graue Matrons the godly disposition wise gouernment of Queenes and Empresses Heere your Ladiship shall finde zealous prayers sorowefull lamentations godly Epistles Christian decrees constitutions The father admonishing the sonne the mother her daughter the Bishop his clergie the Prince his subiectes one Christian confirming an other and God exhortinge vs all Many nowe adayes had rather reade the stories of Kinge Arthur The monstrous fables of Garagantua the Pallace of pleasure the Dial of Princes where there is much good matter the Monke of Burie full of good stories Pierce ploweman the tales of Chaucer where there is excellent wit great reading and good decorum obserued the life of Marcus Aurelius where there are many good Morall precepts the familiar and golden Epistles of Antonie Gvvevarra where there is both golden witt good penning the pilgremage of Princes well penned and Clerckly handeled Reinard the Fox Beuis of Hampton the hundred mery tales skoggan Fortunatus with many other infortunate treatises and amorous toies wrytten in Englishe Latine Frenche Italian Spanishe but as for bookes of diuinitie to edifie the soule and instructe the inwarde man it is the least part of their care nay they will flatly answere it belongeth not to theyr calling to occupie their heades with any such kinde of matters It is to be wished if not all at leaste wise that some part of the time which is spente in readinge of suche bookes althoughe many of them contayne notable matter were bestowed in reading of holy Scripture or other such wrytinges as dispose the mind to spirituall contemplation I am fully perswaded that your Ladiship readeth no vayne bookes I haue seene the experience of your vertuous disposition my selfe and knowen it nowe of a long time Wherefore seeinge you haue obtained honor with them that be preseÌ„t fame for the time to come riches for your posterity an estate for your successors reputation among straungers credit amongest your owne gladnesse for your friends and that which passeth all a sure affiance in the goodnesse of God thinke it not amisse seeing it agreeth with my vocation as I beganne with the Apostle that I nowe ende with exhorting of your Ladiship to goe on still in well doinge and with requestinge of your honor louingly to accept the thankefull remembrance of the benefits which I haue receaued at your handes Let your vertuous disposition and right honorable callinge be a protection and defence that these auncient histories be not blemished in the handes of Zoylous Sycophants which as Socrates sayth being obscure persons and such as haue no pith or substance in them go about most commonly to purchase vnto them selues fame and credit by dispraising of others God send your Ladiship many ioyfull yeares From London the first of September 1576. Your Honors to dispose and commaunde MEREDITH HANMER THE TRANSLATOR VNTO THE CHRISTIAN READER AS TOVCHING THE TRANSLATION OF THESE AVNCIENT HISTORIES AS I am geuen to vnderstande good Christian reader there haue bene diuers vvhich attempted to translate these auncient Ecclesiastical histories yet haue geuen ouer their purpose partly being discouraged vvith the diuersitie and corruption of Greeke copies and partly being dismayed vvith the crookednes of Eusebius stile vvhich is by reason of his vnperfect allegations and last of all beinge vvhollie ouercome vvith the tedious studie and infinite toyle and labour The occasion that moued me to take so great an enterprise in hand vvas that I read them in Greeke vnto an honorable Ladie of this lande and hauing some leasure besides the lecture and other exercises agreeable vnto my calling I thought good to turne the priuate commoditie vnto a publique profite and to make the Christian reader of this my natiue countrey partaker also of these learned zealous and pleasaunt histories VVhen I tooke penne in hande and considered vvith my selfe all the circumstances of these Histories and founde in them certen things vvhich the autors peraduenture might haue left vnvvritten but the interpretor in no vvise vntranslated I remembred the saying of Augustine Diuinitatis est non errare It belongeth to the Diuinitie or to God him selfe not to erre and that these Historiographers vvere but men yet rare and singuler persons Daily experience teacheth vs there is no gardeÌ„ vvithout some vveeds no medovv vvithout some vnsauerie floures no forest vvithout some vnfrutefull trees no countrey vvithout some barren land no vvheate vvithout some tares no day vvithout a cloude no vvriter vvithout some blemish or that escapeth the reprehension of all men I am sure there is no reader so foolish as to builde vpon the antiquitie and autoritie of these histories as if they vvere holy scripture there is an historicall Faith vvhich is not in the compasse of our Creede and if you happen to light vpon any storie that sauoureth of superstition or that seemeth vnpossible penes autorem sit fides referre it to the autor take it as cheape as ye finde it remember that the holy Ghost sayth omnis homo mendax if so peraduenture the reader to then let the one beare vvith the other VVhere the places did require lest the reader shoulde be snared in errour I haue laide dovvne Censures of an other letter then the texte is of vvhere the autor vvas obscure I haue opened him vvith notes in the marge vvhere I founde the storie vnperfect I haue noted it vvith a starre and signified vvithall vvhat my penne directed me vnto Manie Latine vvriters haue imployed great diligence and labour about these Greeke Historiographers one translating one peece an other an other peece one interpreting one of the autors an other traÌ„slating almost all one perusing an other correcting Ierome turned Eusebius into Latine but it is not extant Ruffinus tooke vpon him to translate Eusebius Of him Ierome vvryteth in this sort Ecclesiasticam pulchre Eusebius histoâ—… texuit quid ergo de interprete sentiendum liberum sit iam cuique iudicium Eusebius hath very vvell compiled the Ecclesiasticall historie but as for the interpreter euery man hath to thinke of him vvhat himlist Beatus Rhenanus a man of great iudgement saith thus of Ruffinus In libris à se versis parum laudis meruit quod ex industria noÌ„ verba vel sensum autoris quem vertendum susceperit appendat sed vel minus vel plusculum tanquam paraphrases non velut interpres pro sua libidine plerumque referat Ruffinus deserued but small praise for his translations because of purpose he tooke no heede vnto the vvordes and meaning of the autor vvhich he tooke vpon him to translate but interpreted for the most parte at his pleasure by adding and diminishing more like a Paraphrast then a translator I finde by perusing of him that he vttered in fevv vvords vvhich Eusebius vvrote at large that he is tedious vvhere Eusebius is brief that he is obscure vvhere Eusebius is plaine that he hath omitted vvhere Eusebius is darke vvords and sentences and pages and Epistles and in maner vvholl bookes Half
to flyght and abandoned from amongest you but that also our fayth by reason of peace and concorde doth euery vvhere notably florishe God preserue you vvelbeloued brethren An other Epistle vnto Eusebius COnstantinus the puysant the mighty noble Emperour vnto Eusebius sendeth greeting Euen as welbeloued brother I haue learned of a truth and am fully perswaded that all Churches from the fundations are either through negligence gone to decay or through feare of the daūger that was like to ensue haue bene lesse repayred then they should haue bene yea vnto this present daye by reason of the grieuous maladye of spite and great tyrannye exercised vpon the Sainctes of God and the seruants of our Sauiour Iesus Christ so now liberty being restored vnto all men and that dragon and persecutor Licinnius being foyled the direction of ecclesiasticall affayres remoued from the disposition of the vulgar sort by the prouidence of Almighty God the vigilant labor of our ministery I suppose that the power and might of God is made manifest vnto all men that they which fell by reason of feare or incredulitie or other infirmitie whatsoeuer in as much as nowe they acknowledge the true God in deede will repent and returne vnto the true and right way VVherefore what Churches so euer thou doest gouerne or other places where other Bishops Priestes Deacons of thy acquaintance doe ouerse our will is that thou admonish them all that with watchful eye the buildings of the churches be looked vnto to the ende that such as stande may be repayred and also be enlarged or else vvhere necessitie so constrayneth they may be erected all new from the foundation Looke what thinges are necessarily required for buildinge see that either thou thy selfe or some other in thy name demaunde them of the Lieuetenants or rulers of our prouinces for vve haue signified vnto them by our letters that vvith all celeritie and promptnes of minde they shall supplye the vvante of such thinges as thine holines doth prescribe and thus vvelbeloued brother I committ thee to the tuition of Almighty God These thinges the Emperour wrote for the buylding of the Churches vnto the Bishops of euery prouince and what seuerally he wrote vnto Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea in Palaestina for the coppying of holy Scripture it may easily be gathered by these letters of his as followeth Constantinus the puysant the mighty and noble Emperour vnto Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea sendeth greeting In so much that in the citye vvhich is called after our name there inhabiteth a greate multitude of men our Sauiour Iesu and God the father of his prouidence sending encrease thereunto vvhich embraceth the most holy Church to the ende all the Ecclesiasticall affayres may in the same place dayly encrease more more vve haue thought good that more Churches shoulde be erected and buylded there VVherefore accept vvith louing harte vvhat our vvill and pleasure is VVe haue thought good to signifie vnto thy vvisedome that thou shouldest prepare fyftye volumes or coppies of holy Scripture written in parchment which shal be both legible hādsome portable that thou commaunde moreouer that they be written of skilfull scriueners exercised in the arte of penning our will is that the volumes comprise those bookes of holy Scripture whose penning and vse thou thy selfe shalt thinke most necessarily to auaile for the edifying of the Church Our highnes hath sent letters vnto our heade treasurer that he shoulde minister all necessaries for the prouision of these bookes It is thy part then to ouersee with speede that these vvritten coppies be made ready Moreouer by vertue of these our letters as right requireth we geue thee liberty to take vp tvvo common vvaggons for the conueying of them thither for so the vvritten coppies shal the sooner be brought vnto vs and so much the better if one of thy Deacons be put in trust therewith who when as he commeth in place shall find the proofe of our liberality God keepe thee in health welbeloued brother An other epistle vnto Macarius COnstantinus the puysant the mighty and noble Emperour vnto Macarius Bishop of Ierusalem sendeth greeting So bountifully vvas the goodnes of our Sauiour shevved towards vs that no tongue is able for the worthines thereof sufficiently to expresse this present miracle that the pleadge or monument of his most blessed passion which of late laye hidd in the bovvells of the earthe the space of so many yeares shoulde at length be reuealed vnto the seruants of God being set at libertie after conquering of the common and generall enemie it farre exceedeth all humane sense and capacitie of mans vvitt For if all the sages and vvisest sorte of men throughout the vvorlde assembled them selues together and purposed to reason and entreate hereof without doubt they coulde not for the worthines thereof satisfie with any circumstance no not the least point thereof the fayth annexed vnto this miracle is of such force and so farre exceedeth the sense and capacitie of mans nature as celestiall and diuine thinges doe passe humane and worldly affaires VVherefore this is alwayes my principall and onely marke to shoote at that euen as the true fayth reuealeth her selfe dayly by newe and straung miracles so all our mindes with all modestie and vniforme readines shoulde be fixed and more prone to the obseruation of the most holy and blessed Gospell besides this that also the vvhich I thinke euery man knovveth full vvell I vvoulde haue thee fully assured to be my chiefe care that the sayd holy place the which by the commaundement of God we haue purged from the foule weight of the filthy Idols ouerlayed therevvith as it vvere vvith a most grieuous burthen the vvhich place also vve knowe to haue bene recounted holy in maner from the beginning of the vvorlde and aftervvards also to haue yelded more euident proofes of holines by sturring vp againe the faith of the passion of our Sauiour as it vvere from out of darkenes into light be bevvtified vvith goodly and gorgeous buylding It is requisite that thy vvisedome doe cast vvith thy selfe and sett in order this work◠and carefully prouide necessaries for all circumstances to the ende that not onely the sanctuary may excell for bevvtie all the rest vvheresoeuer but that also the other partes thereof may be such as shall farre passe in excellencie of buylding all the principall Churches throughout euery citye I certify thee moreouer that toutching the making vp of the vvalls and the curious vvorkemanship thereof I haue charged our friende Dracillianus who gouerneth diuers other coasts and also the ruler of that prouince our grace hath charged them that what artificers what workemen what other thinges soeuer shall seeme expedient for the buylding they shoulde learne of thy wisedome and forthvvith be sent thither for the prouision thereof Concerning the pillers other parts of the temple to be made of marble looke vvhat thou supposest fittest both for
