of his dominion wherfore CostaÌ„tinus the emperour being ayded from aboue set vpoÌ„ the first the second third band of the tyraÌ„ts host valiantly ouercame all so coÌ„quering y â— chiefe part of Italy draweth nowe nigh to Rome lest he shold be coÌ„strained for y â— tyraÌ„ts sake to assault the Romaines God draweth forth very far without the gates of y â— citie the tyrant him selfe as if he had bene bound with certaine chaines setteth forth coÌ„firmeth againe that auncient power against impious persons incredible and fabulous peradueÌ„ture vnto many but vnto y â— faithfull certaine ingraffed in holy scripture woÌ„derfully with the eyes theÌ„ selues to be beheld in trueth it selfe of all and that I may speake in fewe wordes both faithful infidels euen as therfore vnder Moses that auncieÌ„t godly nation of the Hebrevves he ouerthrew the chariots of Pharao his host couered with the waues of the sea the chosen horsmen drowned the souldiers in the running streames of the read seâ—â—â—â— Maxentius and his armed souldiers and whole troope descended like a stone plunginge into the deapth of the water when as he went about to auoyde and flie away from the power of God by whome Constantinus was assisted and to passe ouer y â— water y â— which he had carefully ouerlayd with cockboats like bridges linked together and prepared to his owne destruction wherfore then also it might haue bene said He made a pitt digged it vp fell him selfe into the destructioÌ„ he made for other for his trauell shall returne vpon his ovvne head his vnrighteousnes shall light vpoÌ„ his owne pate For the bridge which was made vpoÌ„ y â— riuer being ouerthrowen y â— passage was hindered the boates forthwith together with the men in theÌ„ suncke into the bottome first of all y â— most impious tyraÌ„t him selfe next his gard which were w t him according vnto y â— foresaying of holy scripture plunged like lead into y â— depth of y â— ruÌ„ning streame so y â— very well this victory being obtained by y â— helping hand of God y â— selfe same which of old was sayd against y â— impious tyraÌ„t though not in word yet in dede euen as they which were w t Moses the great seruaÌ„t of God might haue bene song and sayde after this sort Let vs singe vnto the Lorde he is gloriously magnified he hath ouerthrowen the horse and rider in the sea he is become my helper and defender so that I perishe not And vvho is like vnto thee o Lorde amonge the Gods vvho is like vnto thee glorified in the sainctes vvonderfull gloriously bringing straunge thinges to passe When Constantinus had songe by his works these others to the like purpose vnto God the prince whose power reacheth ouer all and author of y â— victorie he came conquerour to Rome where immediatly with cheerefull countenance and from the hart he was receaued of all both men women and children senators and other noble personages and of all the people of Rome with gladsome shouts and vnspeakable ioye as a deliuerer from oppression defender of the city and general benefactor vnto all but as one hauing the seruice of God engrassed within him not moued with these triumphant acclamations neither puffed vp with prayses yet priuey well inough to the ayde of God commaunded immediatly the banner of the Lords passion should be set vpon the ryght hand of his picture so they set it vp in the most famous place of Rome holding in his right hande the holsome signe of the crosse in the which he commaunded this superscription to be ingrauen in Romaine letters In this wholsome signe the true conizance of fortitude I haue deliuered our citie from vnder the tyrants yoke haue sett the senate and people of Rome at libertie restoring them to their auncient honor and renowne Moreouer wheÌ„ as Constantinus him self also Licinius y â— Emperour together with him who as yet was not fallen to tyrannie and madnes whereof afterwardes he was gyltie both together pacified God the author of all goodnes with one minde and will they make a lawe in most absolute and ample wise in the behalf of the Christians they send notice also vnto Maximinus who as yet ruled in the east howe wonderfully God wrought with them and the victorye againste the tyrant and the lawe it selfe and the friendship hypocritically he pretended towards them but he like a tyrant acknowledging these thinges to be most true became very sorowfull next lest he shoulde seeme to yelde vnto others and againe about to swarue from the edict for feare of them which had ordayned this lawe as of his owne accord and authoritie he gaue forth vnto the presidents of his dominion this edict necessarily in the behalfe of the Christians in the which craftely against him selfe he fayneth the things that neuer were done by him Acoppie of Maximinus the tyrants epistle in the behalfe of the Christians Iouius Maximinus Augustus vnto Sabinus sendeth greting I hope it is well knowen vnto your wisdome and to all mortall men our lieges and lordes Diocletian and Maximinian our fathers to haue notably decreed wheÌ„ as they saw in maner all men laying aside the seruice of the gods and ioyning them selues to the Christian nation that as many as seuered them selues from the seruice of the immortall Gods shoulde be called againe vnto the religion of the gods with vndoubted paynes and punishments I truely first of all when that happely I came into the east vnderstoode of many men which might haue profited the coÌ„mon wealth and were banished by the Iudges for the aforesayd cause gaue this to euery Iudge in charge that none of them thenceforwards should deale seuerely with them of their prouinces but call them backe vvith faire speaches exhortations vnto the worship of the Gods VVhen these thigs then according vnto our will were accomplished it fell out that none of the easterne partes eyther was banished or found obstinate but by reason that nothing was greuously or seuerely practised against them they might be reuoked vnto the seruice of the Gods VVhen as the last yeare prosperously I came to Nicomedia and there made my abode the citizens of Nicomedia came vnto me together with the images of their gods crauing earnestly that in no case I shoulde permitt such a nation to inhabite their contrey But forasmuch as I knevve very many men of that religion to dvvell in those parts I framed them an ansvvere in this sort that I liked vvell of their petition but I sawe that all did not request the same VVherefore if any continewed in that superstition our will was that euery one should be left to follow the free purpose of his vvill so that they vvould acknowledge the seruice of the gods in like sort they should enioye the same city together with the citizens of Nicomedia and the other cities
will also wreste all the mischiefe whiche the enemy deuiseth agaynst him vpon his aduersarie Their owne bookes doe manifestly declare that bothe Iulian and Porphyrius whome he calleth the gray bearde of Tyrus were raylers and skoffers For Porphyrius in his booke intitled the liues of Philosophers wrytinge of Socrates the chiefe of all the reste inueyeth against him bitterly and wryteth to his contumely raylinge speaches and farre more opprobrious languages then Melitus or Anytus who of olde sclaundered him alike euer durste to reuile Socrates with all I meane that Socrates whome the Gentils haue in greate admiration for his temperance iustice and others his vertues whome Plato the deuine Philosopher whome Xenophon with the whole Senate of Philosophers doe greately reuerence But Iulian followinge his fathers steppes in all thinges reuealed vnto the worlde that corrupte humor whiche troubled his heade wherewich he reuiled all the Emperours and Caesars that were before him in so muche that he spared not no not his deare friende the Philosopher Marcus Wherefore lette theyr wrytinges be iudge whether bothe Porphyrius and Iulian were reuilers and sclaunderers or no. Neyther haue I neede of greate and weyghtie argumentes to confirme this my assertion but the opinions of diuerse sage personages grounded vpon good coniectures the whiche I minde to alleage shall stande for sufficiente proofe What Gregorie Nazianzen hathe thoughe of Iulian lette vs first of all see out of his owne wordes For in his seconde Oration agaynst the Gentils he wryteth thus Althoughe bothe his raygne and also experience hathe taughte other men that these thinges vvere moste true in him yet perceaued I them longe a goe since the time I vvas aquaynted vvith him at Athens For he came thither vvhen the Emperesse had procured licence of the Emperoure for his voyage vvhen also his brother Gallus had conspired the deathe of Constantius the Emperoure There vvere tvvo causes that moued him to repayre vnto Athens The first tollerable the seconde of smale honestie the first to see Grece and the schooles that florished therein the seconde vvhiche vvas more secrete and knovven vnto fevve for to consulte vvith southsayers and sacrificers about his affayres in time to come because it vvas not then openly permitted for the authors of suche impiety to practise suche Deuelishe inuentions And I my selfe in coniecturinge of him at that time although I am not of the number of Propheciers vvas not much deceaued for his vvauering mind and frenticke disposition made me a Prophet good inough He vvich goeth nearest the marke by coniecture is commonly called the beste Prophere I savve not one signe in him that gaue me any hope of him that euer he woulde become an honeste man He had a runninge heade his shoulders did neuer lynne vvagginge and lay slatte or stipe vvise he had vvinkinge eyes that continevvally rolled in his heade his countenance vvas staringe he had a slidinge slippery and limpinge pace his visage vvas scornefull he had a flyringe face of his ovvne the which his immoderate laughter and continevvall skorninge did declare his maner vvas without all good order to say and vnsay his vvords came tumblinge out vvith vehemencie and stoppes the sentence broken in the middes his questions and obiections were rashe and foolish his ansvvers vvere litle better which oftentimes follovved one after the other and as there vvas litle holde of them so were they proposed vvithout order But what neede I to runne ouer all particulers I foresawe in him before he was created Emperour that which aftervvardes proued to be moste true If there were presentely in place any of my familiars vvhiche hearde me thus diuininge of him I am sure they woulde testifie this to be no othervvise then I doe reporte it in vvhose hearinge also at the foresight of these thinges I vttered these vvordes O good God vvhat a monster the Empire of Rome doth nourishe VVhen I had vttered these vvordes I desired of God that in this behalfe I might be founde a lyer For that had bene farre better then that the vvhole vvorlde shoulde haue bene visited vvith so many mischiefes then that suche a monster shoulde euer haue beene seene amonge men vvhen the like thereof had neuer bene remembred before seing there happened many deluges and floodes ouerflowing the countreys the vvhich both yong and olde at this houre doth remember great losse by fire terrible earthquakes and gapinge of the grounde and men also of a straunge shape vvere seene borne into the vvorld of mixte and compound natuers halfe man halfe beast But he purchased vnto himselfe suche an ende as his frentike disposition by all right deserued These thinges did Gregorie reporte of Iulian. Because that Porphyrius and Iulian bothe in many their rashe allegations to the sclaunder of Christian religion haue done greate iniurie to the trueth partely by peruertinge certaine places of holy Scripture partly also by reconcilinge of others after theyr owne foolishe iudgement with applyinge of them to their owne purpose many withstoode them confuted and ouerthrewe their Sophisticall positions yea aboue all the rest Origen who florished a long tyme before the raigne of Iulian sifted out such places of holy Scripture as seemed to bring the readers into doubt layd downe the obiections together with the answers satisfied the captious vayne doubts of wicked persons If Iulian and Porphyrius had diligently perused these his workes they woulde I am sure not onely haue approued the same but also applyed all theyr giftes to other matters and neuer sette theyr mindes to wryte Sophisticall fallacies full of blasphemous impietie agaynst the maiestie of God It is manifest hereby that the Emperoure vsed these cauillations amonge rude and vnlearned people and not in the hearinge of such as had learned the manifest trueth out of holy Scripture For when he had heaped together many wordes of holy Scripture whiche are necessaryly sette forthe after a common and vsuall kinde of frase to expresse the Oeconomie the order in doinge or dispensation of God in the ende he sayth thus Verely these places euery one vnlesse the sentence hath some secret or hid mystery the whiche I take to be most true contayne as farre forthe as the vvordes geue vs to vnderstande manye blasphemies against God This was one amonge other of his argumentes layde downe in his thirde booke against the Christians In his booke intitled Cynisme while he endeuoreth to instructe vs howe farre forthe it may be lawefull for vs to proceede in framinge of holy fables or diuine comedies his opinion is that in the handelinge of suche matters it behoued vs to conceale the trueth his wordes are these Nature had leuer be vnreuealed the hidde also and the intrecate essence of the Gods vvill not in any vvise suffer it selfe to be beaten vvith playne and manifeste vvordes into the defiled eares of men Wherefore the Emperoure as farre forthe as we can gather by his wordes seemeth to be of that opinion toutchinge
Emperours house And so an ende of them CAP. IIII. The Edict of the fayth which Iustinus caused to be published in writinge vnto all Christians wheresoeuer FUrthermore Iustinus wrote an edict sentit abrode vnto y ◠christians euery where cōtaining such a forme as followeth In the name of the Lord Iesus Christ our God the emperour Caesar Flauius Iustinus faithfull in Christ meeke chiefe lord bountifull lord of Almaine lord of Gutland lord of Germanie lord of Antium lord of Francia lord of the people Eruli lord of the nation Gepaedi pious fortunate glorious victorious triumphant all noble perpetuall Augustus My peace saith the Lord Christ who is our true God I geue vnto you my peace saith the same Lord vnto the whole world I leaue vnto you which is no otherwise to be taken then that such as belieue in him should repaire vnto the one and the onely Church that they should be at vnity among them selues in the true and sincere faith of Christ and detest from the hearte root such as gainesay or vphold the contrary opinion The chiefest point that appertaineth vnto mans saluation is the free acknowledging protesting of the true faith VVherefore as we are commaunded by the Euangelists and as the sacred creed to wit the doctrine of the holy fathers hath taught vs we exhort al mē to embrace the one the only church discipline belieuing in the father in the sonne in the holy ghost glorifying the coessētiall trinitie the on godhead to wit nature and substance one both in word and deed one might power and autoritie in the three persons in whome we were baptized in whome we belieue and by whome we are coupled together in one VVe worship the trinitie in vnitie and the vnitie in trinitie hauinge both a diuision and a coniunction so wonderfull that they can not be expressed the vnitie we meane according vnto substance to wit the godhead the trinitie according vnto the proprieties that is the persons the diuision we vnderstand to be vndeuided and the coniunction deuided For the diuinity is one in the three persons and the three in whome the diuinity lieth or as I may better say which are the diuinitye it selfe are one God the father God the sonne God the holy ghost because that euery person is taken by him self the mind separateth the things which are vnseparable to wit God to be three persōs which are vnderstood to be ioyned together in on as I may so terme it in idētitie of motiō nature for it behoueth vs to say there is one God acknowledge three persōs or proprieties we cōfesse moreouer that the only begottē sonne of God God the word was begottē of the father before all worlds from euerlasting not made that for vs for our saluation he came downe from heauen in the later dayes was incarnat by the holy ghost of our Lady Mary the holy glorious mother of God and perpetuall virgine and borne of her that he is equall to the father to the holy ghost For the blessed trinity alloweth not of any fourth person as if God the word incarnat were so who is one persō of the trinity one the same our Lord Iesus Christ of one substance with the father according vnto his diuinity of one substance with vs according vnto his humanity patible as toutchinge the fleshe but impatible toutching the godhead we say not that God the worde which wrought miracles was one he which suffred was another but confesse that the one the same our Lord Iesus christ the word of God was incarnat truely made man that both the miracles he wrought the afflictiōs he voluntarily endured in the flesh for our saluation appertained vnto one the selfe same person For it was no man that gaue him self for vs but it was euen very God the worde who was made man without alteration of the godhead of his owne accord both suffred died for vs. wherfore in acknowledging that he is God we say not but that he is man in cōfessing his māhood we deny not his godhead Againe while we affirme that the one our Lord Iesus Christ consisteth of both the natures diuinity humanity we confound not the persons in the vnity for al he was made man accordinge vnto our nature yet is he God notwithstandinge neither because he is God after his owne nature and hath a likenes not capable of our similitude doth he ceasse to be man but contineweth as God in humanity so no lesse man in the excellency of diuinity Therefore both the aforesaid is in one and the same one is both God and man who is Emmanuel Further when we graunt that the same one is both perfect God and perfect man of whiche two things he consisteth we seuere not the coniunctiō vnity of his person but declare the differēce of the natures which is not taken away for all the coupling and knittinge together of them for neither is the diuine nature chaunged into the humane neither the humane conuerted into the diuine nature but because both of them is better vnderstood and sooner appeareth in the perfect description order of the proper natures Therefore say we that the confunction was made in the person The coniunction which is in the person sheweth that God the word to wit one of the three persons in diuinity was coupled not to mā that was before but in the wombe of Marie our Lady the holy glorious mother of God perpetuall virgine framed vnto him self of her in his proper person a body of one substance with ours subiect to like affections with vs sinne onely excepted and endued with a reasonable soule and vnderstanding ▪ he had a being of him selfe and was made man and is one and the same our Lord Iesus Christe of equall glory with the father the holy ghost And while we imagine or conceaue his vnspeakable copulation we acknowledge vnfainedly that the one nature of God the worde was incarnat and tooke flesh endued with a reasonable intellectuall soule Againe when we thinke vpon the differēce of natures we affirme there are two natures yet deuide them not at al for both the natures are in him therefore we confesse one the same Christ one sonne one person or one proprietie of the diuine essence both God man ▪ wherefore as many as held contrary opinions vnto this or presently doe belieue otherwise we pronounce thē to be held for accursed iudge thē to be farre estraunged frō the holy catholick apostolick church of God And seeing the true sincere doctrine deliuered vnto vs by the holy fathers hath pearced our eares and is now as it were imprinted in our brests we exhort you all nay rather we beseech you in the bowels of Christ Iesu to become one fold to be of one the same catholick apostolick church for we think it no
