Proconsular Office as witnesses unless some of those had been yet alive or could have been produced who had attended upon the Proconsul Tiberius at such time as he crucified those Priests Wherefore that Proconsulate of Tiberius might be fitly placed upon the times of the Emperour Hadrian especially in regard both Porphyrius and Lactantius do perswade us to think so Further whereas Pallas only says that they left off sacrificing men almost every where Eusebius without any exception affirms that this custom was abolished amongst all Nations whatever Which I can scarce be induced to believe For both Porphyrius and Lactantius in their fore-cited books do attest that Jupiter Latiaris was still in their age worshipped with humane Bloud at Rome Besides Tertullian witnesseth in his Apology that in his age Infants were in secret sacrificed to Saturn Vales. n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eusebius alludes to that famous saying of Heraclitus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dead are more despicable than muck of which saying Strabo makes mention in the end of his sixteenth book and Origen in his fifth book against Celsus From whence came this proverbial expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spoken concerning a man of no value Pollux book 5. chap. 46 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more contemptible than dung if we should speak after the manner of Heraclitus Julian in his Oration against Heraclius the Cynick pag. 421 makes use of the same saying of Heraclitus in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but wholly to despise the Body and to account it according to Heraclitus even more contemptible than dung But with the greatest ease to perfect its cure as long as God shall order the Body to be used as an instrument Which place I have mended and supplied from Suidas in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For in the ordinary Editions this passage is corrupt and imperfect Vales. * Or Nature o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It must be written with an interrogation thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But what can He do who is no Body And so Christophorson seems to have read Indeed in the Fuketian Manuscript the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is apparent that the reading should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is judgment is not placed in sense Therefore the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be understood here which Christophorson apprehended not for he hath erroneously joyned these words with the following There was a great dispute amongst the old Philosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So they termed the Rule whereby the truth of things is judged of by men The most ancient Philosophers did not place that power or faculty in the Senses but in the Reason as Sextus Empiricus informs us in his seventh book against the Mathematici Farther 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken two ways either for the faculty it self whereby truth is discerned or else for the instrument of that faculty Potamo the Philosopher termed the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from which the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which as Lartius tells us in the Proëme of his own work Vales. * Consider or determine of †Or Inconsistent q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this is the nature of the dead The words are misplaced here a thing which as I have already advertized does frequently happen in these Books I write therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this is the Nature of the Living c. A little before some words are all repeated which fault the studious Reader will easily mend of himself Vales. CHAP. XVII a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It must I think be worded thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an interrogation which reading I have followed in my Version Vales. * Or Numerous dâ—rts of words b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This place is corrupted with a double fault nevertheless 't was easie to restore it in this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had governed the Empire c. Eusebius means Diocletian and his Colleagues who says he had governed the Republick gloriously and happily as long as they maintained a peace with God and with the Churches But after they attempted to bring a war upon God and to persecute His most Holy worshippers immediately all affairs were altered and put into a worse posture Eusebius says the same in the end of his eighth Book Vales. * Champions †Or Splendid Consecrations of Oratories c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It must I think 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c And we have rendred it accordingly Vales. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I had rather read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name Nothing occurs more frequently in Ecclesiastick writers than the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Dominicâ— Nor have only the Greeks termed Churches thus but the Germans also have borrowed this name from the Greeks as Walafridâ—s Strabo informs us in his Book de Rebus Ecclesiasticis Chap. 7. Vales. Hence likewise we have our name for them in English to wit Churches and hence 't is that the Scots call them Kirks †Or Deprived of all hope * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Fuketian Copy the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we follow Vales. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Any one will easily perceive though I hold my peace that some words are wanting here I write therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for thus any one which words must be included in a Parenthesis Indeed Christophorson seems to have read so as it appears from his Version Vales. f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christophorson joyned the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I don't approve of For by the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eusebius means those women who having been deprived of their husbands consecrated their widowhood to God and he distinguishes these from the Quires of Virgins Farther out of the number of widows Deaconnesses and Presâ—yteresseâ— were wont to be
Socrates does attest But in regard this Book together with very many others is lost by the carelesness of Antiquity we by gathering together from this place and t'other the Testimonies of Ancient Writers who have spoken concerning Eusebius to the utmost of our ability will endeavour to repair that Loss Eusebius therefore was born in Palestine about the Close as 't is likely of Gallienus ' s Reign That he was a Native of Palestine is hence prov'd because by the Ancients he is commonly call'd a Palestinian So 't is certain Basilius Theodoret and others do term him And although he might have been thus Sur-nam'd from his being Bishop of the City Caesarea yet it seems to me truer that he drew that Sur-name from his Country Indeed he himself does attest in his First Book concerning the Life of Constantine that during his being a youth he was educated and conversant in Palestine and that Constantine was first seen by him there whilst he made a journey thorow Palestine in the Court of Diocletianus Augustus Besides in the Second Book of the same work where he records a Law of Constantine's which he wrote to the Palestinians in favour of the Christians he does plainly shew himself to have been a Palestinian For after he has recited the Contents of that Law transmitted to the Palestinians he adds these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These were the Constitutions contained in the Emperour's first Edict sent to Us. But whereas I have plac'd his Birth upon the Latter end of Gallienus ' s Reign of this thing I have Eusebius himself for my Authour For speaking in his Books of Ecclesiastick History concerning Dionysius Bishop of the Alexandrians he does attest that He had lived in his own age as may be seen in Book 3 Chap. 28. Wherefore in regard 't is manifest that Dionysius Alexandrinus departed this life on the twelfth year of Gallienus ' s Empire Eusebius must of necessity have been born then if his age fell on those times wherein Dionysius lived The same may likewise be gathered from the Fifth Book of his Ecclesiastick History about the end of it where speaking concerning Artemon's Heresie he writes that Paul of Samosata had revived that Heresie in his age Lastly relating in his Seventh Book those things which hapned during the Reign of Gallienus before he begins his Discourse concerning the Errour and Condemnation of Paul of Samosata he has these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But now after an historical relation of these things we will deliver to the knowledge of posterity an account of our own age Whom he had for his Parents is unknown to us excepting that Nicephorus Callistus following I know not what Authours does tell us that he was begotten of the Sister of Pamphilus the Martyr But in Arius's Letter to Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia he is termed the Brother of Eusebius Nicomediensis And although by reason of his friendship he might be called the Brother yet it seems truer to me that he was either the near Kinsman or Cousin-germane of Eusebius Nicomediensis especially in regard Arius although many other persons are there mentioned yet terms onely Eusebius of Caesarea Brother to him of Nicomedia Besides Eusebius of Nicomedia was a Native of Syria For he was at first Bishop of Berytus Nor was it the usage then that strangers and persons unknown should be preferred to govern Churches What Masters he had in secular Learning is in like manner unknown to us But in sacred Literature he had Dorotheus the Eunuch a Presbyter of the Antiochian Church for his Master of whom also he makes an honourable mention in his Seventh Book Although Eusebius at that place says onely that he had heard Dorotheus whilst he expounded the Holy Scriptures in the Church not unfitly Nevertheless if any one has a mind with Trithemius to conclude from those words of Eusebius that Eusebius was Dorotheus ' s disciple truly I shall not very much oppose him Theotecnus being at that time dead the Bishoprick of the Church of Caesarea was administred by Agapius a person of eminent piety and large bounty towards the poor By him Eusebius was admitted into the Clergy and entred into the strictest and most intimate friendship