he did so made this answere that he tooke not feeding for a seueral vvork but as an od or superfluous thing Unto an other that asked of him the like he gaue this answere My behauiour is as you see lest the mind by pamperinge of the carkasse be pufte vp vvith fleshelye pleasure Isidorus affirmed that for the space of fortie yeares his minde had not consented to sinne that he had neuer yelded to fleshly lust or furiouse anger Pambo a simple and an vnlearned man came vnto his friende for to learne a Psalme and hearinge the firste verse of the thirtieth and eyght Psalme which is thus reade I sayde I vvill take heede vnto my vvayes that I offende not in my tongue woulde not heare the seconde but wente awaye sayinge This one verse is inoughe for me if I learne it as I oughte to doe And when as his teacher blamed him for absentinge himselfe wholle six monethes he answered for himselfe that as yet he had not well learned the firste verse Many yeares after that when as one of his acquayntance demaunded of him whether he had learned the verse sayde againe that in nyneteene yeares he had scarse learned in life to fulfill that one lyne The same man when as one deliuered him moneye to the reliefe of the poore and sayd tell the summe made answere vve neede no counters but a sound mynde and a setled conscience The reporte goeth that at the requeste of Athanasius the Bishop he came from the deserte into Alexandria and seing there a certaine light woman sumpteously attyred and gorgeously arayed to feede the eyes of fonde people to haue burst out into teares And beinge demaunded what the cause was and wherefore he wept to haue answered that two things moued him to lamente very sore One was that he sawe the gaye and painted woman to runne headlonge into destruction the other was that he was not so carefull and earnest in pleasinge of God as she busied to bayte entrappe men already burthened with sinne and iniquitie An other sayd the monke that liued idlely and labored not for his liuing vvas no othervvise to be taken them for a thiefe a roge or a vagabounde Petirus a man of greate skill in metaphysicall and diuine contemplation gaue out one precept or other continewally vnto such as cōferred with him his maner was to conclude euery sentence with a prayer Amonge the aforesayde religious men of that time there were two of equall fame and renowne of like piety and vertue of one name appellation either was called Macarius the one of the vpper parte of Aegypt the other of Alexandria it selfe bothe florished and excelled in many things as monasticall discipline institution of godly life right conuersatiō and straunge miracles The Aegyptian Macarius cured so many men cast out so many Deuells out of such as were possessed of them that all the wonderfull actes he wroughte desire a peculier volume He mingled austere seueritie with temperate reuerence and grauitie towardes them which reasoned or dealt with him The Alexandrian Macarius although in all other thinges he fully resembled him yet in this one point was he farre from his disposition for he behaued him selfe cheerefull and pleasaunt towardes all them that talked with him so that with his curteous ciuilitie and comely mirth he allured many yonge men vnto the monasticall trade of liuinge Euagrius was a disciple of theyrs who at the first was a Philosopher in word but afterwardes in dede and trueth it selfe This mā was first made deacon at Cōstantinople by Gregorie Naziāzen thence together with him he went into Aegipt and there had conference with the aforesayd religious men he became an earnest follower of theyr trade of life and wrought as many miracles as bothe the Macariuses before him He wrote learned bookes one intitled the monke or of that trade of life which consisteth of practise an other called Gnosticus of science or knowledge deuided into fiftie chapiters a third Antirreticus that is a confutation collected out of holye Scripture against the temptation of Deuells deuided into eyght partes resemblinge very fitly the number of the eight deuises or imaginations of mās mind moreouer he wrote six hundreth problemes to the vnderstanding of things to come Unto these are added two bookes inverse one vnto the mōks inhabiting the monasteries publicke assemblies the other vnto him that leadeth a virgine life what singuler books these are I referr it vnto y ◠iudgemēt of the reader Yet opportunitie serueth in my opinion presently to alleage here some part out of his booke called the monke and to linke it with this our history for thus he wryteth The institution trade of life layd downe by the monkes of old is necessarily to be knovven of vs furthermore we haue to direct our wayes thereafter For they vttered many sage sentences and did many notable and worthie acts Of which number one sayde that a drie and spare kinde of diette at all tymes precisely kept mingling brotherly charitie and loue vvithall woulde quickly purge mans minde of all perturbation and fonde humor of humane and earthly affection The same man deliuered a certaine brother that was wonderfully tormented in the night season with spirites for he charged him alvvayes vvith deuotiō to minister vnto the poore fasting Being demaūded vvhy there is no way sayth he to quenche the fierie heate of perturbation as soone as by almes and charitie One of them vvhich at that time were called vvise came vnto Antonie the iust reasoned with him saying O father how can you prolong your dayes being bereaued of that solace comfort which is by reading of bookes perusing of holy writers My booke ô philosopher sayd Antonie is the cōtemplation of all the creatures vnder heauen in the vvhich as often as I am disposed I may reade the wonderfull workes and writinges of God The olde Aegyptian Macarius the chosen vessell demaunded of mee the reason why vvhen we remember the iniuries that men do vnto vs vve doe vveaken the seate of memorie ingraffed in the minde vvhen as vve call to remembrance such spite as the deuell ovveth vs the memorie taketh no hurt and vvhen I muzed vvhat to ansvvere and requested him to resolue me the doubt he sayd that the former perturbation was contrarie to nature the later agreeable vvith the heate and anger of nature Furthermore vvhen I came vnto the holie father Macarius about noone tyme in the heate of the daye beynge sore athurst and requested of him a draught of vvater be content sayeth he vvith the shade for manie that trauayle on earth and manie that trafficke by sea haue not that VVhen that I reasoned vvith him of continencie God sende thee vvell to doe ô sonne sayeth he these tvventie yeares haue not I taken my fyll eyther of breade o◠vvater or sleepe For I eate breade by vveyght and dronke vvater by measure and
Iulianus was chosen Bishop ouer the Churches of Alexandria after that Agrippinus had gouerned there twelue yeares There moderated there at that tyme the schole of the faythfull a famous learned man called Pantaenus for that of olde exercise and disputation in holy Scripture florished among them instituted as we are giuen to vnderstande by such men as excelled in eloquence and studye of holy Scripture it is written that amonge them which then liued this Pantaenus was in great estimation brought vp among the secte of Philosophers called Stoickes he is sayd to haue shewed such promptnes of a willing minde towards the publishing of the doctrine of Christ that he became a preacher of the Gospell vnto the Easterne Gentiles and was sent as farre as India there were I say there were then many Euangelistes prepared for this purpose to promote to plant the heauenly word with godly zeale after the guyse of the Apostles of these Pantaenus being one is sayd to haue come into India where he founde the Gospell of Matthewe written in the Hebrewe tongue kept of such as knewe Christ preached there before his comming by Bartholomewe one of the Apostles and as they reporte reserued there vnto this daye This Pantaenus then after he had done many notable thinges gouerned the Church of Alexandria where by rote and by writing he published much precious doctrine CAP. X. Of Clemens Alexandrinus TOgether also at that time was Clemens founde at Alexandria well exercised in holy Scripture of the same name with him which of old was byshop of Rome and disciple of the Apostles and namely in his bookes intitled Hypotyposeon he maketh mention of Pantaenus by the name of his master I suppose him to haue meante the same in his first booke intitled Stromatôn when he recited the moste renowmed and famous men of the Apostolicke succession whome he embraced saying If it be best to confesse the trueth this present taicte of mine is not made for any ostentation but for a monumente graffed in minde or rather a medicene to expell the forgetfulnes of mine olde age that it may be vnto me a simple resemblance or a sleyght kinde of portracture of those notable and liuely men vvhome sometimes I harde vvith mine eares of vvhich both sayinges and sainctes on vvas of Grece an Ionicke an other of great Grece one of Caelosyria an other of Aegypte some from the east vvhereof one vvas an Assyrian an other of Palaestina of the Hebrevve bloode he vvhich is last in order of name vvas the first in renovvned vertue I remained in Aegyptshiftinge out such thinges as lay in secrett vvheÌ„ I founde him these haue obserued the right tradition of true doctrine vvhich before they had receaued of Peter Iames Iohn Paul holy Apostles as a sonne of the father yet very fevve like theyr fathers God no doubt disposing that those fatherly Apostolicke seedes should by them be layed vp and reserued for vs. CAP. XI Of the byshopes of Ierusalem AT this time was Narcissus byshop of Ierusalem a man very famous the fifteeneth in succession from the ouerthrowe of the Ievves vnder Adrian from which time we haue signified before the Churche after the Ievves to haue bene gouerned by the Gentiles and the first byshop of them to haue bene Marcus next him was Cassianus after him Publius after Publius Maximus after Maximus Iulianus after Iulianus Caius after Caius Symachus after Symachus an other Caius after him an other Iulianus him succeeded Capito after him Valens after Valens Dolichianus after all Narcissus the thirtieth in succession from the Apostles CAP. XII Of Rhodon and the repugnancy which he founde in the heresie of Marcion ABout the same time florished one Rhodon an Asian sometime at Rome by his owne report the disciple of Tatianus who wrote many bookes and together with others impugned the heresie of Marcion he paynteth this heresie in his time to haue bene seuered into sundry sectes the Authors of which schisme and their false positions seuerally inuented he