Christ our Lorde is taken in their nets of vvhom vve speake before vnder the shadovve of his vvinges vve shal be preserued aliue among the Heathen Dauid also being amazed because of his name expostulateth the matter thus VVhy sayth he haue the Gentiles raged and the people imagined vayne thinges The kinges of the earth stoode foorth and the princes assembled together against the Lorde and against his Christ To these he addeth in the parson of Christ saying The Lorde sayde vnto me thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee Aske of me and I shall geue thee the Heathen for thine inheritaunce and the endes of the earthe for thy possession The name of Christ therefore among the Hebrewes hath not onely honored those that were adorned with the high priesthood anointed with figuratiue oyle prepared for that purpose but also princes whom the Prophets by the precept of God haue anoynted and made figuratiue Christs because they figuratiuely resembled the deuine worde of God and the regall and princely power of the onely and true Christ gouerning all thinges And moreouer we haue learned certaine of the Prophets typicalye by their anoynting to haue bene termed Christs Al they had a relation vnto the true Christ the deuine and heauenly worde the onely highpriest of all the king of all creatures and the chiefe Prophet of the father ouer all other Prophets the proofe hereof is playne for none euer of all them that typicaly were anoynted were they Princes or Priests or Prophets haue purchased vnto them selues suche deuine power and vertue as our sauiour and Lorde Iesus Christ sole and singuler hath shewed None of all them howe famous so euer they were found among their owne throughout many ages by reason of their dignitie and honor haue bestowed this benefit vpon their subiects that by their imaginatiue appellation of Christ they should by name be consecrated Christians in deede Neyther hath the honor of adoration bene exhibited by the posteritie vnto any of them neither after their death hath there bene any such affection that for their sake any prepared them selues to dye for the maintenance of their honor neither hath there bene any tumult among the Gentils throughout the worlde for any of them the power of the shadow was not of such efficacy in them as the presence of the verity by our sauiour declared which resembled nether the forme or figure of any nether linealy descended according vnto the fleshe from the Priests neither was exalted by the might of men vnto his kingdome neither prophecied after the maner of the auncient Prophets neither obtayned any preeminence or prerogatiue amonge the Iewes yet for all this Christ being by the diuine spirite adorned with all these dignities though not in types yet in trueth it selfe and enioyinge all the gyftes of those men whereof mention is made he hath bene more published and preached and hath powred vpon vs the perfect ornature of his moste reuerent and holy name not turning henceforthe vnto types and shadowes such as serue him but vnto the naked trueth the heauenly life and vndoubted doctrine of verity his anoynting was not corporall but spirituall by participation of the vnbegotten dyetie of the father the whiche thinge Esai declareth when as in the person of Christ he breaketh out into these wordes The spirite of the Lorde vpon me vvherefore he anoynted me to preache glad tydinges vnto the poore he sent me to cure the contrite in hearte to preache deliuerance vnto the captiues and sight vnto the blinde Not Esay alone but Dauid also touching the person of Christ lifteth vp his voyce and sayeth Thy throne ô God lasteth for aye the scepter of thy kingdome is a right scepter thou hast loued righteousnes and hated iniquitie vvherefore God euen thy God hath anointed thee vvith the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy felovves of the which the first verse termeth Christ God the seconde honoreth him with regall scepter thence consequently passing vnto the rest he sheweth Christ to be anoynted not with oyle of corporal substance but of deuine that is of gladnes whereby he signifieth his prerogatiue and surpassing excellencie and difference seuering him from them which with corporall and typicall oyle haue bene anoynted And in an other place Dauid declaring his dignitie sayeth The Lorde sayde vnto my Lorde sit thou on my right hand vntil I make thine enemies thy footestole And out of my vvombe before the day starre haue I begotten thee The Lorde svvare neither vvil it repent him thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech This Melchisedech in the sacred Scriptures is sayde to be the Priest of the most highe God so consecrated and ordayned neither by any oyle prepared of man for that purpose neither by succession of kindred attayning vnto the priesthoode as the maner was among the Hebrewes Wherfore our Sauiour according vnto that order and not others which receaued signes shadowes is published by performance of the othe Christ and Priest So that the history deliuereth him vnto vs nether corporally anoynted among the Iewes nether borne of the priestly tribe but of God him self before the day starr that is being in essence before the constitution of all worldly creatures immortall possessinge a priesthoode that neuer perisheth by reason of age but lasteth worlde without ende Yet this is a greate and an apparent argument of his incorporeall and deuine power that alone of all men that euer were and now are among all the wightes in the worlde Christ is preached confessed testified and euery where among the Grecians and Barbarians mentioned by this name and hitherto among all his adherentes honored as King had in admiration aboue a Prophet glorified as the true and the onely high Priest of God surpassing all creatures as the worde of God consisting in essence before all worldes receauing honor and worship of the father honored as God him selfe and which of all other is most to be marueled at that we which are dedicated vnto him honour him not with tongue onely garrulous talke of whispering wordes but with the whole affection of the minde so that willingly we preferre before our liues the testimony of his trueth CAP. v. That the Christian religion is neither newe neither straunge I suppose these thinges to haue bene necessaryly placed by me in the beginning of this history lest that any surmise our Sauiour and Lorde Iesus Christ to be a newe vpstarte by reason of the time of his being in the fleshe Nowe agayne leste that any so deeme his doctrine as newe founde and straung deliuered by such a one so thought of and nothing differing from other in 〈◊〉 doctrines let vs then in fewe wordes entreat and reason of this the which we may take for vndoubted For when as the comming of our Sauiour Christ was now freshe in the mindes of all men and that a newe nation neither smale nether weake neither such as
which is reade in the Actes of the Apostles concerning this Aegiptian where vnder Felix it is sayd of the tribune of the souldiours that was at Ierusalem vnto Paul when the multitude of the Ievves raysed a tumulte agaynst him art thou that Aegiptian vvhich a fevv dayes agoe hast raysed vvith thee foure thousand common theeues leddest them vnto the vvildernesse and such are the thinges that happened vnder Felix CAP. XXII The going of Paul vnto Rome and his pleading there with his Martyrdome FEstus is sent by Nero to succeede Felix vnder whome Paul pleading in his owne cause is brought bound to Rome There was with him Aristarchus whome iustly in some place of his Epistles he calleth his felowe captiue and Luke when he had finished the Actes of the Apostles concluded his history here saying that Paul liued peaceably at Rome tvvo vvhole yeares and preached the vvord of God vvithout impediment The which being expired fame goeth that the Apostle after accompt made of his doctrine returned vnto the office of preaching and afterwardes when he came the seconde time vnto the city vnder the same Emperour to haue bene crowned with martyrdome Where lying in fetters he wrote the latter Epistle vnto Timothe instructing him both of the accompt of doctrine that he made in his former captiuity and also of his death approching nigh Take here of his owne testimony for thus he writeth At my former apparance none assisted me for all forsooke me I pray God that it be not laide to their charge But the Lord assisted me and strengthned me that by me the preaching should be accomplished and that all nations might heare And I vvas deliuered out of the Lyons mouth Playnly he sheweth by these wordes that he was before deliuered out of the lions mouth meaning as it appeareth Nero because of his cruelty that the preaching might be supplyed by him Neither afterwardes hath he added the like for he will deliuer me out of the lions mouth He saw in the spirite his death to drawe nigh Wherfore immediatly he sayth I haue bene deliuered out of the Lyons mouth and the Lord vvill deliuer me from euery euill vvorke and reserue me vnto his heauenly kingdome Noting his martirdome to draw nigh The which more euidently he foresheweth in the same Epistle saying For I am novv ready to be offred the time of my dissoluing is at hand In the latter epistle when he wrote he declared Luke alone to be with him but in his former apparance and pleading not one no not Luke to be with him Wherefore it is playne that Luke wrote the Actes of the Apostles vnto that time knitting vp his history with his absence from Paul These thinges haue we spoken to this end that we may warrant the martyrdome of Paul not to haue bene consummated when Luke finished his history that is when Paul came to Rome It is very like that the apologye of Paul for his doctrine might haue bene at the beginning sooner accepted when Nero was somewhat milder in affection dealing But after that he fell vnto such outragious wilfulnesse he was quicke with others for the Apostles sake CAP. XXIII Of the martyrdome of Iames called the brother of Christ. THe Ievves when their purpose fayled them in their pretended malice towards Paul after his appellation made vnto Caesar being sent from Festus vnto Rome they turne themselues agaynst Iames the brother of Christ who was placed of the Apostles Bishop of Ierusalem The like they practise against him placing him in the middest and requiring of him that in presence of all the people he would renounce the fayth of Christ When as he contrary to their expectation freely and with greater audacity then they hoped in presence of all the multitude had confessed Iesus to be the sonne of God our Sauiour and Lorde they could no longer abide his testimony for he was counted of all most iust for his excellent wisedome piety which he shewed in life Him they slewe hauing gotten opportunitie to the accomplishing of this haynous fact by the vacancy of the Regall seat For Festus gouernour of Iudaea being deade the prouince wanted a President or Procurator But how Iames was slaynt the testimonye of Clemens heretofore of vs alleadged hath largely declared that he being throwne downe from a pinacle of the temple and brayned with a fullers clubb gaue vp the ghost And Aegesippus who immediatly succeeded the Apostles repeateth the circumstance hereof exquistely in his fift booke after this maner Iames the brother of Christ tooke in hand the gouernment of the Church after the Apostles termed a iust and perfect man of all men from the tyme of our Sauiour vnto vs. For many vvere called Iameses beside him but this man vvas holy from his mothers vvombe He dranke nether vvine nor strong drinke nether â—are any liuing creature He vvas neither shauen neither anointed neither did he vse bathe Vnto him alone vvas it lavvfull to enter into the holy places he vsed no vvollen vesture but vvore a Syndone and alone frequented he the temple so that he vvas found prostrare on his knees and praying for the sinnes of the people His knees vvere after the guise of a camels knee benummed bereft of the sense of feeling by reason of his continuall kneeling in supplication to God and petitions for the people For the excellency of his righteousnesse he vvas called Iuste and Oblias vvhich soundeth by interpretatioÌ„ the bulvvarke or defence of the people in righteousnes as prophecies do go of him VVhen diuers asked him toutching the heresies among the people vvherof vve meÌ„tioned before vvhich vvas the gate or dore of Iesu he aunsvvered the same to be the Sauiour by vvhose meanes they had beleeue Iesus to be Christ But the aforesayde heresies acknovvledge neyther the resurrection nor the comming of any iudge vvhich shall revvarde to euery one according to his vvorkes For as many as beleeued they beleeued by meanes of Iames. VVhen many of the Princes vvere persvvaded there rose a tumult of the Ievves Scribes and Pharises saying It is very dangerous lest that the vvhole people looke after Iesus as though he vvere Christ and being gathered together they said to Iames vve pray thee refraine this people for they erre in Iesu as though he vvere true Christ VVe pray thee persvvade this people vvhich frequent to this feaste of the Passeouer concerning Iesu for vve all obey thee yea vve and all the people testifie of thee that thou art iust and respectest not the person of any man persvvade therefore this multitude that they erre not in Iesu For the vvhole multitude and vve obey thee stand therefore vpon the pinacle of the temple that thou mayst be seene aloft and that thy vvord may be perceaued plainly of all the people for because of this Passeouer all the tribes are mett here together vvith the Gentiles The aforesayd Scribes and Pharises placed Iames vpon the
variance so that the dearest friendes stroue among them selues one seely soule depriuing an other of his dayly sustenance and prouision And lest the dying should be thought to vvant the theeues searched them that vvere ready to dye leste peraduenture any had hydd meate in his bosome therfore fained him selfe to dye they vvhich greedely gaped by reason of their vvant vvandred and trotted like madd dogges falling vpon dores like madd men rushinge into the same houses tvvyse and thryse in an houre as men berefte of their vvittes Necessitye made all meate that came to the teethe supplying to be eaten those thinges vvhiche vvere not commodious no not for the fylthyest brute beastes At lengthe they abstayned not from gyrdles and shoes they eate the leathren skynnes that couered their targetts Many eate chopt haye or mynced grasse that vvas vvithered other some gathered svvept and scraped dust dounge selling the least measure thereof for foure pence But vvhat should I rehearse hovve that famyne spareth not thinges that haue no life vnlesse vvith all I declare this vvorke of her vvhose like vvas neuer reported to haue bene done amonge the Gentyles nor Barbarians horrible to be spoken of but true to the hearer I of myne ovvne parte vvoulde gladly passe this calamitie vvith silence leste that I seemed to laye forthe monstrous lyes vnto the vvorlde Vnlesse I had infinite vvitnesses in this behalfe for othervvise I should recompence my contrye vvith colde thanke if I restrayned the rehearfall of such thinges as they smarted for * A certayne vvoman vvhich dvvelled beyond Iordane called Maria the daughter of Eleazar of the village Bathezor vvhich signifieth Hyssope of good kindred and great vvealth sled vvith the rest of the multitude vnto Ierusalem and there vvas besieged the rest of her substance vvhich she had procured vnto her out of the region beyonde lordane and caused to be caryed into the city the tyrantes of the contrye tooke avvay the reliques that vvere left and the prouision for foode the catchpoles rushing in dayly snatched avvay A certayn grieuous indignation inuaded this seely vvoman so that often tymes she prouoked against her selfe by rayling and scolding the cruell rauenners VVhen as none either moued vvith pity or prouoked vvith anger slevve her she labored about seeking vittailes and could no longer finde any and famine had entred into her bovvels and inner partes furious motions more then famine inflamed her mind so that she being ledd vvith the heat of anger pinching or pining necessity offred violence vnto nature for taking her sonne in her armes vvhich vvas a suckling she sayd O vvretched infant for vvhom shall I reserue thee in these vvarres in this famyne in this seditious conspiracy Among the Romaynes if so be that vve shall liue vnder them there shall be bondage this bondage hath famyne for gone these seditious persons do afflict vs more grieuously then both Passe on be thou meate vnto me a fury vnto these seditious men a fable vnto the vvorlde vvhiche yet alone hast not felt the Ievvish calamities And immediatly vvith these vvordes she slevve her childe and boyled him being boyled she eate halfe the rest she saued and hidd secretly Anone these of the conspiracy come in stamping staring threatning present death vnto her vnlesse vvith speade she bring forth vvhat meate she had prepared she aunsvvered that she reserued the better portion for them bringing forth and shevving vvith all the reliques of her litle childe A sodaine horror and traunce of trembling minde tooke them that they vvere astonied at the sight thereof But she sayd this is my naturall sonne and this is the vvorke of myne ovvne handes Eate for I haue eaten be not you more tender then a vvoman or proner to compassion then a mother If you are so godly