with Pamphilus who at that time was eminent amongst the Presbyters of the Church of Caesarea Pamphilus was by Nation a Phoenician born at Berytus Scholar to Pierius a Presbyter of the Alexandrian Church as Photius relates Who in regard he was inflamed with a singular Love of sacred Learning and with the greatest diligence imaginable made a Collection of all the Books of Ecclesiastick Writers and especially of Origen's founded a most famous School and Library at Caesarea Of which School Eusebius seems to have been the first Master Indeed Eusebius in his Book concerning the Martyrs of Palestine writes in express words that Apphianus who compleated his Martyrdom on the third year of the Persecution had been instructed in the Sacred Scriptures by him in the City Caesarea From that time Eusebius always lived with Pamphilus in the closâ—st intimacy and continued his inseparable companion till his death so dear to him that from his friendship he got the surname of Pamphilus Nor did Eusebius love him whilst he liv'd but had a singular affection for him when dead also in so much that after Pamphilus ' s death he always made a most honourable and likewise a most loving mention of him This is attested by those Three Books which he wrote concerning the Life of Pamphilus the Martyr which Books S t Jerome terms most elegant ones The same is likewise gathered from many passages which occur in his Ecclesiastick History and in his Book concerning the Martyrs of Palestine Lastly in his Second Book against Sabellius which was written by Eusebius after the Nicene Council he frequently commends Pamphilus the Martyr although he suppresses his name For even in the very beginning of his Discourse he says thus Puto adhuc aures obstrepi meas à memoria beati illius viri c. I think my Ears are as yet struck by the memory of that Blessed man who frequently made use of that devout word For even your ears do as yet retain the sound of that word For I think I hear him saying The onely-begotten Son of God For this Religious word was always uttered by his mouth For it was the remembrance of the Onely-Begotten to the Glory of the unborn Father Now we have heard the Apostle commanding that Presbyters ought to be honoured with a double honour those especially who labour in the Word and Doctrine And at pag. 29 he speaks of him again in this manner Haec non nos extollunt c. These things do not puff us up remembring that Blessed man Now I wish I could so speak as together with you I did always hear from him But these words which are now said seem to have been pleasing to him For 't
is the Glory of Good Servants to speak truth concerning the Lord and 't is the honour of those Fathers who have taught well if their Doctrines be repeated And again in the same Book pag. 37. Haec audiebamus semper a beato illo viro c. These words we always heard from that Blessed man For they were often spoken in this manner by him although some suspected that he uttered these words with his mouth but that in his heart he thought otherwise And indeed I remember with you that I have heard from him that he hath satisfied us with an holy oath that there was not one thing in his tongue and another in his heart And a little after Sed 〈◊〉 quidem paucis c. But now Let thus much be said by us in short in memory and honour of that Our Father so Good so Laborious and every where vigilant for the Churches For we have not made mention of his Stock nor of his Education or Learning or of the rest of his Life and Resolution Which passages in Eusebius that I may not defraud any one of his commendation were shown me by the Most Learned Franciscus Ogerius Now from what I have said it may be evidently enough gathered that Eusebius was joyned to Pamphilus by no Tye of kindred but by the Bond of friendship onely 'T is certain Euseb us although he names Pamphilus in so many places and boasts so highly of his friendship yet never terms him his Kinsman or Relation Tea from Eusebius ' s own Testimony 't is plainly made out that Pamphilus the Martyr was not Eusebius ' s Kinsman For in the close of his Seventh Book of Ecclesiastick History where he makes mention of Agapius Bishop of the Church of Caesarea his words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In this man's time we knew Pamphilus a most eloquent man and a true Philosopher in the practises of his Life honoured with a Presbytership of that Church Whereas therefore Eusebius himself does attest that Pamphilus was first known by him then it is sufficiently apparent that they were not joyned together by any kindred or affinity In these times hapned that most severe Persecution of the Christians which being first begun by Diocletian was by the following Emperours continued to the tenth year In the time of this Persecution Eusebius in regard he was then a Presbyter of the Church of Caesarea resided almost constantly in that City and by continual Exhortations instructed many persons in order to Martyrdom Amongst whom was Apphianus a noble Youth whose illustrious Combat Our Eusebius does relate in his Book concerning the Martyrs of Palestine In the same Persecution Pamphilus was taken and cast into Prison where he spent two whole years in Bonds During which time Eusebius in no wise deserted his Friend and Companion but visited him continually and