hath sharply and in fewe wordes reprehended heare him if you please writing thus VVherefore they varied among themselues coursing an vnconstant sentence of that crue vvas Apelles pretending a politicall kinde of conuersation and sadde grauitie confessing one beginning and saying that prophecyes are of a contrary spirite fully crediting the sentences and deuelishe doctrine of a mayde called Philumaena others some as the rouer Marcion haue layde dovvne tvvo beginninges of vvhich opinion are Pontinus and Basilicus these follovving Lycus of Pontus not perceauing the right distinction of thinges no more did he runne headelong out of the vvay and published barely and nakedly vvithout shevv or proofe of reason tvvo principall beginnings â–ª againe others some falling farre vvorse haue dreamed not onely of tvvo but of three natures vvhose author and ringeleader is Synerus by the report of them vvhich fauour his doctrine The same Rhodon writeth that he had conference with Apelles saying by reasoninge vvith this olde Apelles I tooke him vvith many falsehoodes vvhereupon he sayd that no man vvas to be examined of his doctrine but euery man to continevve quietly as he beleued he pronounced saluation for such as beleued in Christ crucified so that they vvere founde exercised in good vvorkes his doctrine of the God of all thinges vvas maruelous darke and obscure he confessed on beginning agreeable vvith our doctrine after he had layde downe his whole opinion he sayth VVhen I demaunded of him hovv prouest thou this hovve canst thou affirme that there is one beginning tell vs. he made ansvvere that he misliked vvith the prophecies them selues for that they vttered no trueth but varied among them selues that they vvere false and contrary to them selues hovv that there vvas one beginning he sayd He knevve not but yet he vvas so persvvaded aftervvards I charged him to tell me the trueth he svvare he sayd the trueth neither knevve he hovv there vvas one God vnbegotten yet beleued he the same I truly condemned him vvith laughter for that he called him self a doctor and coulde not confirme his doctrine In the same booke Rhodon speaking to Calliston confesseth him self at Rome to haue bene the disciple of Tatianus he reporteth that Tatianus wrote a booke of Problemes Wherefore when as Tatianus promised to sifte out the darke speaches and hidd mysteries of holy Scripture Rhodon promised also in a peculiar volume to publish the resolutions of his Problemes his commentaries vpon the six dayes vvorkes are at this day extant but Apelles wrote infinite tractes impiously agaynst the lawe of Moses reusâ—ing in most of them the holy Scriptures very paynfull and earnest in the reprehension and as he thought in the ouerthrowe of them of these thinges thus farre CAP. XIII Of the false prophets in Phrygia and foule schisme raysed at Rome by Florinus and Blastus THat sworne enemy of the Church of God hater of all honesty embracer of all spite malice omitting no
vvolfe from the sheepe I am no vvolfe I am the vvorde the spirite and povver but let him manifestly expresse that povver by the spirite and preuayle let him compell such men as then vvere present to trye and conferre vvith that talkatyue spirite namely these vvorthy men and Bishops Zoticus of Comanum and Iulian of Apamia to confesse the same vvhose mouthes vvhen the companions of Themison had stopped they suffered not the lying spirite and seducer of the people to be rebuked In the same booke after he had layde downe other thinges to the confutation of Maximilla his false prophecyes he declareth with all the tyme when he wrote and their prophecyes foreshewing warres and sedicions whose fonde fantasies he confuteth in this sorte And hovv can it othervvise fall out but that this be founde a manifest vntrueth and open falsehoode For novve it is more then thirtene yeares agoe since this vvoman dyed and yet in all this space hath there happened in this vvorlde neither ciuill neither generall vvarres but especially the Christians through the mercy of God haue had continuall peace Thus much out of the seconde booke out of the thirde booke we will alleadge a fewe lynes agaynst them which gloried that many of them were crowned with martyrdome for thus he writeth VVhen as they are in the premisses blanked confuted and voyde of arguments they flye for shift and refuge vnto martyrs reporting them selues to haue many affirming that to be a sure and a certayne proofe of the propheticall spirite raygning among them neither is this a most euident proofe as it appeareth for diuers other hereticall sectes haue many Martyrs vnto vvhome for all that vve neither condescende neither confesse that they haue the trueth among them And first for all the Mareionites affirme they haue many Martyrs vvhen as for all that their doctrine is not of Christ him self according vnto the trueth a litle after he sayth these that are called to their tryall and to testifie the true fayth by suffring of Martyrdome are of the Churche they communicate not vvith any of the Phrygian hereticall Martyrs but are seuered from them consenting no not in one iote vvith the fonde spirite of Montanus and his vvoman and that this vvhich I saye is moste true it shall euidently appeare by the examples of Caius and Alexander Martyrs of Eumenia vvho suffered in our tyme at Apamia situated vppon the ryuer Maeander CAP. XV. Of Miltiades and his workes IN the afore sayd booke this Apollinarius remembred the Commentaries of Miltiades who likewise wrote a booke against the foresayd heresie the wordes by him cyted were in this sort these things haue I briefly alleadged and found vvritten in some one of their commentaries vvhich confute the booke of Alcibiades vvhere he declareth that it is not the property of a Prophet to prophecye in a traunce a litle after he rehearseth the Prophets of the newe Testament among whome he numbreth one Ammias and Quadratus saying as followeth A false Prophet in a traunce vvhere licence and impunitie doe concurre beginneth vvith rashe ignoraunce endeth vvith furious rage and frensie of mind as it is sayd before of this sort in such traunce of spirite they shal be able to shevve vs non of the prophetes ether of the olde or of the nevve testament neyther shall they be able to glory of Agabus of Iudas of the daughters of Philip of Ammias the Philadelphian of Quadratus neither of any other vvhich may any thing auaile them Againe he wryteth If that as they say after Quadratus and Ammias the Philadelphian these vvomen of Montanus succeeded in the gift of prophecy lett them shevve vvho aftervvardes succeeded Montanus and his vvomen for the Apostle thinketh good that the gift of prophecie should raigne in euery Church euen vnto the ende but novve for the space of these fouretene yeares since Maximilla dyed they are able to shevve vs not one so farre he this Militiades whome he remembreth leaft vnto vs in wryting other monumentes of his laboure and industrie in the holy Scriptures aswell in the bookes he wrote agaynst the Gentiles as also in the books agaynst the Ievves satisfieng confuting in two books their seuerall argumentes and opinions afterwardes he wrote an Apologie of the Christian philosophie which he embraced vnto the potentates and princes of this world CAP. XVI Apollonius his iudgement of the same heresie TO be briefe this Phrygian heresie was confuted by Apollonius an ecclesiasticall writer who then I saye at that time florished in Phrygia he published a seuerall booke against it he refuted their prophecyes accompting them for vayne lyes he plainely opened and reuealed the conuersation of such as were principall and chief patrons of this heresie of Montanus he wrote in this manner But vvhat kinde of nevve Doctor this is his vvorkes and doctrine doe declare This is he vvhich taught the breakinge of vvedlocke this is he vvhich prescribed lavves of fastinge this is he vvhich called Pepuza and Timium peltinge parishes of Phrygia Ierusalem to the ende he might entice all men from euery vvhere to frequent thither this is he vvhich ordayned tolegatherers taxers of money â–ª this is he vvhich vnder pretense and colour of oblations hath conningely inuented the arte of bribinge this is he vvhich giueth greate hyre vnto the preachers of his doctrine that by feedinge of the panche his prophecies may preuaile Thus much of Montanus and immediatly of his Prophetisses he wryteth VVe haue shevved before these first prophetisses from the time they vvere filled vvith theyr false spirite to haue forsaken theyr husbandes hovve shamefully then do they lye calling Priscilla a virgin He addeth sayinge Doth not the-vvhole Scripture forbydde that a prophete shoulde receaue revvardes and money VVhen I see a prophetisse receaue golde and siluer and precious garmentes hovve can I chuse but detest her Agayne of an other he sayth And besides these Themison also inflammed vvith the burninge thurst of couetousnesse tasted not of the tarte conyzance of confession before the tyrant but shifted himself out of fetteres vvith much money And vvhen as therefore he shoulde haue humbled himselfe yet he all in braggery as if he vvere a martyr after the example of the Apostle vvrote a catholicke epistle very presumptuously to enstructe them vvhich beleued better then he did and to exhort them to striue for the nevve doctrine together vvith him and to reuile the Lorde and his Apostles and his holy Churche Againe speakinge of one of theyr highlye esteemed Martyrs he wryteth in this sorte And that vve trouble not our selues vvith many lett the prophetisse tell vs toutchinge Alexander vvho called himselfe a Martyre vvith vvhome she hathe banqueted vvhome also many doe adore vvhose theftes and other haynous crimes vvhich he suffred for I vvill not presently rehearse for they are publickely knovven and registered vvhose sinnes hathe he pardoned vvhether doth a prophete yeld thefte vnto a
his successors of the peace graunted vnder Galienus there is no cause to the contrary but that the Reader may be made partaker thereof CAP. XXII Dionysius censure of Macrinus and Galienus the Emperous and of the heresie of the Chiliasts MAcrinus after that he had forerunne on of the Emperours and followed after the other immediatly he is rooted out with all his kinred and Galienus is proclaymed and crowned Emperour by the consent of all men both an auncient a new Emperour being before them but appearing after them according vnto the saying of the Prophet Esay the thinges of old are past beholde new things now come in place for euen as a cloude darkneth a litle the sunne beames and shadoweth the sunne it selfe shining in his spheare agayne after the cloude is resolued and vanished away the sunne vvhiche rose before the cloude shineth and taketh his course so Macrinus vvho intruded him selfe before the present raygne of Galienus is novve no Emperour no more he vvas not then but this man like him selfe as he vvas then so is he novve and the empire it selfe laying aside heauy and vvrinckled olde age and purged of the former malice novve florisheth a freshe is hearde and seene further pearâ—eth and preuayleth ouer all Then he sheweth the tyme of his writing saying thus It commeth in my minde to consider the yeares of these Emperours raygne I see hovve the moste impious vvere famous in deede but in a short vvhile after they became obscure yet this holy and blessed Emperour hauing past the seuenth novve endeth the nynth yeare of his raygne the vvich vve vvill celebrate for holy daye Besides all these he wrote two bookes of the promises of God â–ª the occasion whereof was such One Nepos a Bishop of Aegypt taught y â— the promises of God made vnto holy men in the Scriptures were to be vnderstoode after the Iewish maner sauoring 〈◊〉 much of Iudeisme he layd downe for good doctrine that after the resurrection we shoulde leadâ— a life here on earth in corporall pleasures the space of a thousande yeares and because be supposed that he was able to iustifie this his opinion out of the reuelation of Sainct Iohn he wrote a booke thereof and entitled it the reprehensions of Allegorizers This booke doth Dionysius in his workes intitled of the promises of God confute In the first helayeth downe his censure of that doctrine in the seconde he entreateth of the reuelation of Sainct Iohn in the