and mislike this my sacrifice I truely haue eaten in your name and that vvhiche remayneth I reserue for my selfe vvhiche vvhen she had sayde they all trembled at this one horrible fact and scarse leauing this meate for the mother they departed vvith greate feare In a vvhile after this haynous offence vvas bruted ouer the vvhole citye so that euery man behoulding before his eyes this affliction vvas no lesse moued then if the fact had bene committed agaynst him selfe But they that vvere pressed vvith famyne desired death earnestly and happy vvere they accompted vvhome death so preuented that they neyther hearde nor savve the greate misery that happened such were the rewardes of iniquity and impiety committed by the Ievves agaynst Christ and God It shal be thought well if we adde the true prophecy of our Sauiour declaring these thinges after this maner to haue come to passe CAP. VII The prophecyes of Christ toutching the destruction of Ierusalem WOE be to them vvhich are vvith childe and geue sucke in those dayes sayth Christ but praye that your slight be neyther in vvinter nor on the Saboth daye for then shall be greate tribulation suche as vvas not from the beginning of the vvorlde vnto this tyme neyther shall be When the Historiographer had collected the number of them that perished by sword and famine he reporteth that it mounted to * a hundred ten myllions besides the seditious and theeuish reuenners betrayed on by an other and slayne after the winning of the city and yonge men of highe stature and comlynes of bodye that were reserued for their exercise in triumphe of the rest of the multitude as many as passed seuentene yeare olde they were sent bounde to druggerye in Aegypt many were sent into the prouinces that being layde on theatres subiect to the sworde and crueltye of beastes so they might perishe â–ª suche as were vnder seuentene yeare olde were brought vnto captiuitie and soulde the number of these he reporteth to haue mounted to nyne Myriades or millions these thinges happened after this manner in the seconde yeare of the raygne of Vespasian truly according vnto the foreshewed prophecye of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ which by his diuine power as if they had bene then present he foresawe and with the shedding of teares as the holy Euangelistes testifie he be wayled whiche alleadge these his wordes then vttered to Ierusalem If thou hadest knovvne sayth he these thinges vvhiche belong vnto thy peace euen at this daye thou vvouldest take hede But novve are they hidde from thine eyes for the dayes shall come vpon thee that thine enemyes also shall cast a banke about thee and compasse thee rounde and keepe thee in vvith vexation on euery side and make thee euen vvith the grounde and thy children also Then sayth he of the people there shall be greate trouble in the lande and vvrath ouer all this people and they shall fall through the edge of the svvorde and shall be ledde avvay captiue vnto all nations and Ierusalem shall be troden dovvne of the Gentyles vntill the tyme of the Gentyles be fulfilled If any will conferre the wordes of
Bishop An other vnto the Church of Trallis whose ouerseer then was Polybius and besides these epistles he wrote vnto the Churche of Rome prefixing an exhortation lest that they refusing martyrdome shoulde be depriued of the hope layde vp for them but it may seeme needefull that we alleadg thence some part of the wordes for proofe hereof for thus he writeth from Syria sayth he vnto Rome I striue vvith beastes by sea by land nightes and nightes fettered among tenne Leopardes that is a bande of souldiers the more benefit they receaue the vvorse they become I thus exercised vvith their iniuries am the more instructed yet hereby am not I iustified I desire to enioy the beastes prepared for me vvhiche I vvishe to fall vppon me vvith fierce violence yea I vvill allure them forthvvith to deuoure me that they abstayne not from me as they haue left some for feare vntoutched If they as vnvvilling vvill not I vvill compell them to fall vpon me pardon me I vvott vvell vvhat this shall auaile me Novv doe I beginne to be a Disciple I vvay neither visible nor inuisible thinges so that I gaine Christ â–ª let fire gallovves violence of beastes bruysing of the bones racking of the members stamping of the vvhole body and all the plagues inuented by the mischiefe of Satan light vpon me so that I vvinne Christ Iesu this he wrote from the aforesaid city vnto the Churches before named And beinge beyonde Smyrna he wrote vnto the Churches of Philadelphia and Smyrna and seuerally to Polycarpus their Bishop whome he knewe for a right Apostolike man commending as a syncere and right Pastor ought to doe the congregation of Antioche praying him to be carefull of the busines there namely about the election of a Bishop in his rowme this Ignatius writing vnto the Church of Smyrna reporteth certaine wordes vttered by Christ which he founde I wott not where I knovve and beleue that he vvas in the fleshe after the resurrection for comming vnto them vvhich vvere vvith Peter he sayde vnto them Come feele me and knovve that I am not a spirite vvithout body and anone they felt him and beleued Irenaeus also knewe his martyrdome remembred his epistles writing thus Euen as one of our men condemned vnto the beastes for the confession of his fayth sayde In so much that I am the vvheate of God I am to be grinded vvith the teeth of beastes that I may be founde pure breade or fine manchet And Polycarpus maketh mention hereof in the epistle vnder his name vnto the Philippians writing thus I beseeche you all that you be obedient and exercise patience vvhich you haue throughly seene not only in blessed Ignatius Rufus and Zosimus but in diuers of your selues and in Paul vvith the rest of the Apostles being persvvaded for certaine that all these ranne not in vayne but in fayth and righteousnes novve resting them vvith the Lorde in the place appointed due for their deserts vvith vvhom they suffred together they loued not this present vvorlde but him that dyed for our sinnes and rose agayne for our sakes agayne he addeth both you and Ignatius vvrote vnto me that if any did trauell vnto Syria he might conuey thither your letters of vvhich I vvill be careful if fitt opportunity be offred vvhether I my selfe goe or send that your busines there may be dispatched according vnto your request I haue sent you the epistles of Ignatius both vnto vs vvritten and the others in my custody annexed vnto this epistle vvhere you may gayne much profitt they contayne fayth and patience and all maner of edifying in the Lorde thus much concerning Ignatius whom Heros succeeded in the Bishopricke of Antioche CAP. XXXIII Of the Euangelistes then florishing AMong them which were then famous was Quadratus whome they say together with the Daughters of Philip to haue bene endued with the gift of prophecying and many others also at the same tyme florished which obtayning the first stepp of Apostolicall succession and being as deuine Disciples of the chiefe and principall men buylded the Churches euery where planted by the Apostles preaching and sowing the celestial seede of the kingâ—… of heauen throughout the worlde filled the barnes of God with encrease for the greater â—â—â—â—e of the disciples then liuing affected with greate zeale towards the worde of God first fullfilling the heauenly commaundement distributed their substance vnto the poore next taking their iourney fullfilled the worke office of Euangelistes that is they preached Christ vnto them which as yet heard not of the doctrine of fayth and published earnestly the doctrine of the holy Gospell These men hauing planted the fayth in sundry newe and straunge places ordained there other pastors committing vnto them the tillage of the newe ground they lately conuerted vnto the fayth pas sing them selues vnto other people and contries holpen there vnto by the grace of God which wrought with them for as yet by the power of the holy Ghost they wrought miraculously so that an innumerable multitude of men embraced yea at the first hearing with prompte and willing mindes the Religion of the Almighty God In somuch that it is impossible to rehearse all by name when and who were pastors and Euangelistes in the first succession after the Apostles in the Churches scatered throughout the worlde it shall seeme sufficiente onely to commit in writing to memorie the names of such as are recorded vnto vs by tradition from the Apostles them selues as of Ignatius in the epistles before alleadged and of Clemens mentioned in the epistle which for vndoubted he wrote vnto the Corinthians in the person of the Romayne churche where he imitating very much the epistle wrytten vnto the Hebrewes and alleadging thereof whole sentences worde by worde manifestly proueth that this epistle vnto the Hebrewes was nether newe nether of late founde wherefore it semed good to number it among the rest of the Apostles writings wheÌ„ as Paul wrote vnto the Hebrevves in his mothers tonge some affirme that Luke the Euangelist some other which seemeth more aggreable that Clemens traslated it for bothe the Epistle of Clemens and that vnto the Hebrevves vse the like manner of speach and differ not much in sense CAP. XXXIIII Of the Epistle of Clemens and other wrytinges forged vnder his name and fathered vpon him WE haue to learne that there is a seconde epistle of Clemens yet not so notable and famous as the former and we knowe that the elders did nether vse nether alleadge it Now diuerse haue thrust out in his name certaine vabling and tedious comentaries containing the dialogues of Peter and Apion which none at all of the elders haue mentioned nether doe they obserue the sincere forme and rule of the Apostolicke doctrine CAP. XXXV Of the writinges and workes of Papias THe vndoubted wrytinges of Clemens are apparent we haue spoken likewise of the wrytinges of Ignatius and Polycarpus The
wrytinges of Papias are sayde to be fiue bookes entituled the exposition of the Lordes sermons Of these Irenaeus reporteth as wrytten alone by this man saying thus This truely Papias the auditor of Iohn the companion of Polycarpus testifieth in the fourth booke of his vvrytinges for he vvrote fiue Thus farre Irenaeus Papias him selfe in the preface to his bookes signifyeth that he nether heard nether sawe the Apostles but receiued the vndoubted doctrine of fayth of their familiars and disciples When he sayth It shall not seeme greuous vnto me if that I compile in vvriting and commit to memorie the thinges vvhich I learned of the elders and remember as yet very vvell vvith there expositions hauing fully tryed already the trueth thereof Nether am I pleased vvith such as say many thinges as many are accustomed to doe but vvith such as teach true thinges nether vvith such as repeate straunge precepts but vvith such as alleadge the thinges deliuered of the Lorde for the instruction of our fayth proceding from the trueth it selfe if any came in place vvhich vvas a follovver of the Apostles forthvvith I demaunded the vvordes of the elders VVhat Andrewe vvhat Peter vvhat Philip vvvhat Thomas or Iames or Iohn or Matthewe or any other of the Lordes disciples vvhat Aristion and the elder Iohn disciples of the Lord had sayd I beleued verely not to profit my self so much by their vvrytinges or bookes as by the authoritie of the persons and the liuely voice of the reporters making relation thereof It may seeme worth the notinge that by these wordes wee marke the name of Iohn to bee twise repeated The first numbred with Peter Iames Matthewe and the rest of the Apostles signifying Iohn â–ª the Euangelist the second with a different terme without the cataloge of the Apostles ioyning him with Aristion playnly calling him the Elder that hereby the truth of the history may appeare which declareth two of the same name to haue bene in Asia and two seueral monuments of them both to be at Ephesus whereof â—oth as yet beare the name of Iohn which may not lightly be passed ouer of vs for it is very like that the seconde vnlesse ye are pleased with the first saw that reuelation which beareth the name of Iohn Papias then of whom we spake before confesseth him selfe to haue hearde the wordes of the Apostles of them which were their followers namely of Aristion and Iohn the elder for often tymes by mentioning them he alleadgeth their traditions in his bookes I suppose these thinges to haue bene spoken to good purpose agayne to that which hath bene already spoken I thinke it not amisse to adde out of the bookes of Papias things very straung which he reporteth to haue receaued by tradition before we haue written how that Philip the Apostle together with his Daughters had his abode at Hierapolis nowe we haue to signifie how that Papias remayning amongest them reporteth a certayne history tolde him by the Daughters of Philip he writeth that a deade man rose to life againe and moreouer an other miraculous thinge to haue happened to Iustus whose syrname was Barsabas that he dronke deadly poyson and tooke therby no harme the godnes of God preseruing him The history of the Actes declareth of this Iustus how that after the ascention of our Sauiour the holy Apostles seuered him together with Mathias praying ouer them that ereother of them might be allotted in the place of Iudas the traytor to the complete number of the Apostles They appointed tvvo Ioseph called Barsabas by syrname Iustus and Mathias Certayne other thinges the same writer reporteth of the which some he receaued for tradition by worde of mouthe also certayne straunge parables of our Sauiour mixt with fabulous doctrine where he dreameth that the kingdome of Christ shall corporally here vppon earth laste the space of one thousande yeares after the resurrection from the deade which error as I suppose grewe hereof in that he receaued not rightly the true and mysticall meaning of the Apostles neither deepely wayed the thinges deliuered of them by familiar examples for he was a man of smale iudgement as by his bookes playnly appeareth yet hereby he gaue vnto diuers Ecclesiastical persons occasion of error which respected his Antiquity namely vnto Irenaeus and others if there be any founde like minded other traditions he alleadgeth of Aristion and the Elder Iohn vnto the which we referre the studious reader yet one thinge toutching Marke the Euangelist the whiche he reporteth we may not omitt for thus he writeth The Elder meaning Iohn sayd Marke the interpreter of Peter looke vvhat he remembred that diligently he vvrote not in that order in the vvhich the Lorde spake and did them neither vvas he the hearer or follovver of the Lorde but of Peter vvho deliuered his doctrine not by vvay of exposition but as necessity constrayned so that Marke offended nothing in that he vvrote as he had before committed to memory of this one thinge vvas he carefull in omitting nothinge of that he had hearde and in deliuering nothing vvhiche vvas false so farre of Mark. concerning Matthewe he writeth thus Matthewe vvrote his booke in the hebrevv tongue vvhich euery one after his skill interpreted by allegations Papias alleadged testimonies out of the first epistle of Iohn of Peter he expounded a certayne historye of a woman accused before Christ of many crymes written in the Gospell after the Hebrevves of these thinges thus much we suppose to haue bene necessarily spoken and added vnto that which went before The ende of the thirde booke THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF EVSEBIVS PAMPHILVS BISHOP OF CAESAREA IN PALAESTINA CAP. I. VVhat byshops were of Rome and Alexandria in the time of Traian the Emperour ABout the twelfe yere of the Raygne of Traian after the death of the Byshop of Alexandria before mentioned Primus was placed the fourth byshop after the Apostles The same time Alexander when Euarestus had gouerned full eight yeares was the eight byshop of the Church of Rome after Peter and Paul CAP. II. VVhat calamities the Iewes suffred in the time of Traian THe doctrine of our Sauiour the Church of Christ so florished that dayly it encreased and was more and more furthered But the calamities of the Ievves grewe so great that one mischief ensued vpon an other When the Emperour was nowe come to the eightenth yere of his raygne the rage of the Ievves was so stirred that a greate multitude of their nation was destroyed for at Alexandria and throughout the rest of Aegypt and Cyren the Ievves as if they were possessed of a raging seditious and fanaticall spirite so bestirred them selues that they made an vprore among the Gentiles where they abode kindled such a firye sedition that the yere folowing they waged no small battaile Lupus then being president throughout Aegypt In the first battaile the Ievves had the