in the Prison wrote together with him Five Books in defence of Origen the Sixth and last Book of that Work he at length finished after Pamphilus was dead That whole work was by Eusebius and Pamphilus dedicated to the Confessours living in the Mines of Palestine as Photius relates in his Bibliotheca Chapter 118. In the time of the same Persecution on account of some urgent Business of the Church as 't is probable Eusebius went to Tyre During his residence in that City he attests Book 8. Chap 7. that he himself was eye-witness of the Glorious Combats of five Egyptian Martyrs And in the Ninth Chapter of the same Book he writes that he came into Egypt and Thebais whilst the fury of the Persecution as yet rag'd and that there he beheld with his own eyes the admirable constancy of many Martyrs of both Sexes There are those who relate that Eusebius in this Persecution to free himself from the Troubles of a Prison sacrificed to Idols and that that was objected against him by the Egyptian Bishops and Confessours in the Synod at Tyre as we will hereafter relate But I doubt not but this is false and a caluâ—â—y forged by the Enemies of Eusebius For had so great a Crime been really committed by Eusebius how could he have been afterwards made Bishop of the Church of Caesarea How is it likely that he should have been invited by the Antiochians to undertake the Episcopate of that City And yet Cardinal Baronius has catcht up that as certain and undoubted which was objected against Eusebius by the way of contention and wrangling by his Enemies nor was ever confirm'd by any one's Testimony At the same time a Book was written by Eusebius against Hierocles The occasion of writing it was given by Hierocles of Nicomedia who about the beginning of this Persecution when the Churches of the Christians were every where demolished insulting as 't were over the disquieted Religion in the City Nicomedia published two Books against the faith of Christ which he entitled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In which Books amongst other things he asserted this that Apollonius Tyaneus performed far more and greater Miracles than Christ as Lactantius does attest in his Seventh Book But Eusebius contemning the Man rested satisfied in confuting him in a very short Book Agapius Bishop of Caesarea being dead during this interval and the Persecution being now abated and peace restored to the Church by the general consent of all persons Eusebius is put into his place Others make Agricola who was present at and subscribed to the Synod of Ancyra on the year of Christ 314 Successour to Agapius So Baronius in his Annals at the year of Christ 314 and Blondellus in his Apology pro sententiá B. Hieronymi Chap. 19. Where he writes that Eusebius undertook the Administration of the Church of Caesarea after Agricola ' s death about the year of Christ 315. But those Subscriptions of the Bishops which are extant in the Latine Collections of the Canons in my judgment seem to have little of certainty and validity in them For they occur not either in the Greek Copies or in the Latine Version of Dionysius Exiguus Besides Eusebius reckoning up in the Seventh Book of his Ecclesiastick History the Bishops of the chief Sees under whom the Persecution began and rag'd ends in Agapius Bishop of Caesarea who says he took a great deal of pains in that Persecution for the good of his own Church He therefore must of necessity have sate Bishop untill the end of the Persecution But Eusebius was made Bishop immediately after the Persecution was ended For when Paulinus Bishop of Tyre dedicated a Cathedral sometime after Peace and repose was restored to the Church He together with other Bishops was invited by Paulinus to its Dedication and made a most Elegâ—nt Oration before him as we are informed from the Tenth Book of his Ecclesiastick History Now this hapned before Licinius rebell'd against Constantine which fell out on the year of Our Lord 315. About these times Eusebius wrote those famous Books concerning Evangelick
before the Hearse The Companies of the Milice march't before Troop by Troop in a Military Order and behind followed an innumerable multitude of people But the Hastati and Scutarii surrounded the Emperour's Corps When they were come to the Church of our Saviour's Apostles they deposited the Coffin there And thus the new Emperour Constantius honouring his Father as well by his presence as other befitting Offices in a due manner performed his Funeral obsequies CHAP. LXXI The performance of the solemn prayers in that termed the Martyrium of the Apostles at the Funeral of Constantine BUt after he had withdrawn himself together with the Military Companies the Ministers of God as likewise the Multitudes and all the Congregation of the Faithfull came forth and by prayers performed the Rites of the Divine worship At which time this Blessed Prince lying on high upon a lofty place was celebrated with praises Likewise a vast number of people together with those persons consecrated to God no◠without tears and great lamentation poured forth prayers to God for the Emperour's Soul thereby performing a most gratefull Office to this pious Prince Further herein also God demonstrated his singular Favour towards his Servant because after his death he bequeathed the Empire to his own dear