beginning of which booke he writeth thus of Nepos CAP. XXIII Of the booke of Nepos the Chiliast the quiet conference and disputation betwene Dionysius and Coracion the Chiliast with the frute thereof THey alleadge sayth Dionysius a certaine booke of Nepos vvhereupon they grounde that vvithout all peraduenture the kingdome of Christ to become here on earth may be proued for sundry other his gifts I commende and embrace Nepos partly for his fayth his diligence and exercise in holy Scriptures partly also for his pleasaunt psalmodie vvhervvith at this day many of the brethren are delighted I highly esteeme reuerence the man specially for such a one as novve is departed to rest yet the trueth is our friende and afore all to be reuerenced â–ª and if any thing be vvell spoken it deserueth commendation and is charitably to be accepted if ought seeme not soundly to be written it is to be searched out and refuted If he were present and auoutched his doctrine by vvorde of mouth it shoulde suffice vvithout vvriting to conferre by obiections and resolutions to refell and reconcile the aduersaries but in so much there is extant a booke thereof as some suppose very probable and many doctors sett nought by the lavve and Prophets they take scorne to be tryed by the Euangelists they contemne the vvorkes of the Apostles alleadging the doctrine of this vvriter as a thing most notable and an hidd secret they suffer not the simpler sorte of the brethren to conceaue any high or magnifical thing neither of the glorious and right godly comming of our Lorde neyther of our resurrection from the deade our gathering together and vniting vvith him but trifling toyes and mortall affayres persvvading these present things to be hoped for in the kingdome of God â–ª it is necessary vve deale by vvay of reasoning vvith our brother Nepos as if he vvere present vnto these he addeth VVhen I vvas at Arsenoita vvhere as thou knovvest this doctrine first sprang so that schismes and manifest fauling avvay from the Church fell out in those congregations I called together the Elders and doctors inhabiting those villages in presence of as many of the brethren as vvillingly came and exhorted them openly to fift out this doctrine â–ª when as they brought me forth this booke as an armed fence and inuincible fortresse I sate with them from morning to night whole three dayes discussing those thinges which therein were written where I wondred at the constancy desire of the trueth intelligence or capacitie and the tractablnes of the brethren how orderly and vvith what moderation they obiected they aunswered they yelded neither endeuored they by any kinde of way contentiously to retayne their positions if they were proued false neither bolted they contradictions but as much as in them lay stucke fast confirmed their purpose â–ª and yet agayne where reason required they chaunged their opinion were not ashamed to confesse the trueth together with vs but with good conscience all hypocrisie layd aside their harts made manifest vnto God they embraced such thinges as vvere proued by demonstrations and doctrine of holy Scripture and at length the graundecaptayne and ringleader of this doctrine called Coracion in presence of all the auditors then in place confessed and promised vnto vs that thenceforth he vvoulde neuer consent vnto this opinion neyther reason of it neyther mention neyther teach it for that he vvas sufficiently conuinced vvith contrary arguments the rest of the brethren then present reioyced at this conserence at this his submission and consent in all thinges CAP. XXIIII The censure of Dionysius toutchinge the reuelation of Sainct Iohn The heresie of Cerinthus COnsequently in discourse be wryteth thus of the reuelation of Sainct Iohn Diuerse of our predecessors haue vvholy refused reiected this booke by discussing the seuerall chapiters thereof haue founde it obscure voyde of reasons the title forged â–ª they sayde it vvas not Iohns nay it was no reuelation which was so couered with so grosse a vayle of ignorance and that there was none either of the Apostles or of the Saincts or of them which belonged to the church the author of this booke but Gerinthus the author of the Cerinthian heresie intitling this as a sigment vnder the name of Iohn for further credit authoritie The opinion of Cerinthus was this â–ª that the kingdome of Christ should be here on earth and looke what he him selfe being
sundry tymes for the holy ornaments and treasure of the Churche what pride and ambicion raygned in many of them howe rashly and vnlawfully they handled diuerse of the brethren what schismes were raysed among the confessors them selues what mischieues certayne sedicious persons of late stirred vp agaynst the members of the Church which were remnants whilest that dayly with might and mayne as commonly we say they endeuored to excogitate new deuises one after an other howe that vnmercifully they destroyed and brought all to nought with the lamentable estate of bitter persecution and to be short heaped mischiefe vpon mischiefe all these aforesayd I minde to passe ouer with silence supposing it not to be our part as I haue sayde in the beginning of this booke eyther to rehearse or recorde them in as much as I am wholy bent and carefully minded to ouerslipp and conceale the memoriall of them yet if there be any laudable thinges any thing that may seeme to set forth the word of God any worthy act or famous doings florishing in the Churche I take it to be my speciall and bounden dutie to discourse of these to write these often to inculcate these in the pacient eares of the faythfull Christians and to shutt vp this booke with the noble acts of the renowmed Martyrs and with the peace whiche afterwardes appeared and shined vnto vs from aboue When the seuenth yeare of the persecution raysed agaynst vs was nowe almost at an ende and our affayres beganne by a litle and as it were by stelth to growe vnto some quiet staye ease and securitye and nowe leaned vnto the eyght yeare in the whiche no â–ª small multitude of confessors assembled them selues together at the myne pitts in Palaestina who freely occupied them selues in the rites and ceremonyes of Christian religion so that they transformed their houses into Churches the President of the prouince being a cruell and a wicked man as his mischieuous practises agaynst the Martyrs of Christ doe proue him for no other made a voyage thyther in all the haste and hearing of their doinges their trade of life and conuersation made the Emperour by his letters priuey thereunto paynting forth in the same such thinges as he thought woulde disgrace discredit and defame the good name of those blessed confessors Whereupon the maister of the myne pitts and mettalls came thyther and by vertue of the Emperours commaundement seuereth asunder the multitude of confessors so that thenceforth some should continew at Cyprus some other at Libanus and others also in other places of Palaestina and commaunded that all shoulde be weryed and vexed with sundry toyles and labour â–ª afterwards he picked out foure of the chiefe of them and sent them vnto the iudge of the which two of them were called Peleus and Nilus Bishops of Aegypt the thirde was a minister the fourth annexed vnto these was Patermythius a man wonderfully beloued for his singuler zeale towardes all men in Gods behalfe all whiche the Iudge requested to renounce Christ and his religion who when they obeyed not and seeing him selfe frustrated of his purpose gaue sentence they shoulde be tyed to a stake and burned to ashes others some againe of the confessors being not fitt for that labour and seruice by reason eyther of their heauye olde age or vnprofitable members or other infirmities of the bodye were released and charged to dwell in a seuerall and solitary place of whiche number Siluanus Bishop of Gaza was the chiefe who liuely expressed vnto all the worlde a godly shewe of vertue and a notable paterne of Christianitie this man from the firste daye of the persecution and in maner vnto the laste duringe all that space was famous for the sundry and manifolde conflictes he suffered after infinite examinations and reserued vnto that very moment to the ende he being the last might seale vp with his bloode all the conflictes of the Martyrs slayne in Palaestina there were released and partakers with him of the same affliction many Aegyptians one was Iohn who also in fame renowne excelled all the meÌ„ of our time Who although he was blind before yet the tormeÌ„tors were so truel so fierce so rigorous y â— for his great constaÌ„cy in professing y â— name of Christ they maymed with a burning sawe his left legge as the other confessors were vsed before and seared the aple of the eye bereued already of the sight with an hott scaldinge iron Let no man maruell at all at his good conuersation and godly life though he were blinde in so much that his maners deserued not such admiration as his gift of memorie where he had printed whole bookes of holy scripture not in tables made of stone as the holy Apostle sayth neyther in the â—ydes of beástes parchement or paper which moth corrupteth the time weareth awaye but in the fleshly tables of the hart that is in the prudent memory and sincere vnderstanding of the minde so that when it seemed good vnto him he was able out of the closett of his minde as if it were out of a certaine treasury of good learning to alleadge repeat y â— Law the Prophets sometimes the histories at other times the Euangelists and workes of the Apostles I confesse truely that when first I sawe the man stande in the middest of the congregation and assembly and hearde him recite certaine places of holy Scripture I wondred at him For as longe as I hearde his voice sounde in mine eares so long thought I as the maner is at solemne meetinges that one read out of a booke but when that I came neerer vnto him and sawe the trueth as it was all other stand in compasse with whole open and sounde eyes and him vsinge none other but onely the eye and sight of the minde and in very deed vtteringe many thinges much like vnto a Prophete and excelling in many thinges many of them which enioyed their senses sounde and perfect I coulde not chuse but magnifie God therefore and maruell greatly thereat â—e thought I sawe liuely tokens and euident argumentes that he was a man in deed not after the outward appearance or fleshly eye of man but accordinge vnto the inner sense and secret vnderstandinge of the minde â–ª the which expressed in this man though his body were mayned and out of fashioÌ„ greater power of his inward giftes God himselfe reachinge vnto these men mentioned before and continewinge in seuerall places and executinge their wonted trade of life in prayer and fasting with the rest of their godly exercises the right hand of his mercy and succor graunted them through martyrdom to attaine vnto an happy and a blessed ende But the deuell enemy and sworne aduersary of mankinde colde no longer away with them for that they were armed and fenced against him with prayers continewally poured vnto God but went about as he imagined to vexe them and to cut them of from the face of the earth For
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