both a Bishope a Martyr lyenge at Laodicea And of blessed Papyrius and Melito an eunuche vvho vvas ledde and guided in all thinges that he did by the holie ghoste and novve resteth at Sardis vvaytinge the message from heauen vvhen he shall rise from the dead All these celebrated the feaste of Easter according vnto the Gospell in the fouretenth daye of the moneth svvaruing no vvhere but obseruinge the rule of faith to be shorte and I Polycrates the meanest of you all do retaine the tradition of my forefathers of vvhich some I haue imitated for there vvere seuen Bishopes before me and novve I the eighth vvhich alvvaies haue celebrated the feaste of Easter on that daye in the vvhich the people remoued the leauen from among them I therfore my brethren vvhich novve haue liued threescore and fiue yeares in the Lorde haue conferred vvith the brethren throughout the vvorld haue reade ouerreade the holy scriptures yet vvill not be moued at al vvith these things vvhich are made to terrifie vs. for my auncetors elders haue saied that vve ought rather to obey God then men Afterwardes he speaketh of the bishops that consented and subscribed to his epistle after this maner I could repeate the bishops vvhich vvere present vvhome you requested me to assemble vvhome also I haue assembled together vvhose names if I should vvrite vvould grovve to a greate number they haue visited me a simple soule and a man of small accompt and haue consented vnto this epistle they also knovve that I beare not this gray heare in vaine but alvvaies haue had my conuersation in Christ Iesu CAP. XXIII The censure of certaine byshops toutching this controuersie IMmediately vpon this Victor Bishope of Rome goeth aboute to seuer from the vnitie in the communion all the churches of Asia together with the adioyning congregations as sauoring not aright and iuueyeth againste them in his epistles pronounceth flattly all the brethren there for excōmunicated persons but this pleased not al the bishops for they exhorted him to seke after those thinges which concerned peace and vnitie and loue betwene brethren Their words are at this daye extant that sharpely reprehended Victor of which number Irenaeus in the name of all the brethren in Fraunce that were vnder his charge wrote and allowed the same sentence to wete The mysterie of the resurrection of our Sauiour to be celebrated on the sondaye onely Yet as it was very meete he put him in remembrance at large of his dutie that he shoulde not estraynge or cut of all the churches of God whiche retayned the tradition of olde custome his wordes are these Nether is this controuersie onely of the daye but also of the kinde or maner of fasting Some thinke they ought to faste one daye some tvvo some more some fortie and telling the houres throughout day and nyght they counte a daye nether beganne this varietie of fastinge in our tyme but longe before through them vvho then bare rule and as it is very likelye through their double negligence they despised and altered the simple and common custome retayned of olde yet for all this vvere they at vnitie one vvith an other and as yet vve retayne it for this varietie of fastinge commendeth the vnitie of fayth After this he adioyneth a certeine historie whiche I will alleage as peculierly incident to this place ▪ They sayeth he that vvere bishops before Soter of that sea vvhich novve thou gouernest I meane ▪ Anicetus Pius Hyginus Telesphorus and Xystus nether did they so obserue it them selues nether did they publishe anye suche president vnto the posteritie for all that they though not obseruing the same custome vvere at vnitie neuerthelesse vvith them vvhich resorted vnto them from other churches and did not obserue the same although their obseruation vvas contrary to the mindes of suche as obserued it not nether vvas the like euer heard of that any man for suche kind of fasting vvas excōmunicated yea the bishopes them selues vvhich vvere thy predecessours haue sent the Eucharist vnto the brethren of other churches that obserued a contrary custome And Polycarpus beinge at Rome in the tyme of Anicetus they both varied among them selues about trifling matters yet vvere they soone recōciled not a vvord of this matter Neither vvas Anicetus able to persvvade Polycarpus that he should not retaine that vvhich he had alvvaies obserued vvith Iohn the disciple of our Lord the rest of the Apostles vvith vvhome he had bene cōuersant neither did Polycarpus persvvade Anicetus to obserue it but told him that he ought to obserue the aunciēt custome of the elders vvhome he succeeded These thinges being at this poynt they cōmunicated one vvith an other in the churche Anicetus graunted the Eucharist vnto Polycarpus for reuerēce he ovved vnto him in the end they parted one from an other in peace and al such as retayned cōtrary obseruations throughout the vvhole vniuersal churche held faste the bonde of loue vnitie Thus Irenaeus not degenerating from the etymologie of his name passing all other in y e gyft of reconciling the brethren practised for the ecclesiasticall peace he wrote not only to Victor but also to sundrye gouernours of diuers other churches in seuerall epistles concerninge the sayde controuersie CAP. XXIIII The censure of the Bishops in Palaestina toutching the saide controuersie of Easter the repetition of the bookes of certaine ecclesiasticall writers THe bishops of Palaestina mentioned a little before Narcissus Theophilus with thē Cassius bishope of Tyrus and Clarus bishop of Ptolomais together with other bishops in their cōpany when they had reasoned at large toutching the celebration of Easter the tradition deliuered vnto thē by succession from y e Apostles in the end of their epistle they write thus Sende out vvith speede the copies of our epistle throughout the parishes that vve be not charged vvith their errour vvhich easily are brought to snare euē their ovvne soules vve signifie vnto you that at Alexādria they celebrate the feast of Easter vpon the selfe same day vvith vs. their epistles are brought vnto vs ours vnto thē that vve may vniformely together solemnize this holy feast Besides these alleaged trāslated letters epistles of Irenaeus there is extāt an other boke of his very learned and necessary against the gentiles intituled of Science or knovvledge an other vnto Marcianus his brother intituled A declaration of the Apostles preaching an other booke of diuers tracts ▪ where he maketh mētion of the epistle vnto y ◠Hebrevves the booke of VVisdome called Solomons whence he alleageth testimonies these are the workes of Irenaeus which came to our knowledge whē Comodus had bene Emperour xiii yeares Pertinax after him not fully the space of six moneths Seuerus succeeded him in the empire there are reserued at this day in many places many notable workes of diuers ecclesiasticall persons whereof these came to our handes the
out the inchaunters which had foully deceaued him he punished with torments the prophets and priests of the late erected image made inquisition in what sort they cloked y â— deceate When as they driuen by torment could not conceale y e trueth they reueled the whole secretie to be a deceite wrought by the subtletie of Theotecnus Wherfore he rewarded all with punishment dewe for their desert and first of all Theotecnus him selfe afterwards the other coÌ„panioÌ„s of inchauntments when he had first diuersly tormented theÌ„ he executed to death After all these the next turne lyghted vpon the children of Maximinus whome he had made companions of the imperiall honour of the pictures and publique ensignes Last of all the kinsmen of the tyrant who afore time by their insolencie oppressed all men together with the aforesayde tyrant now suffred punishment with vtter shame For they receaued not the discipline they knewe not neither vnderstoode they the admonition which speaketh in holy scripture Putt not your trust in princes nor in any child of man for there is no help in them VVhen the breath of man goeth forth he shall returne againe to his earth in that daye all his thoughts and deuises shall perishe The impious persons after this sort being bereaued of their liues the empire stood very stable voyde of all enuie vnto CoÌ„stantinus and Licinnius alone These men when as before all things they had wiped out of this life the enemies of God ioyfully possessinge benefits and graces from aboue shewed forth the studie of vertue and of godlines pietie and thankfulnes of minde towards God by a constitution published in the behalfe of the Christians The ende of the nynth booke THE TENTH BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF EVSEBIVS PAMPHILVS BISHOP OF CAESAREA IN PALAESTINA CAP. I. The thankefulnes of the Christians for the peace graunted vnto them from aboue after the great storme of persecution MAny and infinite thankes be geuen in all thinges vnto God almightie and kinge of all kings and to Iesus Christ the sauiour and redemer of our soules through whome we wishe vnto vs continewally the preseruation of such thinges as concerne peace both from outward vexations as also firme and immouable inwardly in our minds Seeing that hitherto we were furthered by thy prayers and nowe hauing finished nyne bookes of the ecclesiasticall historie we annexe the tenth and dedicate it vnto thee most holy Paulinus sealinge and shuttinge vp the whole worke with the publishinge abroad of thy prayse Justly therfore we place heere in a perfect number the absolute and solemne sermon gratulatorie of y e repayring of the churches obeying no doubt herein the holy ghost commaunding after this sort Singe vnto the Lorde a nevve songe because he hath done maruelous things with his ovvne ryght haÌ„d with his holy arme hath he gotten him selfe the victory The Lord hath shewed his saluation in the sight of the heathen hath he openly declared his ryghteousnes Insomuch that these words of y e Prophet require a new song of duety then we must haue a songe in our mouth because that after vglesome and darke spectacles after thunderinge and terrible threates we haue bene thought worthie nowe to see such thinges and to celebrate such solemnities such as I saye before vs manie iuste men and Martyrs of God haue desired to see vpon earth and haue not seene to heare and haue not hearde But they passinge very speedely haue possessed farre more myghtie ioyes beynge taken awaye into the heauens them selues vnto the celestiall Paradise and to deuine dayntyes but we confessinge these present thinges to be greater then we deserued do honor aboue measure the grace of Gods greate goodnesse We honor him iustly reuerencinge the same with all the myght of our mindes and testiflyng truely accordinge vnto the prophecies written where it is sayde Come and see the vvorkes of the Lorde vvhat maruelous thinges he hath done vpon earth he maketh the vvarres to ceasse vnto the endes of the vvorlde He breaketh the bovve bruyseth theyr armour and burneth theyr chariots vvith fyre Reioycinge therefore together in this sorte because of these thinges which in vs manifestly are fufilled we wyll ioyne this booke to the other former treatyses For the whole rable of the hatefull persons and enemyes to God was wyped awaye and so sodaynly taken out of the sight of men that agayne the worde of God was fulfilled sayinge I savve the vvicked lyfred vp and exaulted lyke the ceders of Libanus and I passed by and beholde he vvas not I sought his place and it coulde not be founde This daye beynge lyghtsome and cleare caste ouer with no darke cloudes hath shyned to all the churches of Christ throughout the worlde with the sonne beames of celestiall bryghtnesse Neyther dyd any foreyner enuie at our ioyfull assemblyes or at the enioyinge of the same gracious benefites but all mortall men beynge deliuered from tyrannicall oppression had libertie to communicate with vs in the thinges gyuen vs from aboue CAP. II. The heathens are gladd of the Christians successe the churches are repayred and the Emperours shewe themselues liberall and bountifull 〈◊〉 heathen being deliuered 〈…〉 the only true 〈◊〉 was y â— defender of the godâ—… ioy which wiâ—… gladnes inspired all seeing the places a litle before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the tyrants â–ª to be raysed vp as it were out of a long and deadly calamitie and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the foundations to be erectâ—◠〈◊〉 an vnâ—â—easâ—â—able height â–ª and to receaue greater 〈◊〉 then euer they enioyed before their destruction Moreouer the most puysant Emperours by their often 〈◊〉 published in the behalfe of the Christians haue 〈◊〉 and enlarged the 〈◊〉 graunted â—e by the â—â—ee â—oâ—â—tifulnes of God vnto the Bishops also â—â—ere came fauorable letters from the Emeprour dignities were bestowed 〈◊〉 of money and presents were sent them the â—oppy of which letters translated out of the Romayne into the greeke tongue it shall not be amisse in his proper place to annexe it vnto this present history as vnto a certayne piller to the ende they may be committed to the memorie of all posteritie to come CAP. III. Of the dedication of the temples then euery where celebrated and their festiuall orations THen the wished and desired sight was seene of vs to weâ—e the celebrating of the dedications throughout the cityes and consecrations of oratories lately buylded the meeting of Bishops the comming together of them which being farre seuered asunder 〈◊〉 in forreyne contreyes the loue of nation towards nation the knitting together of the members of Christ closing into one harmonie so that according vnto the foreshewing of the Prophet signifying mystically before the thing which should come bone was ioyned to bone â–ª ioynt to ioynt and what so euer other thing the saying of the Prophet though darkly yet truely foretold vs. One power of the diuine spirite wrought in all the
and by him are all thinges no maruell at all in that they falsely reported the sonne not fully and perfectly to knovve the Father for vvhen they had once determined vvith them selues to vvarre agaynste Christ they vtterly reiected the vvordes of our Lorde vvhere he sayth as the Father knoweth me sayth the sonne so doe I knowe the Father if the Father knovveth the sonne vnperfectly then is it manifest that the sonne knovveth the Father vnperfectly also but if this be impiety and open blasphemye and that the Father knovveth the sonne perfectly and fully then doth it follovve that euen as the Father knovveth his ovvne vvorde so the vvorde knovveth his ovvne father vvhose vvorde he is but vvhen as at sundrye tymes vve conuinced them vvith allegations and expositions out of the sacred and heauenly Scriptures for all that they agayne chaunged them selues like vnto the chaungling diuerously bespotted beaste Chamaeleon vvresting vvith all might possible to light vpon their owne pates the saying of the wise man VVhen the vngodly person commeth to extreame impietie then he disdayneth and though many heresies sprange before their tyme vvhiche exceeding out of measure in impudencye fell out at length for all that into extreame follye yet these men vvhich endeuer vvithal their gloses to take avvay the diuinity of the vvord dravving nerer vnto the time of Antichrist doe in manner declare those heresies in comparison of the impitie of their blasphemous opinion to be in the right trueth VVherefore they vvere excommunicated banished the church and pronounced to be held of all men for accursed And though vve tooke theyr fall heauyly specialy because that sometime they supped the svvete ioyce of the ecclesiasticall doctrine and novve are fallen from the same yet vve maruell not greatly at thē For the like happened heretofore not only to Hymenaeus Philetus but also before them vnto Iudas vvhich vvas the disciple of our Sauiour aftervvardes a traytor and an Apostata Neither are vve here of ignorant or vnmindefull For our Sauiour hath forewarned take heede lest any deceaue you For many vvill come in my name saying I am and the time is novve at hand And they wil deceaue many goe not after thē Paul vvhē he had learned these things of our Sauiour wrote that in the latter times some shall fall from the sounde fayth and shall geue eare vnto spirites of error doctrines of deuells oppugning the trueth Novve therefore in as much as our Sauiour Iesus Christ hath commaunded the same and signified the same also vnto men by his Apostle and vve truely hearing their impiety vvith our eares not vvithout iuste cause haue as vve sayd before pronounced this kind of men for accursed and proclaimed openly that they are cut of from the Catholick church farre frō the right fayth And vve haue certified your holynes wel beloued and most reuerende brethren vvhich are ioyned vvith vs in the same fellovvship of the publique ministery that if peraduenture some of them ouerboldly presume to presente themselues before you ye geue no heede vnto them neyther be persvvaded by Eusebius neyther by any other vvhosoeuer that shall vvrite vnto you in they re behalfe For it behoueth vs that be christians to eschevve all such as open theyr mouthes agaynst Christ and suche as are alienated in minde from him as enemyes of God and rotten sheepe corrupting the sense of mans mind and that vve bid not such kinde of men as Saynct Iohn hath commaunded no not so much as God speede lest that vve become partakers of they re offences Salute them vvhich are amonge you bretherne the bretherne vvith vs salute you also When Alexander had wrytten these letters vnto the byshops euery where throughout the seuerall cities this pestilence infection hereby was the more scattered abrode because that these vnto whome these letters were directed beganne to burne amonge themselues with the sparcles of contention and discorde For some condescended and subscribed vnto the letters some others with all might impugned them But specially amonge all the rest Eusebius byshop of Nicomedia was prouoked to the schisme and dissention for that Alexander had often in his letters charged him by name And at that time Eusebius was able to do much because that the emperour then made his abode at Nicomedia where Diocletian a litle before had buylded a princely pallace For which cause many byshops fauored the opinion of Eusebius But he seased not to wryte vnto Alexander that he woulde lette passe the controuersie raysed betwene them that he woulde admitte againe Arius and his adherentes into the churche and others also throughout the cities he exhorted that they shoulde by no meanes condescende vnto the drifte of Alexander whereby theyr rose euery where no smale tumult For then a man might haue seene not onely the presidentes and chiefe rulers of the churches inueying one against an other with spitefull and opprobrious tearmes but also the laye multitude seuered a sunder into two partes the one fauoring the one side the other the other side Wherefore the case became so haynous and shamefull and into so lamentable a plighte that the christian religion was openly derided of all men euen in the publique theatres and solemne spectacles The inhabitors of Alexandria contended very childishely yea without all modestie about the chiefe poinctes of christian religion they sente also legates and embassadours vnto the byshops throughout the other prouinces who seueringe themselues vnto eyther side raysed the like contention The Meletians who not longe before were cutt of from the churche ioyned themselues with the Arians I thinke it expedient to note what kinde of men they are Meletius byshop of a certaine citie in Aegypte besides sundrye other causes specially for that in the tyme of persecution he had renounced the fayth and sacrificed to Idols was depriued of his byshoricke by Peter byshop of Alexandria which suffred Martyrdome vnder Diocletian Who beinge depriued and fauored of many for all his fonde doinges became the ringeleader of the heresie amonge them who in Aegypt of him vnto this present daye are called Meletians and hauinge no iuste cause or cloke to defende his doinges in that he presumed to separate himselfe from the churche made a sleeuelesse answere sayinge that he was greatly iniuryed wherefore he brake out into raylinge speaches and reuiled Peter And as soone as Peter in that heate of persecution had ended his life with Martyrdome he posted ouer his opprobrious tearmes and rayling speaches to the paintinge of Achillas who succeeded Peter in the seae of Alexandria And last of all he leueled the pearcinge dartes of spitefull language at Alexander who after the death of Achillas was there placed byshop While this tumulte and dissention was tossed to and froe the opinion of Arius was called into controuersie then Meletius with his complices tooke part with Arius and together with him conspired against the byshop But they vnto whome the