Sons who were his Successours and because agreeable to his own most earnest desire the Tabernacle of his thrice-blessed Soul was vouchsafed a place with the Monument of the Apostles to the end namely that it might be honoured in the same degree with the name of the Apostles and that it might be joyned with God's people in the Church and might be vouchsafed the Divine Rites and Mystick Service and might enjoy a Communion of the Holy Prayers but that He himself possest of the Empire even after death managing the whole Government by a Return to Life as 't were Victor Maximus Augustus might in his own name still Rule the Roman State CHAP. LXXII Concerning the Bird termed the Phoenix NOt like that Egyptian Bird which being the only one of her kind is said to die upon an heap of Spices at her death making her self a sacrifice and presently as 't is reported is restored to life again out of those very ashes and raising her self by her wings appears the same in kind that she was before But in the same manner with his Saviour rather who like wheat sown from one Grain diffusing himself into many by the blessing of God hath brought forth an Ear of Corn and hath filled the whole world with his fruits In a like manner hereto this thrice-blessed Prince by the Succession of his Children from being one has been made many in so much that throughout all Provinces Statues are raised in honour of Him together with his Sons and the usual name of Constantine obtaines even after his death CHAP. LXXIII In what manner they Stamp't Constantine on Coyns ascending up into Heaven as ' t were MOreover Coyns were Stamp't bearing this impress on the fore-side they exprest this Blessed Prince with His Head covered But on the Reverse he was represented sitting like a Charioteer in a Chariot drawn by four Horses and taken up into Heaven by a hand stretcht out to him from above CHAP. LXXIV That whereas God had been honoured by Him He was on the other hand deservedly honoured by God THese Miracles the supream God laid before our very eyes in the person of Constantine who was the only Prince of all the preceding Emperours that had openly profest himself a Christian whereby God manifestly declared How great a difference he made between those who thought good to worship him and his Christ and them that had embraced a contrary opinion Who having brought a War upon God's Church thereby rendred him their Enemy and Opposer And indeed the disastrous and unfortunate close of every of their Lives has produced a most convincing Argument of the greatness of the divine hatred towards them in the same manner that the death of Constantine has rendred the pledges of God's favour in reference to him manifest and apparent to all men CHAP. LXXV That Constantine was more pious than any of the foregoing Roman Emperours VVHo being the Sole Emperour of the Romans that had honoured God the Supream King with a Transcendency of piety and the only one that had freely and boldly published the Doctrine of Christ to all men and the only person as I may say that had raised his Church to such a degree of Honour and Glory as no one had ever done before and the only person that had totally destroyed the Errour of Polythëism and confuted all the Rites and Modes of such a Superstition is the only person also that was vouchsafed such honours both in this Life and after death as no one either amongst the Graecians or Barbarians is reported ever to have obtained Nor can there be any one mentioned amongst the ancient Romans themselves from the Remotest Times to this present Age who may be compared with this our Prince THE EMPEROUR Constantine's Oration WHICH HE ENTITLED TO THE CONVENTION OF THE SAINTS CHAP. I. The Preface makes mention of Easter and that Christ having been several ways beneficial to all men hath had plots framed against him by those on whom he has conferred favours THE more than usual Brightness and Splendour both of the Day and Sun the Preface of the Resurrection the new Reparation of Bodies long since dissolved the Foundation of the promise and the way leading to Life eternal the day namely of the Passion is now come Dearest Doctours and all the rest of You My Friends Ye Multitudes of Believers are far more Blessed than others Ye who worship God the very Authour of Religion and who as well by an inward sense of every particular Soul as by outward Expressions do without intermission praise Him according to those Rules contained in the Divine Oracles But Thou Nature Mother of all things What of this sort hast Thou ever conferred upon the world Or rather what is in any wise Thy work In as much as He who is the Authour of all things was the Framer of thy Sanctity also For He it is who has adorned Thee in as much as the Beauty of Nature is a Life agreeable to God But those things prevailed afterwards which are directly contrary to Nature namely that no one should adore God the Authour of all things with a congruous worship and that it should be supposed that all things were managed not by Providence but Chance in a disorderly and discomposed manner And although the Prophets inspired by the Divine Spirit particularly and in express words foretold these things to whom Credit ought to have been given yet impious injustice made its Resistance by all manner of devices hating and reproaching the