but sodainly rushed in vpon y â— Romaines But as they skirmished together a Romaine captayne y â— was sent by Procopius for the purpose looking downe as God would from the top of a hill behelde his felow souldiers in great peril went behinde the Persians and kept them in so y â— they which a litle before besett the Romaines were now besette them selues Wherefore the Romaines when as in shorte space they had foyled these foremen they turned them selues backe towards them which rushed in vpon them through wyles and in like sort dispatched them euery one Thus it came to passe that they which called them selues immortall proued them selues mortall and thus Christ reuenged him of the Persians because that they had executed many godly men and holy saints which serued him deuoutly The king of Persia vnderstanding of this slaughter and ouerthrow fained he knewe of nothing accepted of the embassie and reasoned thus with the embassadour It is not for the Romaines sake that I now assent vnto peace but only to gratifie pleasure thee whome I have tried by experience to be for pollicie and wisdome of the chiefest among the Romaines To conclude by this meanes the warres which the Romaines held with the Persians in the quarell and defence of the persecuted Christians were ended in the thirteenth Consulship of Honorius and the tenth of Theodosius the fourth yeare of the three hundreth Olympiad and also the fiery flame of persecutioÌ„ kindled there against the Christians was wholly quenched CAP. XXI Of the pitie and compassion which Acacius bishop of Amida had on the captiues of Persia ACacius bishop of Amida was renowmed and much spoken of for a notable worke of mercie which he wrought in those dayes When the Romaine souldiers purposed in no wise to restore againe vnto y â— king of Persia such captiues as they had takeÌ„ at y â— winning of Azazena there were of them about a seuen thousande to the great griefe of the kinge of Persia all which were almost starued for foode Acacius lamented their state and condition called his clergy together and sayd thus vnto them Our God hath no neede either of pottingers or of cups for he neither eateth neither drinketh these be not his necessaries wherfore seeing the church hath many precious Jewels both of gold of siluer bestowed of the free wil liberalitie of the faithful it is requisite that the captiue souldiers should be therwith redeemed deliuered out of prison bondage that they also perishing with famine should with some part therof be refreshed relieued When he had used these other such like reasons he coÌ„maunded that the treasure should be cast traÌ„slated he made money therof sent the wholl price partly for to redeeme the captiues out of prison and partly for to relieue theÌ„ that they perished not w t famine Last of all he gaue theÌ„ their costage to were necessary prouision for their voyage and sent them back to their king This notable act of y â— renowmed Acacius brought the king of Persia into great admiration that the Romaines endeuoured to winne their aduersaries both w t warrs and w t well doing The report goeth moreouer y â— the king of Persia desired greatly y â— sight of Acacius coueted y â— presence of his persoÌ„ that the Emperour Theodosius coÌ„mauÌ„ded Acacius y â— bishop to gratifie the king therin When y â— so famous a victory was geueÌ„ from aboue many notable writers layd penne to paper published vnto y â— world y â— praises vertues of y â— Emperour extolling his name vnto y â— skies The Empresse also being y â— doughter of Leontius the Athenian sophist instructed of her father trained up in all kind of good literature set forth a poëâ—e of the same argument in heroicall verse WheÌ„ the Emperour tooke her to his wife Atticus the bishop which christened her in steede of Athenais called her Eudocia at the time of baptisme CAP. XXII Adiscourse in commendation of the vertues of Theodosius the yonger ALthough many writers as I sayd before published abroade the praises of the Emperour of which number some endeuoured by y â— meanes to crepe into his fauour some other desired thereby to blase abrode in the world the fame of their skill and knowledge lest the doctrine which they had gotteÌ„ w t loÌ„g study should be trodeÌ„ in the dust of obliuioÌ„ I of mine owne part which desire not the acquaintaÌ„ce familiaritie of the emperour neither couet arrogaÌ„tly to geue y â— world a tast of my doctrine have determined w t my selfe simply without the glorious painted shewe of Rhetoricke to publishe abrode the bertues of the Emperour For if that I should passe them over with silence being as they are both noble frutefull containing many examples for the amendement of life I shoulde in my opinion iniurie not a litle the posteritie in time to come Firste of all though he was borne brought up in y â— very pallace of the emperour yet was he nothing geueÌ„ for all y â— trade of life vnto light idle behaviour but so wise discrete y â— he seemed vnto such as had coÌ„fereÌ„ce w t him to be a maÌ„ of great experieÌ„ce Againe he was a maÌ„ of such hardines sufferaÌ„ce both inwardly in minde and outwardly in body that he could endure with great pacience the pinching colde of winter and the parching heate of sommer He was wont often to fast but specially on the wensdayes fridayes this did he to the end he might liuely expresse the Christian trade of liuing His pallace court seemed uo other then a religious house For at the dauning of the day his maner was to singe hymnes and psalmes interchaungeably together with his listers He was able to repeate holy scriptures out of the booke he reasoned of theÌ„ w t the bishops as if he had bene a priest of great continewance he was more earnest far more diligent in gathering together the bookes of holy scripture the works of the auncient fathers then me reade of old of Ptolomaus Philadelphus Furthermore he excelled all men in pacience curtesie clemencie The Emperour Iulian for all he professed the study of philosophie yet coulde he not put up the hatred of such as reuiled him at Antioch but punished extremely one of them whose name was Theodorus as for Theodosius he layd aside the subtilities quircks of Aristotle practised dayly in life the profession and study of true philosophie He learned to bridle anger to take griefe and sorow paciently to reuenge him of none that did him iniurie nay there is not the man that euer saw him angry When that one of his familiars had demaunded of him why he neuer executed any y â— had done him iniurie his answere was I would to God it laye in me to reuiue them that be dead Unto an other that
of Alexandria Eusebius Bishop of Dorilaeum Peter Bishop of Alexandria Gregorie B. of Antioch Of Gaius Cornnâ—ius Iulius Liberius Bishops of Rome Of the Councels as the Synode in Palaestina and Antioch the Councel of Nice Ariminum Ephesus Chalcedon and Constantinople Of learned vvriters as Quadratus Rhodon Africanus Miltiades Apollonius Maximus Macarius Origen Euagrius and Symeon If vve be disposed to see the Emperours their Decrees Epistles Constitutions and Edicts vve may soone finde them euen froâ— Iulius Caesar the first vnto Mauricius the last vvithin the first sixe hundred yeres namely Augustus Tiberius Caligula Claudius Nero Galba Otho Vitellius Vespasiaâ— Titus Domitian Nerua Traian Adrianus Antoninus Pius Verus Comodus Pertinax Didius Iulianus Seuerus Caracalla Macrinus Heliogabalus Alexander Maximinus Gordianus Philip Decius Gallus Aemilianus Valerianus Claudius Quintilius Aurelianus Tacitus Florianus Carus Diocletian and Maximianus CoÌ„stantius and Maximinus Constantinus Magnus and Licinius Constantinus the yonger Constantius and Constans Iulian the Apostata Iouian Valentinianus and Valens Gratian Valentinianus the yonger and Theodosius Magnus Arcadius and Honorius Theodosius iunior Martianus Leo Zeno Anastasius Iustinus Iustinianus Iustinus the 2. Tiberius and Mauricius VVe may see the Bishops hovve they gouerned Ministers hovv they taught Synodes vvhat they decreed Ceremonies hovv they crept into the Church Heresies hovv they rose and vvere rooted out If vve stande vpon the Theater of Martyrs and there beholde the valiant vvrastlers and inuincible champions of Christ Iesu hovv can vve chuse but be rauished vvith zeale vvhen vve see the professors of the truth torne in peeces of vvilde beastes crucified beheaded stoned stifled beaten to death vvith cudgels fried to the bones slaine aliue burned to ashes hanged on gibbettes drovvned brained scurged maimed quartered their neckes broken their legges savved of their tongues cutte their eyes pulled out and the emptie place seared vvith scalding iron the vvrapping of them in oxe hides vvith dogges and snakes and drovvned in the sea the inioyning of them to kill one an other the gelding of Christians the paring of their flesh vvith sharpe rasors the renting of their sides vvith the lashe of the vvhip the pricking of their vaines vvith bodkins and famishing of them to death in deepe and noysome dungeons It is a vvonder to see the zeale of their prayers their charitie tovvards all men their constancie in torment and their confidence in Christ Iesus These be they vvhome S. Iohn in his Apocalypse savve in a vision vnder the altare that vvere Martyred for the vvord of God and the testimonie of Christ Iesus vvhich cried vvith a loud voyce saying Hovve long tariest thou Lord holy and true to iudge and to aueÌ„ge our bloude on them that dvvell on the earth And long vvhite garments vvere geuen vnto euery one of them and it vvas sayd vnto them that they should rest yet for a litle season vntill their felovve seruaunts and their brethern that should be killed as they vvere vvere fulfilled The Angell telleth him vvho they vvere that vvere arayed in long vvhite garmentes and vvhence they came saying these are they vvhich came out of great tribulation and haue vvashed their long robes and made them vvhite by the bloude of the Lambe therfore are they in the presence of the throne of God and serue him day and night in his temple and he that sitteth in the throne vvill dvvell among them They shall hunger no more neither thurst and God shall vvipe avvay all teares from their eyes Very comfortable vvordes But the executioners the tyrantes and tormentours hearts vvere so hardened that neither voyces from aboue nor signes in the â—er threatning vengeance and the vvrath of God to light vpoÌ„ them neither the svvetting of stones nor the monsters that the earth brought forth could mollifie their stonie mindes The sea ouerflovved the land the earth opened and left daungerous gulphes Earthquakes ouerthrevve their Tovvnes and Cities fire burned their houses yet vvoulde they not leaue of their furie They vvere as S. Paul sayeth turned into a reprobate sense they left no villanie vnpractised in the ende many of them fell into frensie and madnes they ranne them selues vpon naked svvordes they brake their ovvne neckes they hanged them selues they tumbled them selues headlong into riuers they cutte their ovvne throtes and diuersly dispatched them selues This is the viall full of the vvrathe of God vvhich the Angell in the reuelation povvred vpon the vvaters and the voyce that folovved after may very vvell be spoken of them O Lord vvhich art and vvast thou art righteous and holy because thou hast geuen such iudgements for they haue shed out the bloud of Saincts and Prophets and therefore hast thou geuen them bloud to drinke for they haue deserued it The aforesaid Martyrs gaue forth godly sayings diuine precepts for the posteritie they sealed their doctrine vvith their ovvne bloude they spared not their liues vnto the death they are gone before they shevved vs the vvay to follovv after these good Christian reader vvith other things are to be seene throughout these Histories The Chapiters in the Greeke vvere in many places very small if I shoulde haue follovved the Greeke diuision then had I left much vvast paper I haue sometimes ioyned tvvo or three together some other times taken them as they lay yet vvhere I altered the diuision I noted in the marge the number of the Greeke Chapiters There is no raigne of any Emperour no storie almost vvorthie the noting but thou hast in the marge the yeare of the Lord for the better vnderstanding therof VVhatsoeuer I found in the Greeke vvere it good or bad that haue I faithfullie vvithout any parcialitie at all laide dovvne in English VVherfore if ought be vvell done geue the praise vnto God let the paines be mine and the profit the Readers PSAL. 113. Non nobis Domine non nobis sed nomini tuo da gloriam The life of Eusebius Pamphilus out of Sainct Ierome EVSEBIVS Bishop of Caesarea in Palaestina one that was very studious in holy scripture and a diligent searcher together with Pamphilus martyr of the diuine librarie wrote infinite volumes and amongest others these which followe Of Euangelicall preparation 15 bookes as preparatiues for such as were to learne the doctrine of the Gospel Of Euangelical demonstration 20 bookes where he proueth and confirmeth the doctrine of the newe Testament with a confutation of the aduersarie Of diuine apparition 5 bookes Of the Ecclesiasticall historie 10 bookes Of Chronicall Canons a generall recitall with an Epitome thereof Of the disagreeing of the Euangelists tenne bookes vpon the Prophet Esay against Porphyrius who wrote then in Sicilia as some doe thinke 30 bookes whereof onely twentie came to my handes One booke of Topiks An Apologie or defence of Origen in 6 books The life of Pamphilus in three books Of martyres certaine other books Vpon the 150 Psalmes very learned commentaries with sundry other workes He florished chiefly vnder the Emperour Constantinus Magnus and Constantius