before of Spaine could in no wise brooke that Paulus and Athanasius should be absent the Easterne bishops forthwith depart and cōming to Philippi a citie in Thracia they assemble a priuate coūcell among thē selues beginne thenceforth openly to accurse the creede cōtaining the claule of One substance to sowe abrode in writing their opinion that the sonne was not of one substance w t the father But the assembly of bishops which cōtinewed at Sardice first cōdemned them which fled from the hearing of their cause next deposed from their dignities the accusers of Athanasius afterwards ratified the creede of the Nicene coūcell abrogated the hereticall opinion which said that the sonne was of a different substance from the father last of all sett forth more plainely the clause of One substance for they wrote letters therof sent them throughout the whole world Both sides were pleased with their owne doings and euery one seemed to him selfe to haue done right well the bishops of the East because the Westerne bishops had receaued such as they had deposed the byshops of the West because the Easterne bishops being deposers of others had departed before y ◠hearing of their cause the one for that they mayntained the Nicene creede the other for that they went about to condemne it Their bishoprickes are restored to Paulus and Athanasius likewise to Marcellus bishop of Ancyra in the lesser Galatia who a litle before as we sayd in our first booke was deposed who also then endeuoured with all might to disproue and confute the sentence pronounced against him saying that the phrase and maner of speach which he vsed in his booke was not vnderstoode and therefore to haue bene suspected by them as if he mayntayned the heresie of Paulus Samosatenus Yet we may not forget that Eusebius Pamphilus wrote three bookes to the confutation of the booke of Marcellus where he citeth the words of Marcellus and refuteth them plainly declaring that Marcellus no otherwise then Sabellius the Aphrick Paulus Samosatenus thought that the Lorde Iesus was but onely man CAP. XVII An Apologie or defence in the behalfe of Eusebius Pamphilus that he was no Arian as diuers malicious persons wrote of him BEcause that diuers haue bruted abroade sclaunderous reports of Eusebius Pamphilus affirming that in his workes he sauoured of the heresie of Arius I thinke it not amisse presently to laye downe in fewe wordes what of trueth we may thinke of him Firste of all he was both present at the Councell of Nice and subscribed vnto the clause of One substance In his thirde booke of the lyfe of Constantine he hath these wordes of that Councelll The Emperoure dealt so farre vvith them for the reducinge of them vnto concorde and vnitie that he lefte them not vntyll he had brought them to be of one mynde and of one opinion toutchinge all that afore tyme vvas called into controuersie so that vvith one voyce they all embraced the fayth decided in the Councell of Nice If Eusebius then mentioninge the Councell summoned at Nice doth saye that all quarells and questions were there ended and that all were of one minde and of one opinion howe is it that some dare presume to charge him with the spotte of Arianisme The Arians them selues also are foulie deceaued if they take him for a fauourer of their opinion But some man peraduenture wyll saye that he seemed to smell of Arianisme in that he vsed often tymes in his bookes this phrase By Christ. Whome I answere that not onely he but also other ecclesiasticall writers yea and the Apostle him selfe who was neuer once suspected to be the author of any lewde opinion vsed this phrase before them which wrote such kinde of speache and sundrie other sortes of sentences for the liuely settinge forth and expressinge of the order and maner of our sauiours humanitie But what Eusebius thought when Arius taught that the lonne was a creature and to be accompted as one of the other creatures nowe vnderstande for in his first booke agaynst Marcellus he writeth thus He alone and none other is both called and is in deede the onely begotten sonne of God VVherefore they are vvorthy of reprehension vvhich are not ashamed to call him a creature and to say that he beganne of nothinge as other creatures did Hovve shall he be the sonne or after vvhat sort may he be called the onely begotten of God vvhen as he hath as they say the same nature vvith other creatures and is become one of the vulgare sort of men to wete hauinge the like beginninge vvith them and beyng made partaker vvith them of the creation vvhich is of nothinge But the holie scriptures Ivvis teache vs no such thinges of him And agayne a litle after he sayeth VVhosoeuer then sayeth that the sonne vvas begotten of nothinge or that the principall creature beganne of nothing he attributeth vnto him vnaduisedly the onely name of the sonne but in very deede and in trueth he denyeth him to be the sonne For he that is begotten of nothinge can in no vvyse be the true sonne of God no more can any other thinge that hath the lyke beginninge But the sonne of God truely begotten of the father him selfe is to be termed the onely begotten and the vvelbeloued of the father and so he shall be God For vvhat other thinge is the budde or branche of God then that vvhich resembleth the begetter The kinge is sayde to buylde or make a cytie but not to begette a cytie and so he is sayde to begette a sonne but not to buylde or make a sonne In respect of the vvorke he vvrought he is not called a Father but a cunninge vvorkeman and in respect of the sonne he begatte he is not called a vvorkeman but a father VVherefore the God of all vniuersalitie is worthely to be called the father of the sonne yet the framer and maker of the worlde Although it be once found written in a certaine place of holie scripture The Lord made me the beginning of his wayes for the accomplishing of his workes yet as I am minded immediatly to interpret it behoueth vs to skanne narowly and to sift out with diligence the sense vnderstanding thereof not after the maner of Marcellus with one word to shake the chiefe principles of christian religion These many other such like reasons hath Eusebius alleaged in his first booke against Marcellus to y ◠cōfutation of his opinion In his third booke he hath expounded how this word Made or created is to be vnderstood as followeth These things being after this sort it remaineth that we cōsider of this sentence The Lord made me the beginning of his wayes for the accomplishing of his works which is no otherwise to be taken then the other thinges we expoūded before For in case he say that he is made he sayth it not as if he became something of nothing or that he
altogether vnequall and vnlike the father not onely in substance but also in will and also that he had his beinge as Arius dreamed of nothinge Suche as then also were at Antioch of the secte of Aetius intangled them selues in the snares of this pestilente opinion Therefore besides that the Arians were called Anomoioi whiche signifieth that they affirmed the Sonne to be vnlike the Father they were of the Antiochians who defended the faythe Of one substance and then were deuided for the foresayde cause of Meletius called Exoucoutioi signifying they had affirmed the Sonne of God to haue had his beinge of nothinge When they were demaunded wherefore they constantely affirmed in their Creede that the Sonne was God of God and nowe durst presume to say that he was vnlike the father and had his beinge of nothinge they weÌ„t about to bleare their eyes with a ridiculous kind of fallacie Whereas we affirmed saye they the sonne to be God of God we meante it in that sense as the Apostle wrote where he sayde that all thinges were of God Therefore the sonne is of God in as muche as he is included in the worde all And for this cause we layde downe in our Creedes the Clause accordinge vnto the Scriptures The author of this lewde and fonde Glosse was Georgius Bishoppe of Laodicea who beinge ignorante and vnskilfull in suche kinde of phrases perceaued not howe Origen in tymes paste had playnely interpreted suche siguratiue kinde of speaches contayned in the Epistles of Paul The confederacie of Acacius though they were iustely charged with captious and sopisticall dealing yet weyinge neyther the sclaunder risinge thereof neither the sentence pronounced against them repeated there the forme of fayth whiche they had rehearsed at Constantinople this beinge done cuery one repayred to his owne home Georgius after his returne to Alexandria for there after the departure of Athmasius who then hidde himselfe in some obscure place he was placed Bishop vered very sore and punished extremely suche as were of the contrary opinion and plagued the people of Alexandria whiche hated him as a tode Herenius was chosen Byshoppe of lerusalem in Cyrillus rowme Whome Heraclius succeeded after him Hilarius after all Cyrillus returned to lerusalem and recouered the Bishopricke againe CAP. XXXVI Of both Apollinariuses the father the sonne and their heresie ABout that time there sprange vp a newe heresie the occasion was as followeth At Laodicea a ciue of Syria there were two men the father and the sonne of one name for both was called Apollinarius whereof the one I meane the father was a priest the other that is the sonne was a reader Both were professors of humanity The father caught grammer the sonne Rhetorike The father beinge borne at Alexandria first kept schoole at Berytus afterwardes remouinge to Laodicea he got him a wife on whome he begate Apollinarius They both florished at Laodicea in the time of Epiphanius the sophist and hauing greate familiarity with him they were neuer seene out of his company Theodotus Bishop of that seae fearinge greatly lest their familiarity with him shoulde bringe them from the faith and so fall to embrace paganisme forbadde them his company They made no accompt of the Bishops commaundement but kept still company with Epiphamus In processe of time Georgius the successor of Theodotus hauinge oft assaied and seinge he coulde by no meanes separate them from Epiphanius excommunitated them bothe hopinge thereby with punishment to perswade them to the contrary But the yonger Apollinarius stomaking this dealinge put considence in his painted figures of Rhetorike and inuented a newe opinion the whiche at this day after the name of the author is called the heresie of Apollinarius Some doe affirme that they fell not out with Georgius for the aforesayd cause but for that they hearde him preache straunge and contradictorie doctrine affirminge sometimes the sonne to be like vnto the father as in the councell of Seleucia at other tymes maintayninge the heresie of Arius and so for triflinge and lighte occasion to haue fallen from the churche Whilest that no man gaue eare vnto them they endeuored to establishe a newe kinde of doctrine firste they taughte that Bod the worde tooke manhoode accordinge vnto the order of incarnation without soule againe recantinge the same they affirmed he tooke soule yet not the minde or reason beinge the highest and chiefest parte of the soule but that God the worde was shutte vp included and comprised in man in place of the minde Onely in this they varie from the church which are called their followers as for the Creed containing y â— clause Of one substance to be in the blessed Trinitie they stedfastly cleaue vnto it But I will heare ceasse and differre the discourse of bothe these Apollinariuses vntill an other conuenient place CAP. XXXVII Of the death of Constantius the Emperoure WHile the Emperoure Constantius remayned at Antioch Iulianus Caesar had muche adoe in Fraunce with many barbarous nations After that he had gotte the vpper hande the souldiers did so loue him that they proclaimed him Emperour Constantius hearing of this was wonderfully troubled and disquieted in minde so that the griefe thereof cast him into a daungerous disease Wherefore beinge first baptized of Eâ—â—oius he made expedition to geue him battaile And comming as farre as Mopsus wells betwene Cappadocia and Cilicia by reason of the great thought and sorowe he conceaued of his vnlucky affayres he fell into y t senseles heady sicknesse called Apoplexia thereof presently dyed in the Consulship of Taurus Florentius the third day of NoucÌ„ber the first yeare of the two huÌ„dreth eightie fift Olympiad Costatius lyued fiue forty yeares he raigned thirtie eight that is thirtene together with his father and fiue and twentie after his fathers death This second booke compriseth the historie of so many yeares The ende of the seconde booke of the Ecclesiasticall historie of Socrates THE THIRDE BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF SOCRATES SCHOLASTICVS CAP. I. Of Iulianus his linage and bringing vp also howe that being Emperour he left Christian profession and embraced paganisme and gentilitie WHen the Emperour Constantius had departed this life in the borders of Cilicia the thirde of Nouember within the Consulship of Taurus Florentius lulianus the eleuenth of December following the same Consulship leauing the west parts of the world came to CoÌ„stantinople there was proclaimed Emperour Now therfore in as much as I haue determined w t my selfe to discourse of this Emperour Iulian a maÌ„ passing eloquent let none of his friends looke at my haÌ„ds for curious lofty stile as though it behoued my penne to couÌ„teruaile y â— excelleÌ„cie of y â— person But seeing our drift is otherwise beÌ„t namely for to deliuer y â— posteritie in writing y â— true histories of y â— church we will follow accordiÌ„g vnto out former promise a lowly soft kind of
and decreed that in handling the diuinitie of God there should thenceforth no mentioÌ„ be made of these words affirming y â— the word essence was not founde in holie scripture and that the Apostle in deliueringe the grounde of doctrine was constrayued of necessitie to vse the word substance But they decreed farther that in an other sense to the end the opinion of Sabellius might be rooted out these words were to be admitted lest that through the want of proper wordes we should be compelled to imagine the thinge of three names to be as one but that the seuerall names of the blessed Trinitie signifie and sett forth God to subsist by him selfe in proper substance These were the things decided in that Councell I see nothinge to the contrarie but that presently also we may laye downe what we learned and read of the wordes essence and substance Such as laboured in Greece to sett forth the sage doctrine of the Grecians gaue vs to vnderstande that the worde Essence was diuersly to be taken and had many significations but of the word Substance they made no mention at all nay Irenaeus Grammâ—ticus in his Atticke Dictionarie termeth it a barbarous worde He sayeth moreouer that it can not be founde in any auncient writer and if that perchaunce we lyght vpon it that it was neuer meant in the sense we take it That Sophocles in his Tragedie of Phoenix taketh Hypostasis for wyles or conspiracie and Menander for sauce and resignifyed also lâ—es or dregges of wyne For though the auncient Philosophers haue not vsed this worde yet we see that the later wryters haue taken it very oft for Essence But we haue spoken before that the definition of Essence was deliuered to haue diuers significations If that Essence may be comprised by definition howe when we entreate of God which is incomprehensible can we properly vse this boyced Euagrius in his booke intituled The Mooke exhorteth vs to refrayne from rashe and vnaduised reasoninge of the God head he forbyddeth the definition of the diuinitie of God because it is a simple thinge For definitions sayeth he are alwayes of concâ—eâ—â— and compound things not of the abstract and simple His wordes are these Euery proposition as the Logicians doe vvrite hath eyther Genus of vvhome it may be verifyed oâ— Species or Differentia or Proprium or Accidens or that vvhich dependeth of these But in the handlinge of the blessed Trinitie none of all thâ—se is to be required because it can not be layde dovvne neyther expressed by vvordes therefore it is not to be defined but reuerently to be runne ouer vvith silence So farre presently out of Euagrius but here after more at large We of our owne parte although we steme to haue digressed yet in so much these things appertayne vnto the discourse of our present argument 〈◊〉 haue thought good to lay them downe here CAP. VI. The Apollogie of Athanasius in defence of his flyght in the tyme of persecution AThanasius at that very tyme read in the hearinge of such as were present an Apollogie the which he had written a litle before in his owne defence when as by reason of the armed souldiers that besett the churche of Alexandria and sought his lyfe â–ª he was fayne to leaue all and runne away Whereof I haue thought good at this present to alleadge some such parcell as may seeme to brynge most profitt vnto the louing reader leauinge the whole discourse beynge somewhat ouer longe vnto the labour and industrie of the paynefull students Beholde â—ayth Athanasius the lewde practises of vvicked persons Although they are priuie vnto these haynous offences yet for all that they are nothinge ashamed of the contumelyes an dâ—â—uell tyrannle they exercised against vs but charge vs in their opinion vvith a foule spott and blemishe of infamie for escapinge the handes of cutthrotes and bloodâ—uckers yea they beshrevve them selues that they dispatched vs not out of the vvay Moreouer to the ende they may stayne my credite and aestimation they fall to accuse me for faint courage and timorous disposition being forgetfull that vvhilest they blased these thinges to my dispraise they turned the shame to light vpon their ovvne pates For if it be a discredite to slie the handes of the tyrant hovve much more to persecute meÌ„ vnto the death He that flieth seeketh meanes to saue his life but he that persecuteth goeth about to procure the others death That vve shoulde flie in such cases the scriptures are on our side but in thurstinge after the bloode of our brother the commaundement is broken and the author thereof is founde chiefe cause of the flight If they blame any man for geuinge them the slippe they are vvorthie of farre greater shame and reprehension For lett them ceasse from persecutinge and threatninge of death then vvill the other remaine still and not runne avvay But their spite and malice hath no ende they doe nought else â—aue deuise feates to bringe men vnto destruction yea vvhen they knovve full vvell that the flight of the persecuted is a foule shame vnto the persecutours For no man flieth the gentle and meeke but rather the cruell and vvicked man They that vvere greeued and farre indetted vnto others gaue Saul the slippe and fledde vnto Dauid VVherefore these men goe about to dispatche such as conuey them selues out of their vvay lest the levvdnesse of Bishops be manifestly knovven vvithout doubte herein they seeme to be starke blinde For looke hovve euident the flyght is farre more apparent vvyll theyr slaughter and banishmentes seeme vnto the vvorlde If they murther men death no doubt lifteth her voyce and soundeth out their crueltie if they fall a banishinge of them therein they sett vp monuments to the remembrance of their vvicked doinges Had they bene in theyr ryght vvitts they might haue easilie perceaned their ovvne follie and them selues ouerthrovven in their ovvne deuises But in that they are bereaued of their vvittes and beside them selues they fall a persecutinge of others and vvhile they endeuour to mischiefe others they perceaue not their ovvne malice and impietie If they reprochefully charge them which hide them selues from such as seeke their liues and accuse them for strenge the handes of the persecutor what haue they to say I beseche you vvhen they heare that Iacob fledd from the face of his brother Esau and that Moses for feare of Pharao â–ª conueyed him selfe to Madian VVhat haue these contentious quarellers to saye vnto Dauid vvho fledd from Saul vvhich sent of his garde out of his house to slaye him hid him selfe in a caue counterfeited his person vntill that subtly he had past Abimelech the priest and auoyded their layinge of vvaite for him VVhat ansvvere can these rashe bablers geueâ— vvhen they see that the greate prophete Elias vvho so deuoutly called vpon the name of God and raysed the dead vvas faine to hide him selfe from Achaab and runne away because of