Agabus one of the Prophets then present foretold them of the famine to come Paul and Barnabus were chosen messengers for the ministery of the brethren CAP. IIII. How that Caius Caligula exiling Herode with perpetuall banishment created Agrippa king of the Iewes The commendation of Philo Iudaus TIberius when he had raygned about 22. yeares died him succeded Caius which anone committed the principalitie of the Ievves vnto Agrippa and together with his kingdome the tetrarchies of Phillip and Lysanias and not long after the tetrarchy of Herode which Herode together with Herodias beinge condemned for diuerse crimes and enormityes was committed to perpetuall banishement the same Herode was he which liued about the passion of Christ these thinges Iosephus doth witnesse About this tyme Philo did flourish a man not onely excelling our owne men but also such as passed in prophane knowledge lineally by descent an Ebrue borne inferior to none of them which excelled at Alexandria But what labour and industrye he hath employed in diuine discipline and the profit of his natiue countrey his workes now extant playnely doe declare and how farre forth he preuayled in philosophicall and liberall artes of prophane knowledge I suppose it nothing necessary to repeate But imitating the trade of Plato and Pythagoras he is sayd to haue excelled all the learned of his tyme. CAP. V. How Philo being sent in Embassye for the Iewes vnto Caius the Emperour behaued him selfe VVHat befell vnto the Ievves vnder Caius this Philo hath written in fiue bookes wherin he setteth forth the madnesse of Caius how he published him selfe God and besides dealt spicefully an innumerable sorte of wayes Moreouer what calamities happened vnto the Ievves in his tyme though Philo him selfe was sent in Embassye for his owne nation which inhabited Alexandria vnto the city of Rome and how that he pleading for the lawes of his contrey people gayned nothing but gibes and iestes returning with great hazarde of his life Iosephus made mention of these thinges in the eyghtenth booke of his Iudaicall Antiquities thus by word writing VVhen that dissention rose among the Ievves Graecians inhabiting Alexandria both parties seuerally sent three legates vnto Caius vvhereof Apion one of the legates for the Graecians of Alexandria shamefully entreated the Ievves vvith many opprobrious and blasphemous termes adding this vvith all that they despised the maâ—estye of Caesar And vvhen as all they vvhich vvere tributaryes to the Romaynes dedicated altars and temples vnto Caius and esteemed of him in all other respects as God These onely Ievves be they vvhich disdaynefully vvithstoode this honour done vnto him of men and accustomed to prophane his name After that Apion had thus spoken many and greeuous thinges to the ende he might incenâ—e Caius agaynst theÌ„ as it vvas very likely to be done Philo one of the Ievves legates drevv nigh a man excelling in all thinges and brother of Alexander Albarchus not ignoraunt in philosophy and of hability sufficient to aunsvvere the opprobrious crimes layde to their charge But Caius excluded him commaunding him forthvvith to departe and because he vvas throughly moued he seemed aâ— though he vvent about to practise some mischiefe tovvards him Philo bâ—ing â—euned vvent forth and vnto the Ievves vvhich vvere vvith him in company he â—ayd VVe ought to be of good cheare for by â—ight God should take our part Insomuch that Caius is incensed to the contrary thus farre Iosephus And Philo him selfe declareth at large in his written Embassye the thinges which then were done Whereof omitting many thinges I will presently toutch that whereby it may euidently appeare vnto the Reader what euils not long after happened vnto the Ievves for the thinges which by rashe enterprise they practised agaynst Christ. First of all Seianus in the city of Rome vnder Tiberius in great creditt with the King endeuored with al might possible to destroy al the Iewish nation And Pilate in Iudaea vnder whom that villany was committed against Christ practised against the temple which stood at Ierusalem that which seemed vnto the Ievves vnlawfull and intollerable whereby he greeuously vexed them CAP. VI. VVhat miseryes happened vnto the Iewes after that haynous offence which they committed agaynst Christ. PHilo doth write that after the death of Tiberius Caius hauing obtayned the empire vexed many with manifold and innumerable afflictions but chiefly among all others the nation of the Iewes which in few of his wordes may be gathered writing thus so greeuous sayth he vvas the dealing of Caius Caligula tovvards all men but specially bent agaynst the nation of the Ievves vvith greate indignation that in other cities yet beginninge in Alexandria he vvoulde chaleng vnto him selfe their prayers and supplications paynting in euery place the figure and forme of his proper picture and reiecting all others successiuely by might and force to place him selfe and dedicating the temple in the holy city vntill that tyme vndefiled free euery vvay to him selfe and his proper vse translating and consecrating the name to nevv Caius as a famous God And infinite more mischeeues which can not be tolde the same Philo reporteth to haue happened vnto the Ievves at Alexandria in his second booke of vertues And Iosephus agreeth with him which likewise signifieth all the miseryes of these men to haue had their originall from the tyme of Pilate and their rashe enterprise against Christ Heare then what he sheweth in the second booke of the Iudaicall warres thus writing worde by worde Pilate being sent from Tiberius Lieuetenant into Iudaea couertly conueyed by night into Ierusalem the vayled picture of Caesar vvhich they call his Armes vvhich thinge vvhen day appeared moued the Ievves not a litle For they vvhich vvere nearest vnto them at the sight therof stamped them vvith their feete as if they had bene abrogated lavves They iudged it an haynous offence that any carued image should be erected in the city But if thou conferre these with the trueth in the Gospell thou shalt easily perceaue how that not long after the voyce pressed them which they pronounced before Pilate saying VVe haue no other King but Caesar Moreouer the same historiographer reporteth an other calamity to haue eftsones ensued the former saying After this he raised an other tumulte for their heaped treasure vvhich they call Corbon vvas vvasted vpon a conduyte reaching the space of three hundred furlonges This vvas the cause of the commotion among the Ievves and vvhen Pilate vvas present at Ierusalem they compassed him crying out vnto him But he foreseeing their conspiracy assigned certayne armed souldiers in outvvarde shevv of apparell like vnto the common people vvhich he mingled vvith the multitude commaunding that no svvord should be vsed but such as of the multitude clamorously murmured a signe being giuen from the tribunall seate he caused to be beaten to death vvith clubbes The Ievves being thus foyled many perished of their vvoundes and many in their flight being
trodden of their felovv citizens vvere crushed to death At this lamentable slaughter the multitude being thus quayled vvas silent Besides these an innumerable more altercations to haue bene at Ierusalem Iosephus declareth teaching how that from that tyme sedition warres and often practises of mischeefs incessantly haue shaken not onely the city but all Iudaea vntil at length the vtter foyle by their besieging vnder Vespasian ouerreached them Thus hath vengeance lighted vpon the Ievves for their horrible fact committed agaynst Christ. CAP. VII How Pilate slewe him selfe I suppose it necessary to know this also how that it is reported of Pilate President in the tyme of Christ vnder Caius of whose tyme we made mention before that he fell vnto such misery so that necessity constrayned him to vse violence vpon him selfe and became his owne murtherer The iustice of God as it seemed best vnto his wisedome not long wincking at his wickednes Hereof the Graecians are witnesses which commit to memory in their historyes the Qlimpiades of tymes CAP. VIII Of the famine in the tyme of Claudius WHen as Caius had not fully helde the royall scepter the space of foure yeares Claudius the Emperour succeeded him vnder whome a great famine afflicted the whole world The same also haue they deliuered in their Commentaries vnto vs which farre dissent from our doctrine And the prophecy of Agabus the Prophet foreshewing in the Actes of the Apostles the famine that shoulde ouerspred the worlde came thus to passe Luke in the Actes signifieth this famine to be vnder Claudius saying that the brethren of the Churche of Antioche sent reliefe euery one after his hability vnto the faythfull inhabiting Iudaea by the handes of Paul and Barnabas CAP. IX The martyrdome of Iames the Apostle About that tyme that is vnder Claudius Herode the King stretched forth his hande to vexe certayne of the Churche and slevve Iames the brother of Iohn vvith the svvorde Of this Iames Clemens in the 7. of his Hypotyposeon reporteth a certayne history worthy of memory which he receaued by relation of his predecessors saying He truely vvhich drevv him before the tribunal seate vvhen he savv that he vvould vvillingly suffer martyrdome vvas thervvith moued voluntarily confessed him selfe to be a Christian Then vvere they both brought together but he in the vvay requested Iames the Apostle to pardon him vvhich after he had paused a litle vpon the matter turning vnto him aunsvvered Peace be vnto thee and kissed him and so they vvere both beheaded together Then Herode as the holy Ghost witnesseth perceauing the death of Iames to haue pleased the Ievves layeth wayt for Peter whome when he had taken he cast into prison whose death he had procured had not the Angel of the Lorde by diuine apparition assisted him by night miraculously lousing his fetters and restoring him to the office of preaching And such was the will of God concerning Peter CAP. X. How that Agrippa otherwise called Herode persecuting the Apostles and extolling him selfe felt the heauy hand of God to his destruction THe enterprises of the king against the Apostles of Christ passed not long vnpunished For immediatly after his priuy practises agaynst the Apostles as it is in the Actes when he was in Caesarea vpon an high solemne day arayed in a gorgeous and princely robe preaching vnto the people from his lofty tribunall seate the plague of God as messenger of iustice apprehended him and when as the whole multitude in compasse had showted to his prayse that to their hearing the voyce of God and not of man proceeded from him ▪ the Angell of the Lorde as the Scripture witnesseth smote him so that he was consumed of wormes and miserably finished his mortal life And that consent is worthy of memory which is found betwene holy Scripture in this miraculous fact and the history of Iosephus wher he deliuereth vnto vs a manifest testimony of the trueth to witt in the ninetenth booke of Iudaicall Antiquities writing this miracle in these wordes Novv vvas the thirde yeare of his Lieuetenantshipp throughout all Iudaea come to an ende vvhen he vvent to Caesarea vvhich of olde vvas called the tovvre of Straton there he published spectacles and stageplayes in the honour of Caesar and ordayned a solemne feaste day for his prosperous affayres Vnto this feaste frequented the vvhole multitude of those vvhich vvere chiefe in that prouince and aduanced to highest promotion and dignity The seconde day of these spectacles the king putting on a robe of siluer vvonderfully vvrought at the davvning of the day came to the theatre vvhere his siluer robe by reflexe of the sunne beames being lightned yelded so gorgeous a glistring to the eye that the shining thereof seemed terrible and intollerable to the behoulders Flatterers forthvvith one one thing an other an other thing bolted out such sentences as turned in the ende to his confusion saluting him for God and adding thervvithal be gratious though hitherto vve haue feared thee as man yet hēceforth vve confesse thee to be aboue mortall nature These thinges the king rebuked not neither repelled this impious flatterie But vvhen he a litle after looked about he behelde an Angell hanging ouer his head The same foorthvvith he supposed to be a messenger of euill vvho before vvas of goodnesse Sodenly he felt him selfe pricked at the hart vvith extreme vehemencie of paine in his bovvels heauily beholding his friendes saide I vvhich seeme to you a God am novve constrayned to end the race of this lyfe fatal destinie hath founde fault vvith your fonde flatteries vvhich of late you sounded to my prayse I vvhich vvas saluted immortall am novve caryed avvay redy to yeelde vp the ghost I his destinie no doubt is to be borne vvithall vvhich God hath decreed For vve haue liued not miserably but in that prosperous estate vvhich is termed blessed VVhen he had vttered these vvordes he sickned more more Then vvas he carefully circūspectly caried vnto the Palace but the rumor vvas spred abroad ouer al the contrey that vvithout peraduenture he vvould dye shortly The multitude foorthvvith together vvith vvomen and children couered vvith sackcloth after their contrey manner made supplication vnto God for their king so that all sounded of sorovve and lamentation The king lying in an high lodging and beholding the people prostrate vpon their knees could not refrayne frō teares But after that he had ben vexed the space of fiue dayes vvith bitter gnavving of his bovvels he ended this lyfe being the fiftie and fourth yere of his age and the seuenth of his raigne For the space of foure yeres he raigned vnder Caius Caesar gouerning the tetrarchie of Philip three yeres And the fourth yere that vvhich he tooke of Herode the other three yeres he passed vnder Claudius Caesar These thinges I deepely way that Iosephus and others together with the diuine scriptures hath truely alleaged But if any seme to mislyke
writing of these things entreated of the firste preachers of the Gospell and the rites deliuered them of the Apostles of olde it is manifest to euery man CAP. XVIII The commendation of Philo the cataloge of his workes whereof many are not extant THis Philo flowed in wordes he was deepe of vnderstanding highe and profounde in the contemplation of holy Scripture he compiled a diuerous and variable exposition of the Scriptures prosecuting after his order and maner aswell the tract of the booke of Genesis with the Allegoryes thereof as the summe in the chapiters contayned laying downe the questions incident and solutions to the same entitling his booke the questions and solutions incident in Genesis and Exodus There are besides extant of his seuerall tractes of his Problemes Namely tvvo bookes of Husbandry so many of drunkenes and certayne others hauing their proper and peculiar title whereof one is vvhat the sobre minde prayeth or vovveth also of the confusion of tongues of vvandring and finding of Conuenticles vnto discipline of that vvho can be heyre of the goods of God or vvhat diuision can be of equalls and contraryes of the three vertues whereof Moyses with others hath written Moreouer of them vvhose names are changed and vvhy they vvere changed where he witnesseth him selfe to haue written agayne and againe of testaments There is extant a volume of his of banishment and of the life of a perfect vvise maÌ„ according vnto righteousnes or of vnvvritteÌ„ lavves Agayne of Gyaunts or that the Godhead is not changed â–ª of dreames which according vnto Moyses are giuen from aboue fiue volumes And thus much of them which he wrote on Genesis that came to our handes We haue also knowne vpon Exodus fiue bookes of questions and of the tabernacle and of the tenn commaundements and foure bookes of them vvhich by nature of lavves may be referred vnto the tenn commaundements of the sacrifices of beastes vvhat kindes of sacrifices there be of that vvhat revvardes are set forth to the good and godly in the lavv vvhat punishmentes and curses to the vvicked There are founde also certayne seuerall bookes of his as of Prouidence and of the Ievves of Politickes and of Alexander and concerning that that brute beastes haue reason Agayne that he is a slaue vvhich is vvicked and there foloweth an other booke that he is free vvhich is godly After these he wrote of the life contemplatiue or vvorshippers whence we borowed those thinges which we alleadged concerning the Apostolike mens liues the interpretations of the Hebrue names in the lawe and Prophetes are attributed vnto his industrye This Philo comming to Rome in the time of Caius wrote a booke of the impiety of Caius wittely cloking it with the title of vertues which booke being read before the Romayne Senate in the tyme of Claudius was so well thought of that his bookes were chayned in the publique library as famous Monuments At the same tyme when Paul had trauayled in compasse from Ierusalem to Illyricum Claudius vexed the Ievves when Aquila Priscilla with certayne other Ievves were expulsed Rome and camâ— to Asia where they had their conuersation together with Paul who then confirmed the Churches whose fundations he had lately layed Whereof the holy Scripture in the Actes of the Apostles sufficiently enstructeth vs. CAP. XIX VVhat calamity happened vnto the Iewes in Ierusalem vpon Easter day WHen Claudius as yet raygned so great a sedition and sturre was raysed in Ierusalem about the feaste of Easter that of them onely which were pressed in the porches of the temple crushed and trodden to death vnder foote there were slayne thirty thovvsand Ievves and that festiuall day was vnto the whole nation a day of mourning Lamentation being raysed throughout al their dwelling places And this Iosephus doth write worde by word Claudius assigned Agrippa the sonne of Agrippa King of the Ievves When Felix was sent to be Lieuetenante of the whole prouince of Samaria Galilaea and the region beyonde Iordane VVho after he had raygned thirtenth yeares and eyght moneths dyed leauing Nero to succeade him in the Empire CAP. XX. VVhat calamity happened at Ierusalem vnder Nero the sedition betweene priest and people The death of Ionathas the high priest VNder Nero Felix being procurator of Iudaea there was then raysed a sedition betweene the Priestes which Iosephus in the twentyeth booke of Antiquities describeth thus there rose dissention betvveene the high priestes and inferior priestes and chiefe of the people at Ierusalem Euery one gathering vnto him a company of Russians and cutters plaied the captayne they skirmished among them selues they vexed one another they slynged one at another but there vvas none to bridle them And these things frely vvere done in the city as though there had bene no President So impudent and past all shame vvere the high priestes become that they stucke not to sende and take avvay from the barne floores the tythes due vnto the inferior priestes so that in the ende it fell out that the priestes vvere seene to perishe for pouertye The violence of these seditious persons prenayled beyonde all right and reason Agayne the same Historiographer writeth that at Ierus 〈…〉 about that time there rose a certayne multitude of theues or robbers which slewe them by day that mett them in the streetes and especially on the holy dayes confounding them selues with the multitude and carying weapons couered vnder their garmentes they wounded the chiefe men and when the wounded fell downe they drewe them selues to them that were incensed agaynst the theeues and so brought to passe through the cloking of their prankes they could not be apprehended To be briefe he writeth that Ionathas the high priest was slayne of them first and dayly after him many and the feare to haue bene greater then the calamity it selfe because that euery man euery houre looked for death as in warre CAP. XXI Of the sedition that the Aegyptian Sorcerer moued whereof the Actes make mention COnsequently aftâ—r these he annexeth other thinges saying vvith a greater plague did the Aegyptian being a false prophet afflict the Ievves VVhen he came vnto those partes and chalenged vnto him selfe being a sorcerer the credit of a Prophet he gathered together about a thirty thovvsand of seduced people vvhome he guyded from the vvildernes vnto mount Oliuet vvhence he might make an embushment vpon Ierusalem and if he obtayned his purpose to exercise tyranny partly vpon the Romayne vvatch and partly vpon the people â–ª vsinge to his vvicked enterprise the company of headye and vvilfull svvashebucklers But Felix preuenting his violence mett him vvith armed Romayne souldiers vvith vvhome all the rest of the people conspired ready to reuenge them selues of them After their meeting and assault geuen the Aegiptian vvith a fevv fledde his vvay and many of his adhaerents vvere foyled and taken aliue Thus farre Iosephus in the seconde of his historyes I thinke it also very expedient to conferre with these that
auncient fathers thus much shall suffice fourtene Epistles of Paul are manifest and well knowen but that diuers reiected the Epistle which is vnto the Hebrues alleadging the contradiction of the Churche of Rome that it was not Paules I thinke it requisite to knowe and what our Predecessors hereof haue thought I will lay downe when occasion serueth The Actes which goe vnder the name of Paule were neuer taken as vndoubted And because the same Apostle in his Epistle vnto the Romaines saluteth certayne and amongest others Hermes therefore appoynt they the booke called Pastor to be his which hath bene gaynesayd of many therefore not to be numbred amonge those bookes which are for certayne Others thought this booke very necessary especially vnto them that haue neede of an elementall introduction but we haue knowne him to haue bene publikely reade in the Churche and alleadged of many auncient writers in their workes let this much be spoken of the holy Scriptures as well of the generally receaued as of the doubtfully reiected CAP. IIII. Of the succession of the Apostles THat Paul preaching vnto the Gentyles planted the Churches from Ierusalem vnto Illyricum it is manifest both by his owne wordes and the testimony of Luke in the Actes In what prouinces Peter preached vnto them of the circumcision and deliuered the doctrine of the newe testament it appeareth by his wordes and also by the Epistle whiche of trueth is sayde to be his written to the Hebrues scattered throughout Pontus Gallacia Cappadocia Asia and Bythinia But how many and what sincere followers haue fedd the Churches planted by the Apostles it can not be affirmed but as farre forthe as can be gathered out of the wordes of Paul He had many fellowe laborers and companions as he called them whereof diuers haue purchased immortall memorye for so much as he maketh continuall mention of them in his Epistles and Luke in the Actes repeting the most famous remembreth them by name Timothe is reported to be the firste Bishop of Ephesus and Titus of the Churches in Creta Luke by lyne of Antioche by profession a Phisician hauinge his conuersation of purpose for the moste parte with Paule and the reste of the Apostles lefte vs proofes of skyll comprysed in two volumes medicinable for our soules healthe sought out amonge them One of the Gospell whiche he reporteth to haue published accordinge as he receaued of them whiche from the beginninge were behoulders and mynisters of this doctrine so that he searched all from the originall the other of the Actes of the Apostles where he compiled not onely the thinges hearde with his eares but also the thinges whiche he sawe with his eyes And of Paule they saye that he accustomed to mention the Gospell of Luke when he spake as of his owne sayinge accordinge vnto my Gospell Amonge the other fellowes of Paule Crescens is witnessed to haue bene sent by the Apostle him selfe into Fraunce Toutchinge Linus we spake before that he was the firste Byshop of Rome after Peter whome he remembreth to haue bene with him at Rome in his latter Epistle vnto Timothe And Clemens the thirde Byshop of Rome is proued by his testimonye to be Paules fellovve laborer and companion Moreouer Dionysius the Areopagite whome Luke in the Actes reporteth to haue firste beleued at the Sermon of Paule vnto the Athenians preached in Areopagus was the firste Bishop