courage Moreouer the Emperour called home againe the bishops whome ConstaÌ„tius had exiled whome Iulian also had not restored to their seaes TheÌ„ also the Idoll groues temples of the Ethnicks were shut vp the Pagans them selues wandered hid them here there such as wore y â— philosophicall habite layd it aside wore y â— coÌ„mon vsuall attire Those bloody detestable sacrifices wherwith they openly defiled theÌ„ selues tooke their fill during y â— raigne of Iulian were nowe wholly taken away CAP. XXI How the Macedonians and Acacians assembling at Antioche confirmed with their subscriptions the Nicene Creede THe Christian affaires were not as yet pacified neither enioyed they a quiet ende For such as were ringleaders of contrary factions gott them vnto the Emperour hopinge that he would geue them free libertie to feede foster among them selues the fiery humour of contention licence to deale sediciously w t their aduersaries And first of all y â— Macedonians exhibite vnto him a supplication where they request that such as auoutch the vnlikenes dissimilitude betwene the sonne the father should be banished y â— church theÌ„ selues substituted in their rowmes The authors of this supplication were Basilus bishop of Ancyra Siluanus bishop of Tarsus Sophronius bishop of Pompeiopolis Pasinicus bishop of Zenum Leontius bishop of Comanum Callicrates bishop of Claudiopolis Theophilus bishop of Castabala The Emperour receauiÌ„g their supplication gaue them no answere at all but sent theÌ„ away w t these words I tell you truely I caÌ„ not away w t contention but such as embrace vnitie concord I doe both honor reuerence them These words of y â— Emperour coÌ„ming to yâ—eares of other contentious persons delayd the heate of sedition y â— was kindled amoÌ„g them which fell out right as the Emperour had wished Againe at y â— time also the behauiour of y e Acacians a busie kind of bodies a sect wonderfull seditious was perceaued a kind of people they are alwaies applying them selues according vnto the vaynes of the Emperours These men assemble them selues at Antioch in Syria together with Meletius who a litle before had seuered him selfe from their communion they creepe to familiaritie conference with him The cause that moued them therevnto was for that they sawe him in great estimation with the Emperour who then made his abode at Antioche They frame a supplication amonge them selues with vniforme coÌ„sent of them all They acknowledge the faith of One substance they ratifie the Nicene creede They exhibite vnto y â— Emperour their supplication coÌ„tayning y â— forme as followeth Vnto our most holy and gratious lorde Iouianus victorious puisant Augustus the councell of bishops assembled at Antioch out of sundry prouinces send greeting in the Lorde VVe haue experience tryall sufficient most holy Emperour howe that your graces highnes with great industrie endeuoureth to establishe peace vnitie in the church of God neither are we ignorant howe that your prudent aduice thinketh no lesse then that the forme of the catholicke faith will preuayle very much to the furtherance and confirmation of the aforesayde vnitie and concorde Therefore lest we should be numbred among the corrupters of the true and syncere character of Christian doctrine we thought good to let your maiestie vnderstand that we both allowe and retaine vnuiolably the Creede confirmed of old in the holy sacred councell of Nice sithence that the clause of One substance according vnto some mens thinkinge vnaduisedly layde downe is very well interlaced of the fathers interpreted and expounded both with commodious phrases and fitt epithetons the which exposition sheweth forth the sonne to be begotten of the fathers substance to be like vnto the father according vnto his substance that no passion ought to be conceaued in his inexplicable generation that the word Substance was not vsed of the holie fathers in that sense which the Graecians take it but to the ouerthrowe of the poysoned doctrine which the blasphemous mouth of Arius endeuoured to establishe saying that Christ had his originall of nothinge that also these Anomoians affirming by interpretation the sonne to be vnlike the father who lately stept vp auoutched more impudent and levvde doctrine to the ouerthrovve of the ecclesiasticall peace and vnitie VVherfore vve haue thought good to annexe vnto this our supplication vvherein our censure and opinion is layde downe the forme of faith which we honor and reuerence decreed by the bishops assembled at Nice It beginnes as followeth VVe beleeue in one God the father almightie c. contayning throughout very sounde and substantiall doctrine I Meletius bishop of Antioch doe subscribe and allowe of all the parts and parcells of the aforesayde supplication and creede aboue written Euen so doe I Eusebius bishop of Samosata Euagrius bishop of Sicilia Vranius bishop of Apamea Zoilus bishop of Larissae Acacius bishop of Caesarea Antipater bishop of Rosse Abramius bishop of Vria Aristonicus bishop of Seleucobelus Barlamenus bishop of Pergamus Vranius bishop of Melitine Magnus bishop of Chalcedon Eutychius bishop of Eleutheropolis Isacocis bishop of Armenia the greater Titus bishop of Bostra Peter bishop of Sipus Pelagius bishop of Laodicea Arabianus bishop of Antros Piso bishop of Adana by his substitute Lamydrio the elder Sabinianus byshop of Zeugma Athanasius byshop of Ancyra by his substitutes Orphitus and Atetius the elders Irenio byshop of Gaza Piso bishop of Augusta Patricius byshop of Paltum by his substitute Lamyrio the elder Anatolius byshop of Beroea Theotimus byshop of Arabia and Lucianus byshop of Arce This supplication haue we founde in the booke of Sabinus intituled The collection of the Councells The Emperour who determined with him selfe to pacifie with gentle and curteous languages all quarelles and contention made answere that he woulde not molest any what faith or religion soeuer they professed but aboue all others that he woulde honour and reuerence such as shewed them selues peacemakers and went about to mayntayne the bonde of vnitie and concorde Themistius the philosopher doth report these thinges in this sort of him For in the oration intituled Consul the which he wrote of him he extolleth him vnto the skies because that in grauntinge euery man free choyce and libertie to professe this or that kinde of religion he stopped the mouthes of all flattering parasites and sycophants which kinde of men sayeth he nyppinge wyse as it is knowen vnto the whole world worship not the kinge of heauen but the earthly crowne and scepter much like vnto Euripus caryed headlong some times this way some times that way CAP. XXII The death of Iouianus the Emperour THe Emperour when he had appeased the sedition of contentious persons in such sorte as we haue sayde before remoued with speede from Antioche and gotte him to Tarsus in Cilicia where after the wonted solemnitie of honorable funeralls he buryed the corps of Iulian his predecessor immediatly after he is proclaimed CoÌ„sul
intollerable for he bouldened him selfe vpon Iohn and inueyed contumeliously without all modestie and shamefastnesse agaynste all men which turned to the encrease of the spite and hatred borne vnto Iohn Moreouer when Seuerianus on a certaine tyme came to the place where Serapion sate Serapion gaue him not the honor and reuerence dewe vnto a bishop neyther rose vp in so doing he declared that he regarded not the person of Seuerianus This contempt and disdayne of Serapion was not taken paciently of Seuerianus for he exclaimed against him in these wordes If Serapion dyeth a Christian then was Christ neuer incarnate Serapion tooke this as a fitte occasion ministred vnto him made Iohn to become his foe whilest that he concealed the firste sentence to wete If Serapion dyeth a Christian and repeated the later to wete that Christ was neuer incarnate affirming y ◠he heard it of Seuerianus owne mouth And to the end he woulde iustifie the reporte he brought forth men of his owne degree and callinge to testifie that they heard the words To be short Iohn without any more adoe banished Seuerianus the citie Eudoxia the Empresse vnderstanding of the circumstance founde great fault with Iohn caused Seuerianus to be sent for out of Chalcedon in Bithynia who came immediately Iohn kept him selfe on t of his companie he woulde not be brought with any mans entreatie and perswasion to become friendes with Seuerianus At length when that Eudoxia the Emperours mother in the Apostles churche had throwen her sonne Theodosius the Emperour who though he were then of tender yeares yet gouerned he y e common wealth with good successe and prosperous ouersight at the feete of Iohn and craued of him with solemne protestations that of all loue and friendship he woulde not denye her request with muche adoe he was wonne to embrace Seuerianus agayne But for all that outwardly they bare a shewe and a countenance of friendship neuerthelesse inwardly they continewed their spite and hatred one towards the other The cause that deuided Iohn and Seuerianus was in such sort CAP. XI Howe that Epiphanius comming to Constantinople celebrated the communion gaue orders without the licence of Iohn therein to gratifie Theophilus SHortly after Epiphanius the bishop came from Cyprus to Constantinople at the request of Theophilus and brought thither with him the decree of the bishops where he had not excommunicated Origen but onely condemned his bookes Wherefore after his comming into the church of Sainct Iohn which was not farre from the walls of the citie he celebrated the cōmunion made a deacon went forth out of the churche and came to Constantinople When that Iohn had inuited him requesting he woulde take a peece of a lodging with him he for to feede the humor of Theophilus refused his curtesie and tooke vp an Inne by him selfe After that he had called together the bishops which then by chaunce were at Constantinople he read in their hearinge the decree where he had condemned the works of Origen Of the bookes I haue nothing to say but thus muche that it pleased Epiphanius and Theophilus to condemne them Of the byshops some for reuerence of Epiphanius subscribed vnto the decree some other denyed it vtterly Of which number Theotimus bishop of Scythia made Epiphanius this answere I of myne owne part ô Epiphanius will not so much iniurie the man who is departed to rest many yeares agoe neither dare I presume once to enterprise so haynous an offence for to condemne the bookes whiche our auncetors haue not condemned specially seeyng I vnderstande not as yet neither read any parcell of the doctrine within contayned And when that a certaine booke of Origen was brought forth he read it and shewed there the interpretation of holy scripture agreeable vnto the faith of the catholicke churche last of all he concluded with these wordes They that reprehende these things doe no lesse then mislike vvith the matter vvhereof these bookes doe intreat This was the answere of Theotimus vnto Epiphanius a man he was of great fame both for sound doctrine and godly conuersation CAP. XII A kinde of Apologie in the behalfe of Origen IN so much that many were drawen headlong through the procurement of malicious sclaunderers much like a blast of hurlwinde to reuile Origen it shall not be amisse to saye somewhat of them Obscure men odde felowes such as haue no pythe or substance in them to the ende they myght become famous goe about moste commonly to purchase vnto them selues glorie and renowme by dispraysing of such men as farre excell them in all rare and singular vertues Of which sort of backebiters first I remember Methodius bishop of Olympus a citie of Lycia next Eustathius who for a while was bishop of Antioch thirdly Apolinarius last of all this Theophilus This messe of raylers if I may so tearme them fell a sclaūdering of Origē neither yet all for one thing One charged him with this an other with that wherby they all seuerally declared vnto the world that they allowed wholly all such thinges in him as they had not reprehended by name For in as much they blamed him seuerally for seuerall doctrine it appeareth they tooke that for trueth in him which they concealed and misliked not withall and they approued in very deede that which they denyed not in worde Methodius though at the beginning he inueyed bitterly against Origen yet afterwardes as it were by way of recantation he extolled him vnto the skies in that dialogue which he intitled Zeno. Their reuiling in myne opinion encreased the renowne fame of Origen For while they charged him with haynous crimes as they thought and yet findinge no faulte with him as toutching the blessed Crinitie they are witnesses them selues that he was of y ◠right and sound faith Euen as these men being not able iustly to accuse him beare witnes w t him of his true beliefe so Athanasius voyd of all parcialitie a zealous maintayner of the clause Of one substance alleageth him for a witnesse of his faith in the orations which he wrote to the cōfutation of the Arians citeth his words for testimonies among his works sayth thus of him That notable man that paynfull writer Origen confirmeth in plaine words the faith opinion we haue of the sonne of God in that he auoutcheth him to be coaeternall with the father Wherefore such as goe about to reuile Origen they vnwares doe sclaunder Athanasius which hyghly commended him Thus much by the way of Origen and nowe againe to the storie CAP. XIII How that Iohn sent for Epiphanius to come vnto him and charged him that he had behaued him selfe contrary to the canons of the church after they had brawled a while together Epiphanius returned homewards IOhn at the first tooke not the matter very grieuously for all that Epiphanius contrary to the canon had made a Deacon in his church but requested him to accept
longer refer the sentence vvhich is to be giuen of me vnto the most puisant emperours let me haue iustice it appertaineth vnto thē to deale vvith me according vnto their pleasure take these mine aduises as proceeding from a fatherly affection vnto you as my louing sonne If you presently take the matter in dugin as you haue heretofore go on a gods name if reason can not bridle your rage Thus doubted not Nestorius w t letters as with fist foote to kick aswel against y ◠emperours as their magistrates to reuile them all to nought neither could he be brought to modest behauiour for all his woe misery his ende departure out of this life I learned of a certē writer to haue bene as followeth to wit his tongue to haue bene eaten vp of worms and so by the iust iudgement of God to haue passed from these bodely to ghostly from these temporall to eternall punishments CAP. VIII How Maximianus succeeded Nestorius in the seae of Constantinople after him Proclus and after Proclus Flauianus WHen wicked Nestorius had departed this life Maximianus succeeded him in the byshoprick of the famous citie of Constantinople in whose dayes the Church of God enioyed peace and tranquility After his deceasse Proclus gouerned the seae who when he had runne the race of his mortall lyfe left the rowme vnto Flanianus CAP. IX Of Eutyches the infortunate hereticke how he was deposed of Flauianus byshop of Constantinople and of the councell which assembled there and deposed him IN the dayes of Flauianus the poysoned heresie of Eutyches sprang vp whiche caused a prouinciall councell to be summoned at Constantinople where Eusebius byshop of Dorylaeum being an eloquent Rhetorician called for the records and first of all conuinced the blasphemie of Nestorius When Eutyches was sent for and come he was founde in reasoninge to maintaine the aforesaide error for I confesse saith he that our Lorde consisted of two natures before the diuinitie was coopled with the humanitie but after the vnitinge of them I affirme that he had but one nature he sayd moreouer that the bodie of the Lord was not of the same substance with ours Wherefore he was vnministred yet at his humble sute vnto Theodosus he reported that Flauianus had forged records against him the first councell of Constantinople was called together of the borderinge byshopps to sitte vpon that matter where not onely the councell but also diuers other byshopps sifted out the doinges of Flauianus there the records beinge founde true were confirmed and a seconde councell summoned to meete at Ephesus CAP. X. How by the meanes of Dioscorus byshop of Alexandria and Chrysaphius it came to passe that a wicked councell was called together at Ephesus where Eutyches the hereticke was restored to his former degree DIoscorus who succeded Cyrill in the byshopricke of Alexandria was appointed moderator of this councell Chrysaphius gouernour of the pallace had craftely brought this about to th ende the hatred owed vnto Flauianus might be set on fire thither also came Iuuenalis byshop of Ierusalem who some time gouerned the seae of Ephesus together with many priests of his traine Domnus who succeeded Iohn in the Churche of Antioch met them Iulius also the substitute of Leo byshop of olde Rome besides these Flauianus was present together with his prouince Theodosius commaunded Elpidius as followeth such as in times past gaue sentence of Eutyches the most vertuous Abbot good leaue haue they to be present at the councell but let them be quiet and their voyces suspended my will is that they waite for the generall and common sentence of the most holy fathers seeing that such things as were afore time decided by them are now called into controuersie to be short Dioscorus together with such byshops as were of his opinion in this councell restored Eutyches into his former dignitie as it appeareth more at large in the actes of the sayde councell As for Flauianus Eusebius byshop of Dorylaeum they were deposed of their byshopricks the same councell excommunitated also and depriued Ibas byshop of Edessa Daniel byshop of Carra Irenaeus byshop of Tyrus and Aquilinus byshop of Biblus They layde downe moreouer certaine decrees against Sophronius byshop of Constantinople they remoued Theodoritus byshop of Cyrestes and Domnus byshop of Antioch of whom what became afterwards I doe not learne and thus was the second councell of Ephesus broken vp CAP. XI The Apologie of Euagrius touching the varietie of opinions among the Christians and of the ridiculous vanitie of the heathen godds I Would haue none of al the ethniks which dote ouer their idolatricall seruice to deride vs christians because the latter byshops haue abrogated the sentence of their predecessors and seme alwayes to add some thing vnto the forme of our faith for we of our part though we sifte out with great care the long sufferance of God which may neither in worde be expressed neither in deede be found out yet are we so affectionated though we leane either to this side or to y ◠side y t we always honor it extol it aboue al other things Neither was there any one of al the heretickes among the christians that of set purpose at any time would vtter blasphemy fal of his owne accord to reuile the maiesty of God but rather perswaded him self in auoutching this or that opinion that therein he was of a sounder doctrine then the fathers that went before him As touching the ground principles of Christian religion whiche alwayes ought vnuiolably be retained we are all of one opinion for the godhead which we adore is the trinitie the persons whom we so highly praise are in vnity the word of God also was begotten before y ◠fundations of the world were laid we beleeue that in these latter dayes he tooke flesh because of the fauour and compassion he had on the worke of his owne hand If in case that any nouelty be founde out as touchinge other matters they come to passe freely of mans owne accorde seeing it pleaseth God so to dispose of thē and to graunt them liberty to thinke as it pleaseth them best to the ende the holy Catholicke and Apostolicke Churche may reforme what is found amisse determine of both sides guyd vnto the true godlines and direct her selfe according vnto the plaine character of sound and sincere doctrine And therfore it was said of the Apostle It must nedes be that heresies doe raigne among you that they vvhich are perfect amonge you may be knovven Herein verily we haue to wonder at the secret wisedome of God which sayth thus vnto S. Paule My strength is made perfect in vveakenesse For looke what the things be which deuide the members of the Churche of God euen out of the same sound doctrine is culled out void of al reprehension polished more curiously laid vp more safely the Catholicke church encreaseth therby more more
a perfect knowledg of the faith also vnto a sure cōfirmation of the same ▪ for it instructeth vs most exquisitly in such things as we must necessarily know of the father of the sonne of the holy ghost and setteth forth after the plainest maner the incarnation of our Lord Iesus for them that with faith wil embrace it but seeing that certen leud godles persons endeuoring with their erronious opinions to root out true religiō haue brought into the world many vaine fantasies of their idle braines of which number some were not affraid to corrupt the true vnderstanding the mistery of the manhood our Lord Iesus toke for our sakes to deny the mother or bearing of God which is attributed vnto the virgine Mary other some fained very fondly that the diuinity the humanity consisted of one nature confoūding both with a certē imaginatiue cōmixitō of natures affirming with horrible blasphemy that in the said confusion the diuine nature of the onely begotten was patible therefore this great general coūcel presētly assēbled together being desirous with al might to stop euery gapp to cutt of all occasion of deuelishe deuices wrought to the ouerthrowe of the trueth decreeth that the faith which we receiued of the fathers is inuiolably to be retained and therefore commaundeth aboue all other formes of fayth that the creede deliuered vnto vs of three hundred and eighteene godly fathers is firmely to be beleeued moreouer to th ende the enemies of the holy Ghoste may vtterly be foyled it ratifieth the doctrine aftervvardes established touching the substance of the holy Ghost by a hundred and fifty godly byshopps whiche mett at the princely citye of Constantinople the which essence those fathers made manifeste vnto the whole world not by adding anything of their owne as if the canons of the Nicene coūcell were vnperfect but that they might declare by manifest testimonies of holy scripture what their owne opinion was of the holy ghost against such as denied the godhead thereof furthermore to the confutation of suche as doubted not to peruert the mysterie of our Lords incarnation assirming both impiously and blasphemously that he which was borne of the holy virgine was but onely man this holy councell approueth the synodicall Epistles of holy Cyrill byshopp of Alexandria written vnto Nestorius and to the byshops of the East churches partly to refell the mad and franticke opinion of Nestorius and partly also for to instruct such as are godly disposed and labour to attaine vnto the true vnderstandinge of the holye creede Againe this councell annexeth thereunto not without good consideration the Epistle of Leo the most holy archebyshop of old Rome which he wrote vnto Flauianus the most holy archebyshopp for the remouinge and rooting out of the Churche of God the fanaticall opinion of Eutyches as a worthie tract agreeing with the consession of Peter that great Apostle and as it were a stronge pillour and fortresse to vpholde the true and sincere doctrine against all erronious opinions for he valiantly encountreth with such as endeuored to deuide the mystery of the incarnation into two sonnes he excommunicateth suche as dare presume to saye that the diuinitie of the onely begotten is patible he manfully withstandeth suche as confounde or make a commixtion of both the natures in Christe he ratleth sickebraines and frentike fooles who affirme that the shape of a seruant which he tooke of vs was of a celestiall or some other kinde of substance last of all he accurseth suche as vaynely haue fayned that before the couplinge of the natures there vvere tvvo but after the vnitynge of them that there vvas but one onely nature in the Lorde VVherefore treadinge one trace and immitatinge the fayth of the holy Fathers vvhiche vvent before vs vve consesse one and the same sonne our Lorde Iesus Christe and vvith one generall consent vve saye that he is perfecte God and perfecte man true God and true man of a reasonable soule and humane fleshe subsistinge of one substance vvyth the father according vnto his diuinitye but of one substance with vs according vnto his humanitye like vnto vs in all things sinne onely excepted begotten of the father before all worlds according vnto his godhead but borne in these later dayes for our sakes and for our saluation of the virgine mary the mother of God according vnto his manhood one the same Iesus Christ the sonne the Lord the onely begotten of two natures knowen without confounding of thē without mutation without diuision without separation the distinctiō of natures not remoued for all the vniting of them but the proprietie of both natures vvholly retayned and coupled together in one person or as the Grecians say in one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not seuered parted into tvvo persons but one and the selfe same onely begotten sonne God the vvorde and the Lorde Iesus Christe euen as the Prophetts of olde and Christe him selfe aftervvardes haue instructed vs of him and the same hath the faith of the fathers deliuered vnto vs. Seeinge we haue sifted out the trueth of these thinges with great care and diligence the sacred and generall councell hath decreed that it shall be lavvfull for no man eyther to alleage or to vvrite or to frame or to beleeue or to teache any other fayth Moreouer this councell commaundeth suche as presume to deuise any other fayth or to bringe forth or to teache or to publishe any other creede vnto suche as turne eyther from paganisme or from Iudaisme or from any other secte whatsoeuer vnto the knowledge of the trueth if they be byshops that they be deposed of their byshoplike dignities if priests that they be vnministred if monks and lay people that they shoulde be accursed After the reading of these decrees Martianus the Emperour who was present at the councell of Chalcedon who made there also an Oration returned to Constantinople Iuuenalis and Maximus Theodoritus and Ibas who had bene deposed were restored to their byshopricks other thinges there were handled by the councell the whiche shall be layde downe as I saide before in the ende of this hooke They decreed besides all the aforesaide that the byshopps seae of New Rome that is of Constantinople because she enioyed the second honor after Olde Rome shoulde be chiefe and in honor aboue all other cities CAP. V. Of the sedition raysed at Alexandria about the election of Proterius and in like sort at Ierusalem AFter that Dioscorus was exiled into Gangrena a citie of Paphlagonia Proterius by the generall consent of the councell was chosen byshopp of Alexandria Beinge stalled in the seae there rose amonge the people through heate of contention a wonderfull great tumult vprore for as it falleth out in such hurliburlies some would needs cal home Dioscorus some others very earnestly cleaued vnto Proterius so that there ensued thereof great slaughter and bloodshed for Priscus the
pray you what maner of canons are now obserued when Theodoritus came in amonge them it is reported the Senate shoulde say that he came in for an accuser and that Dioscorus aunswered he was to take the rowme of a byshop The Senate then replyed that both Eusebius and Theodoritus were to stande in the rowme of accusers no otherwise then Dioscorus was to stande at the barre and to be arrayned All the actes of the seconde councell helde at Ephesus were reade and the sentence whiche they had pronounced against Flauianus and Eusebius vntill they came to a certayne clause at the hearinge whereof Hilarius the byshop beganne to speake The byshops of the East and suche as were of their side cryed Let Dioscorus be accursed In the verye same houre Christe depriued Dioscorus when Dioscorus deposed Flauianus O holye Lorde we beseeche the chastise thou him and thou O Catholicke Emperour be reuenged on him God graunt Leo may liue manye yeares God sende the Patriarche a longe lyfe Laste of all when the actes were reade whiche declared that all the byshops assembled at Ephesus had subscribed vnto the depriuation of Flauianus and Eusebius the most sage and worthie Senators sayde as followeth The nexte daye after when the councell aduised them selues somewhat better we doe perceaue that they reasoned more exquisitly of the true and Catholicke fayth VVherefore seeinge that Flauianus the byshop of worthye memorye and Eusebius the most reuerende byshop of Dorilaeum were founde not to haue erred in the fayth after we had searched the actes and decrees of the councell and also by the report of suche as were chiefe in the councell and therefore vniustly to haue beene deposed for they confessed them selues fowlye deceaued and wrongfully to haue depriued Flauianus and Eusebius It seemeth good vnto vs and no doubt God approueth the same that Dioscorus the most reuerend byshop of Alexandria if it so please our Lorde the Emperour Iuuenalis the most reuerend byshop of Ierusalem Thalassius the most reuerend byshop of Caesarea in Cappadocia Eusebius the most reuerend byshop of Armenia Eustathius the most reuerend byshop of Berytus Basilius the most reuerende byshop of Seleucia in Isauria who were then of autoritye and chiefe of the councell shoulde be punished alyke deposed of their byshoprickes by the censure and iudgement of the councell as the canons of the Church doe require be at the Emperours pleasure When their sentence was reade the byshops of the East cryed That iudgement is iust Then the byshopes of Illyrium sayde wyth lowde voyces VVe haue all done amisse and therefore we all craue pardon When the byshops of the Easte cryed agayne That sentence is iust Christ deposed the murtherer Christ reuenged the martyrs The Senators commaunded that euerye one of the byshopes then present shoulde wryte his fayth seuerallye perswadinge them selues of a suretye that the moste holye Emperour beleeued accordinge vnto the forme of fayth publyshed at Nice by three hundred and eyghteene fathers and agreeable vnto the creede framed at Constantinople by a hundred and fiftye byshops and no otherwise then the Epistles of the holye fathers Gregorie Basil Hillarie Athanasius Ambrosius and the two Epistles of Cyrill reade in the first councell of Ephesus haue directed him and that Leo the most reuerende byshop of olde Rome deposed Eutyches for the contrarye After the breakinge vp of this session in suche sort as you heare when the holy byshops had mette agayne and sate together Eusebius byshop of Dorilaeum exhibited vnto them bils of complaynt both in his owne name and in the person of Flauianus where he charged Dioscorus that he maintayned one heresie and opinion wyth Eutyches and that he had deposed them of their priesthood He added moreouer that Dioscorus had falsified the recordes by layinge downe certaine wordes which were not at all vttered in the councell then assembled together that through wiles and craft he had procured blanks for them to subscribe vnto he made sute vnto them againe that all the actes and canons of the seconde councell helde at Ephesus by their sentence and autority might be abrogated that they would restore them vnto their priestly function that they would accurse the detestable doctrine of Eutyches and last of all he requested that after the reading of the records his aduersary might be brought before the councell when this was graunted Aetius the head notary stood vp and said that he had bene with Dioscorus as with the rest and that Dioscorus had aunswered him that his keepers would not licence him to come vnto the councell It was saide moreouer that Dioscorus was sought for before the councell sate and could not be found that Anatolius byshop of Constantinople should aunswere he should both be warned and come vnto the councell This being done such as were sent vnto him returned saying from Dioscorus My keepers wil not let me come if they will licence me let them speak but when y â— messengers replied y â— they were sent not vnto the maisters of y â— ward but vnto him y â— report goeth he aunswered thus I am redy to come vnto the holy generall councel but I am staid Himerius added vnto these sayings howe at their returne froÌ„ Dioscorus Boâ—tius met by y â— way the maâ—ster of y â— holy offices that byshops accoÌ„panied him againe as he went vnto Dioscorus and y â— they had brought with theÌ„ in paper some part of their conference y â— which notes being read declared y â— Dioscorus made theÌ„ this aunswere when that I ponder this matter with my selfe and perceaue how auaileable it is for me take this aunswere seeinge the most reuerende byshops which sit in the couÌ„cell haue decreed many things after the often coÌ„ferences they had with seueral meÌ„ that I now am called to the secoÌ„d sitting for to reuoke such things as were spokeÌ„ of before my request is that the most reuerend byshops holy Senate which were present at the first session be now also at the second that the same things may now the secoÌ„d time be exquisitly handled The records doe declare y â— Acacius replied vnto him againe in this sort The holy worthy councell hath not therefore commaunded your holines to come vnto them to thend such thinges as were decided in the presence of the most reuerend byshops and holy senate should be called in agayne but sent vs purposely vnto you that you shoulde come vnto the councell and that your holynesse shoulde not be absent from them Dioscorus sayde vnto him agayne as it is recorded You tolde me alreadye that Eusebius gaue vp vnto the councell bills of complaynte well I requeste you once agayne that my cause may throughly be knowen and examined in presence of the presidents and senate After the recitall of other thinges toe and froe wyth other circumstances they sent againe vnto Dioscorus requestinge him to be present at the councell who wrote his aunswere
Alexandria departed this life in his tyme he woulde geue him the nominatinge of the nexte incumbent to succeede him in the Byshoprick Zacharie reporteth that the Emperour charged him he wente about to procure it vnto him selfe but to cleare him selfe of this suspicion he sware and protested with solemne othes he woulde neuer be Byshop if it were offered him and so gotte him home Wherefore the Emperour decreed that after the death of Timothee he should be Byshop whome both clergy and laytye would electe Shortely after Timothee died Iohn gaue a peece of money as Zacharie doth wryte neglected the othe he made vnto the Emperour and was chosen Bishop of Alexandria When this was knowen the Emperour banished him Alexandria wrote by some mens procuremente an Epistle vnto the people of Alexandria of vnitye and concorde and commaunded that Peter shoulde be restored vnto the Byshopricke condicionally if he subscribed vnto the Epistle and receaued into the communion suche as helde with Proterius CAP. XIII Howe Petrus Moggus Bishop of Alexandria receaued the Epistle of Zeno and was reconciled vnto the faction of Proterius PErgamius Liuetenant of Aegypt tooke vpon him the orderinge of this matter according vnto the minde of Acacius Bishop of Constantinople he arriued at Alexandria and there he was geuen to vnderstand that Iohn had fled away he conferred with Peter exhorted him to allowe of Zeno his Epistle wrytten vnto the people of Alexandria and to receaue into the Church such as dissented from him Whereupon Peter receaued the Epistle and subscribed vnto it promised moreouer to admit his aduersaries into the communiō After all this at a solemne meeting within Alexandria whē all the people embraced the Epistle of Zeno intitled of Concorde Peter also was reconciled vnto the faction of Proterius made a sermon vnto the people and read in the church the Epistle of Zeno which was an exhortation vnto peace and vnity CAP. XIIII The Epistle which Zeno wrote to reconcile the people of Alexandria ZEno Emperour Caesar Pius Victorious Triumphant chiefe Lord perpetual Augustus vnto the most reuerend bishops throughout Alexandria Aegypt Libya Pentapolis with the Priests Mōks laye people sendeth greeting In somuch we are certenly perswaded that the originall cōfirmation continewāce strēgth inuincible fortres of our Emperiall scepter is only vpheld by the sincere true faith the which three hūdred eighteene holy fathers deliuered vnto vs by the inspiratiō of the holy Ghost in the councell of Nice was also confirmed of a hundred fifty godly Bishops in the councel held at Cōstantinople we haue labored day and nighte not onely by prayer but with all endeuer and vvyth publishinge of lawes amply and aboundantly to sill vvith it the holy Catholick and Apostolick Church of God scattered far vvide ouer the face of the earth being the immortall and sempiternall parent of this our raygne and principalitye that the deuoute people of God continewinge the diuine peace and quietnes may poure vnto God the acceptable sacrifice of prayer together with the most holy Bishops sacred clergy with the gouernours of Monasteries Monkes them selues for the preseruatiō of our prosperous raygne For in case that almighty God and our Sauiour Iesus Christ who tooke flesh of the virgine Mary the mother of God was borne into the worlde would allowe of the general praises worship we geue vnto him receaue the same with willīg minde redines then no doubt not onely all sorts of enemies woulde vtterly be foyled but also all other nations vnder heauen would be brought subiect vnto our Empire willingly serue vs next immediatly after God then also peace the profit annexed therunto seasonable tēperature of the aer plenty of all sorts of fruite with all other things required for the vse of mā would abūdantly be ministred Nowe therfore seing it appeareth vnto all men howe both we our selues the Empire of Rome is preserued vnder the wing of the true faith the holy gouernours of the monasteries heremits with other religious mē exhibited vnto vs supplicatiōs exhortīg vs very earnestly that the most holy churches may enioy peace that the mēbers may be coupled together whiche the deuel enemy to honesty hath labored of a lōg time to part asunder for he is fully perswaded that if the body of the church being ioyntly knit together in the bond of vnity encountred with him he would quickly be ouerthrowē by reason the mēbers were seuered it came to passe that infinit multituds of mē now many hundred yeres ago departed this world some without baptisme some other without the cōmunion being void of charity the dynt of death is ineuitable it caused moreouer infinit slaughters bloodshed not only the earth but the aer also was infected with streames of blood is huinge out of the tender bowells of men And who is he I pray you that wisheth not for reformatō redresse of these things wherfore we haue done our indeuor for to certifie you that not onely we our selues but all the churches euery where haue not had in times past neither present will not haue herafter neither knowe any other that haue any other faith or doctrine then the creede spoken of before deliuered by three hūdred eighteen Byshops confirmed afterwardes by a hundred fifty fathers But if any man haue any other creede we take him not to be of the church For we beleue that through this faith only it cometh to passe that our Empire doth florish that the people by embracīg of the same are inspired with the holy Ghost washed in the sacred fountaine of baptisme it was this faith that the holy fathers in the councell of Ephesus subscribed vnto which deposed wicked Nestorius of the Ecclesiasticall ministery as many as fauored his hereticall opinion whome we also doe accurse together with Eutyches for both of them impugned the aforesayde faith and approue the twelue pointes of the faith layde downe by Cyrill of worthy memorye late Archbishop of the Catholicke church of Alexandria For we confesse that the onely begotten sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ is truely incarnate of one substance with the father accordinge vnto his diuinity of one substance with vs accordinge vnto his humanity that he came downe from heauen that by the holy Ghoste he tooke fleshe of the virgine Mary the mother of God that he is one and not two For we say that the miracles he wrought the vexations he endured in the flesh belonged vnto one person we doe condemne for euer such as deuide or confound his natures or say that he had a phantasticall body For he was truely incarnate of the mother of God without spott or blemish of sinne The Trinity remayneth neuerthelesse though one person of the Trinity to wit God the worde be incarnate VVherfore seing we learne of surety that all the holy and Catholicke Churches euery where that all the godly Presidentes
them with greate solemnity into the Martyrs temple and there laid them vp Shortely after Chosroes sent other giftes vnto this holy temple namelye amongest others a dishe made of Gold wherein these wordes were wrytten I Chosroes kinge of kinges the sonne of Hormisda caused these thinges to be wrytten in this dishe not for men to gaze at neyther that the worthines of thy reuerende name shoulde be knowen by my wordes but partely for the trueth therein contained and partly for the manifold benefites and liberality receaued at thy handes For I thinke my selfe happy that my name is ingrauen in thy holy vessels At my beinge in Beramias I made humble sute vnto thee holye Sergius that thou wouldest come and helpe me and that Sira my wife mighte conceaue And thoughe Sira were a christian and I a pagan and our lawe forbade vs to take a christian to our wife yet for the singular loue I bare vnto thee the law in this woman tooke no place and I haue not ceasâ—ed neyther doe I ceasâ—e day nighte to loue her entierelye amonge the reste of my wiues VVherefore O holye Sergius I thoughte good to beseeche thy goodnes that she might be with child And moreouer I made thee a vowe promised if Sira did conceaue I woulde sende the crosse whiche she weareth vnto thy moste holye temple Therefore I verily and Sira pondering this with our selues and purposing to keepe this crosse for a memoriall of thy name O holy Sergius haue thought good in stâ—ode of the crosse to send the price thereof and because it exceedeth not foure thousande and foure hundred staâ—â—rs we haue augmented it and made it vppe fiue thousande And from the time we made this petition and determined this with our selues vnto our comminge to Rhoson Chosâ—on there were not expired past fourteene dayes at vvhat time O holy Sergius not that I my selfe was worthy but of thine owne goodnes thou didest appeare vnto me in my sleepe and toldest me the thirde time that Sira had conceaued And I also in the same vision answered thee plainely the thirde time thaâ— whiche was conuenient and became my person VVherefore because thou graâ—â—test such petitions as are made vnto thee from that daye forthe Sira felt not the common disease of women I of myne owne parte althoughe I caste doubtes with my selfe whether I were best to credit thy wordes or no for all thou arte a graunter of requestes yet seeing that Sira had not the womens disease then was I sure of the vision and that thy wordes were true VVherefore without any more adoe I sente this crosse together with the price thereof vnto thy moste holy temple and commaunded that with the price one dishe and one cup should be prouided for the celebration of the diuine mysteries that againe there should a crosse be made a ceÌ„sar both of golde to serue the holy table and an vnicon open of either side and gilded ouer last of all that the rest of the summe which remayned shoulde be put vp to minister necessaries for thy holy house that thou O holy Sergius wilt helpe both me and Sira not onely in other things but specially in this request and that that which happened vnto vs through thy intercession by thy mercy goodnes may take prosperous successe and fall both vnto me to Sira as we wish our selues To the end both I Sira and all others throughout the world may * put theyr trust in thy power beleue in thee These presentes of Chosroes seeme to vtter such things as are agreable with the prophecie of Balaam whiche no doubt came to passe by the prouidence of God that pagans shoulde pronounce godly sentences CAP. XXI Of Naamanes the Saracen ABout that time Naamanes tribune of the people Scenetae so wicked a person that he slewe men with his owne handes for sacrifice to Deuells came to be baptised caused the golden picture of Venus to be melted with fire and turned to the vse of the poore he became so zelous that he perswaded as manye as belonged vnto him to embrace the Christian faith Gregorie after the crosses were giuen by Chosroes was commaunded of the Emperour to visite all the Monasteries called Limeta throughout the wildernes but specially where the wicked doctrine of Seuerus raygned so that he expounded vnto them the syncere true faith conuerted many townes villages Monasteries and wholl nations vnto the Church of God CAP. XXII The death of holy Symeon that dwelled in a pillour IN the meane space when moste holye Symeon was so daungerouslye sicke that there remayned for him no hope of longer life Gregorie beinge by me certified thereof made all the speede he coulde to be presente when Symeon gaue vppe the Ghoste But he had not his desire This Symeon for his rare giftes and excellente vertues passed all the men of his time he led in a pillour a seuere life euen from his tender youth in so muche that he chaunged his teeth in that mansion He was perswaded to liue in a pillour vpon suche an occasion as followeth Beinge of tender yeares playinge leapinge and skippinge to and fro about the toppes of hilles and greenes as the maner is of children he lighted by chaunce vpon a Lybard tooke his girdle and tyed him about the necke led the beaste whiche nowe had put of his fierce nature by the girdle as if it had bene a bridle and broughte him home to his Monastery His mayster who ledde his life in a pillour seeinge this enquired of him what he had in his girdle the boye answered it was a catte His mayster gatheringe hereby that he woulde proue hereafter a worthye man trayned him vppe to leade his life in a pillour In whiche pillour together with an other also standinge vpon the toppe of an hill he liued threescore and eyghte yeares replenished with all graces from aboue He caste out Deuells he cured euerye disease and infirmitye he sawe thinges to come as if they had beene presente He foretolde Gregorie that he shoulde not be presente at his deathe and that he knewe full litle of the thinges which were like to ensue after his death And when as I also muzed with my selfe after the losse of my children and examined what the cause was whye the Gentiles whiche had children at will were not visited in like sorte Symeon althoughe I vttered my secretâ—es to no man wrote vnto me that I shoulde refrayne from suche cogitations that they were suche as offended God Furthermore when the wife of my Scribe hadde her milke after shee was deliuered so stopâ—e in her breastes that there woulde not a droppe come forthe and therefore the infante was like to dye Symeon tooke her husbande by the hande bad him goe and laye it on his wiues brest This beinge done immediatly the milke came runninge out as if it had bene a streame and wet all the womans garmente Vnto these that wente before we may adde
the councell of ChalcedoÌ„ and railinge against magistrats had his tongue pulled out of his mouth â—nno Dom. â—6 Where Iohn Rhetor ended his history Euphrasius b. of Antioch died in the earthquake Euphraemius Antioch by chaunge of the name was called Theopolis Dyrrachium Corinth Anazarbus Edessa Iustinus died An. Do. 528. Iustinianus succeeded Iustinus in the Empire Theodora â—he wise of â—ustinianus â—nhereticke Honorichus king of the Vandals vvas an Arian It may seme strauÌ„ge how men coulde speake vvithout tounges The cruchie of the Vandals The humanity of insidels Thrasymundus kinge of the Vandals This battaill was â—oughte An. Do. 535 A godly vse to baptise Ethincke soul diers and tâ— pray before the taking iâ— hande of arâ— mour Procopius Caesariens histor 〈…〉 ome was reâ—uered and â—e Gotthes â—quished â— Do. 539. Siluerius Vigilius The sight of the Crosle was comfortable vnto them to put theÌ„ in remeÌ„braÌ„ce in that a nâ—ntable plight and to â—ust onely in â—â—m that died hereon The tree is â—alled huelye becaus christ â—hat geueth 〈…〉 se vnto the â—oâ—lde died â—erâ—on The curse of sinne was by Christ take away This miracle was not by vertue of the crosse but bâ— the prouidence of God for to comfort his people the christians which were not ashame of him that dyed on the crosse neyther discouraged for a the threats of the Barâ—… rian ethnick All that we done here referred vnto the pâ—oâ—… dence of God and 〈◊〉 faydâ— of 〈◊〉 Edeslaâ—â—ns not to the picture VVhen a maÌ„ is either pricked in conscience or otherwise fear full any falshood will seeme true and a mouse â—s then as big as a beare Anno Dom. â—44 Euagrius is visited with his family 〈◊〉 is both the secret part of the body the disease The age of Euagrius when he wrote this historie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth 〈…〉 vesâ—â—ll that is holloâ—â— on the toppe so consequeÌ„t 〈◊〉 here to be taken for a â—uppe Beholde the properties of this Iustinian whome he â—…ns loc so â—oâ—or and reuerence â—…f anye good thinge â—…e sound in â—…im it deserâ—eth comâ—endation Beleeue it vvho vvill there is non Iâ—ovve thaâ— vvill blame Eustochius for counting it a tale of a tubbe If he was not senâ— in all that space hovve was it know that he did not eate It is meare folly and a dishonor vâ— to God for man to slander himself The simplicitie of old time deceaued many aâ— godly man the like we done in the dayes therâ— vvere no cloke for it â—ead carkasâ—es doe commonly rather â—â—ing a plagu â—hen take it â—way straunge miracle if it â—e true how 〈◊〉 euer it be â—â—e haue to â—ike it as â—heape as we â—nde it Menas Martyrius Salustius Helias Peter Macarius Theodosius Zoilus Apolinarius Anno Dom. 555. Eutychius Vigilius b. Rome The senteÌ„ce of the â—iâ—â— generall councell helde at Constantinople A peece of the councells Epistle vnâ—o Iustinianus The hereâ—ic Iustinianus the Emrour â—â—st wept â—er Ierus 〈◊〉 he hunâ—…d he slept 〈…〉 swete â—…odâ— he â—…d vpoÌ„ the â—sse was â—…rein these â—…es no â—…unge The body of Christ was like vnto ours in all thinges sinne onelye excepted Galat. 1. Anno Dom. 566. Iustinianus went to hell as â—â—â—gâ—us thinâ—â—th Iustinus 2. was proclaimed Emperour Anno Dom. 566. The sensuality and couetoâ—â—nes of Iustinus Abari a Scythian nation were driuen out of their cuntrey by the Turckes Contention about the Empire betwene Iustinus the Vncle and Iustinus the Nephew Though god doe winke for a while he payeth home in the ende The edict of Iustinus the 2. Emperour of that name where the creede or christiaÌ„â—aith is profoundly laid down and straunge it may seeme that so vicious a man coulde endite so vertuous and so godly a stile Iohn 14. Faith chiefly required of christians Of the vnity and trinitie Howe the natures in christ are both deuided and coupled Christ willingly suffred death for the saluation of mankinde An olde custome to take money for byshopricks and beâ—â—fices it is as auncient as the deuell is No Christians may murther then prince what religion to euer he be of if he be godly God loueth his people if wicked let them take him as a 〈…〉 yet foâ— then king 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The winâ— of Daras â–ª â—…inus the â—…erour â—…g fallen 〈…〉 frensie 〈…〉 madnes 〈…〉 saileth â—…erius his 〈…〉 slour in 〈…〉 words If Tiberius were now aliue to execute for such counterfait coyne no doubt he vvould hang a great many and perhaps a fewe lawyeâ—s * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine tâ—rma a troupe as Varro thinketh quasi terdena thirtie their captaine is called decuâ—io sometake the troupe to be 32. horsmen some other 64. horsmen Curs a Scythian A wise God that could be taken in warres Hormisda king of Persia This Bonosus is of other wryters called Benedictus Anno Dom â–ª 580. Anatolius an Ethnicke The Picture of Marie vvas â—ot vvor shipped of any Christian but of Anatolius tâ—â— infidel It is vvorthie of memorie â—ayth â—uagâ—ius to see a dumbe creature â—â—â—uâ—â— the vvorsâ—ippe dâ—vve vnto â—od Here you may â—ee that Anatolius an inchaunâ—er and sâ—â—â—â—ficer to Idols prayed 〈◊〉 piâ—â—â—â—es which God detested The execution of Anatolius that sacrificed to Idols The vertues of Mauriciê° A man in office is sone espied The dreame of Mauricius father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a Goblin Mauricius was crowned Emperour Anno Dom. 583. FroÌ„ the buildiÌ„g of Rome and the kingdom of Romulus vnto the raigne of Mauricius there are 1148. yeres Euagr. lib. 3. cap. 29. Eusebius Socrates Theodoret. Sozomenus Euagrius Moises Esdras and the Prophets Iosephus Characes Theopompus Ephorus Dionysius Halicarnassaeus Polybius Appianus Diodorus Siculus Dion Cassiê° Herodian Nicostratus Dexippus Eusebius Arianus Asinius Zosimus Priscus Rhetor Eustathius Epiph. Procopius Rhetor. Agathius Iohn â—…phia the â—â—fe of Tiberius Gregorie B. of Antioch iâ— falâ—ly accused of incest The punishment of one that accused Gregorie b. of Antioch of incest 60000. persons were slaine with the ruine oâ— buyldingeâ— in the earthquake at Antioch The oration of Gregorie b. of Antioch â—nto the soldiers which rebelled and sooke of â—heir captain â—nd Emperour Occasion a slippery thig Manlius Torquatus Math. 16. 1â— Iohn 20. The wordes wâ—…hos 〈…〉 heaâ—…ng of Pâ—…a â—ngraâ—…ed in a â—â—os and sent vnto Sergius the Martyâ—s temple Iâ— ought fauor of Idolatrye remember that a pâ—â—â—an hath written theÌ„ He hath not in thâ—â—e â—…s not as much as one worde of God yet by the testimony of his owne mouth he had many wiues * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Happie is he that hath his name written in the booke of life but it is â—noughe for a pagâ— to haue his name written in a platter This king was fouly de ceaued in the martyr for it is not with the Christians as with the Magicians in Persia which at their â—ight sacrifice coulde make his wife quickelye to conceaue Statêr is a â—oyne valuinge 4.