of Athens but an other Dionysius there was Byshop of the Churche of Corinthe In processe of our history we will dilate of the successors of the Apostles in their seuerall tymes succeeding nowe let vs turne vnto that whiche consequently dependeth vpon the historye CAP V. Of the vtter besieging of the Iewes after the passion and resurrection of Christ AFter that Nero had raygned thirtene yeares Otho and Galba one yeare and six monethes Vespasianus was counted a potent Prince in Iudaea amonge the armyes appoynted against the Ievves and being proclaymed Emperour of the hoast that there was forthe with he is sent to Rome committing vnto his sonne Titus the warres in hande agaynste the Ievves therefore after the ascention of our Sauiour because the Ievves besydes the haynous offence committed agaynst Christ had compassed manyfould mischiefes against his Apostles firste stoning Stephen to death next beheading Iames the sonne of Zebede and the brother of Iohn with the sworde and aboue all Iames their first Bishop after the ascention of our Sauiour with the manner afore mentioned and draue out of Iudaea the rest of the Apostles pursuing them to the deathe with innumerable wyles when as nowe they were sent by the power of Christ to preache vnto all nations sayinge vnto them goe teache all nations in my name Yea and the congregation of the faythfull in Ierusalem forewarned by an oracle reuealed vnto the beste approued amonge them that before the warres beganne they shoulde departe the cytye and inhabite a village beyonde Iordan called Pella into the whiche when the Christians leauing Ierusalem had entred and the holy men had forsaken the princely principall citye of the Jevves together with all the lande of Iudaea the heauye hande of God apprehended that wicked generation vtterly to roote them from amonge men whiche had practysed so presumptuously agaynst Christ and his Apostles howe many mischiefes haue happened at that tyme vnto this whole nation and howe they chiefely whiche enhabyted Iudaea were driuen to extreame myserye and how many millions of men throughout euery age together with women and children perished with the sworde with famyne and with infinite other kindes of deathe and how many and what cityes of the Ievves were destroyed to be shorte howe many calamityes and more then calamityes they sawe whiche fledde vnto Ierusalem as the Metropolytane and best fortyfied citye Moreouer the state of the whole warres and the seuerall actes thereof and howe at lengthe the abomination of desolation foreshewed by the Prophetes standing in that famous temple of olde suffered a diuerous destruction and an vtter ouerthrowe by fire he that listeth to knowe let him reade the historye of Iosephus where all these are diligently described I thinke it necessarye to note howe Iosephus writeth that vppon the solempne dayes of Easter there were gathered together at Ierusalem out of all Iudaea to the number of three hundred Millions and there shutte vp as it were in prison saying It vvas requisite that destruction due for their desert dravvinge nighe by the iust iudgement of God shoulde apprehende them vpon those dayes being as it vvere shutte vp in prison in the vvhiche they before had dravvne the Sauiour and benefactor of al men the anoynted of God vnto his passion Omiting those thinges whiche particularly happened vnto them eyther by sworde or by other kinde of misfortune I thinke it expedient to expresse their onely calamityes by famine so that the reader may partely hereby coniecture howe that God not longe after was reuenged on them for their impiety
Iosep bell Iud. lib. 6. cap. 1. 2. Their estate was miserable the famyne lamentable the slaughter out of all measure such as came out of the city were hanged on gibbetts such as fledde away were taken of the fugitiues tvvo thousand had their bowels ript to see whether they had swalowed vp any golde lib. 6. cap. 15. report came vnto Titus that from the 14. of Aprill vntill the 14. of Iune there were brought out at one gate of the city fiftene thousande one hundred and foure score Ievves which dyed of famine bell Iud. lib. 6. cap. vlt. The temple is sett on fire the priestes the women and children with other people which hid them selues in vautts in walls and in corners of the temple which also were burnt to ashes came to six thousande lib 7. cap. 11. Titus tooke the citye the souldiours killed vntill they were weary Titus commaunded all that wore armour to be slayne such as were olde weake and feeeble the souldiours dispatched the yong the lusty and profitable they shutt vp in a certayne place of the temple for further consideration Many were solde for a smale price there were many to be solde but few to bye all the theeues robbers and seditious persons within the city he commaunded forth with to be dispatched the chosen yong men of goodly bodyes and tall stature he reserued for triumphe seuentene thousand of elderly yeares he sent bound to Aegypt for slauery druggery â–ª many others through out the prouinces he allotted for spectacles and teeth of wild beastes â–ª as many as were vnder sixtene yeres â–ª of age were solde â–ª of such as were shutt vp in the temple for further consideration during the time of this deliberation and disposed order there dyed tvvelue thousande of famine Iosep bell Iud. lib. 7. cap. 15. 16. The number of the captiues during the tyme of the warres mounted to foure score and seuentene thousande The number of all that dyed during the siedge within Ierusalem came to tenne hundred thousande no maruell at all that the city could comprise so many for at the feast of the Passeouer Cestius being Lieuetenant of Iudaea sent Neroworde that the high priestes had numbred at his request all that came to offer which came to seuen and tvventy hundred thousande lib. 7. cap. 17. and suche was the wofull and miserable ende of the Iewes Iosephus moreouer lib. 7. bell Iud. cap. 18. writeth of Ierusalem that it was taken at sondry tymes before his wordes be these Ierusalem vvas taken the 2. yeare of the raigne of Vespasian the 8. day of September it vvas taken fiue tymes before then agayne destroyed Asochaeus King of the Aegyptians after him Antiochus then Pompeius after these Herode and Sosius tooke the city and kept it â–ª and before that tyme the King of Babylon by conquest destroyed it a thousande three hundred three score yeares eyght moneths and six dayes after the building thereof The first founder of this city vvas the most potent Prince of the Chananits called after his contrey language The iust king â–ª for such a one he vvas in deede â–ª therfore he first ordayned a priesthood vnto God and hauing first buylded the temple he termed the city Ierusalem vvhich afore vvas called Solyma Leobius King of the Ievves hauing vanquished the Chananits deliuered the city to be inhabited of his ovvne people the vvhich vvas ouerthrovvne by the Babylonians foure hundred three score foure yeares and three monethes after From Leobius the King vvhich vvas the first Ievve that raygned in it vnto the ouerthrovv vnder Titus there vvere one thousande one hundred seuenty and seuen yeares Yet for all that neyther did antiquity preuayle neyther great riches profit neyther the fame dispersed throughout the whole worlde fauour them neyther the great glory they put in their religion helpe them at all that the city shoulde not perishe Discite iustitiam moniti non temnere Christum CAP. IX Of Iosephus and his commentaries in the ninth and tenth chapiters folowing BEsides all this I thinke it good not to be ignorant of Iosephus him selfe that hath stoode vs in so great steade for the furnishing of this our present historye whence and of what kindred he came which circumstance he him selfe sheweth saying thus Iosephus the sonne of Mattathias a priest of Ierusalem vvhich him selfe also at the first impugned the Romaynes and vvas necessarily present at the finall ende of their vvofull miseryes because of the Ievves of that tyme. This man was famous not onely among his owne nation but also among the Romaynes so that at Rome he was thought worthy the honor of a grauen picture and the bookes which diligently he wrote were thought worthy of the publike librarye He wrote tvventy bookes of Iudaicall Antiquities he testifieth him selfe therefore worthy of creditt that he gathered in seuen bookes the Romayne vvarres of his tyme and published it both in the Greeke and Hebrewe tongues Certayne others worthy the reading passe vnder his name for example Tvvo volumes of the Antiquitie of the Ievvish nation where he aunswereth Apion Grammaticus and certayne others which at that tyme impugned the Ievves and endeuored to disgrace the natiue lawe of the Iewishe nation In the first he layeth downe the number of the bookes of the olde testament deliuered by tradition and receaued without gainfaying of the Ievves saying as foloweth CAP. X. How Iosephus mentioned the bookes of the old testament and diuers of his owne THe bookes of the holy Scripture sayth he are not innumerable amongst vs disagreeing dissenting one from an other but only xxij contayning the circumstances of all times and vvorthy of creditt fiue of these are Moses vvorkes contayning the lavves the state of man continevved vnto his death the tyme of them contayneth litle lesse then three thousand yeares The Prophetes vvhich liued after Moses comprised in thirtene bookes the famous actes of their tymes from the death of Moses to Artaxerxes vvho after the death of Xerxes vvas king of Persia The other foure containe Hymnes vnto God and admonitions for the amendment of mans life From Artaxerxes vnto our tymes there are continuall bookes yet not of such creditt as the former in so much there is not diligently layd dovvne a continuall succession of the Prophets It is very apparent vvhat affection vve beare vnto our Scriptures because there is novv so much time past and yet none of vs dare presume either to adde any thinge thereto or to diminish anything therefro or to alter any thinge thereof this is engrassed in the sevves from their youth vp that they persvvade them selues this doctrine to be the vvritinges of God and to perseuere in the same and vvillingly if necessity so constrayne to dye in the quarrell these wordes I haue thought commodiously to haue bene by vs alleadged out of his commentaryes this writer hath published one other and no simple volume of the rule of reason whiche some haue fathered vppon
to be short a theefe for he keepeth this mountayne ouer against the church together vvith his associates the Apostle then renting his garment and beating his heade vvith greate sorrovv sayde I haue left a vvise keeper of our brothers soule prepare me a horse and let me haue a guyde he hastened out of the churche rode in post being come vnto the place appoynted he is straight vvayes taken of the theeuishe vvatch he neither flyeth neither resisteth but exclamâ—th for this purpose came I hither bringe me vnto your captaine vvho in the meane space as he vvas armed behelde him comminge but eftsones vvhen he savve his pace and knevve that it vvas Iohn he vvas stroken vvith shame and fledd avvay the olde man forgetfull of his yeares vvith might pursueth him flying and cryeth My sonne vvhy flyest thou from me thy father vnarmed and olde O sonne tender my case be not afrayde as yet there remayneth hope of saluation I vvill vndertake for thee vvith Christe I vvill dye for thee if neede be as Christ did for vs. I vvill hazard my soule for thine trust to me Christ sent me â–ª but he hearing this first stoode still turning his countenance to the ground next shoke of his armour anone trembled for feare and vvept bitterly He embraced the olde man comming vnto him aunsvvering as vvell as he coulde for vveeping so that agayne he seemed to be baptized vvith teares the shaking of the hande onely omitted The Apostle vvhen he had promised and protested to procure for him pardon of our Sauiour and prayed and fallen vpon his knees and also kissed his right hande novve clensed through repentance brought him vnto the Churche agayne VVhen that also he had povvred forth often tymes prayers for him and stroâ—gled vvith him in continuall fastinges and mollified his minde vvith diuers and sundry sermons and confirmed him departed not as the reporte goeth before he had fully restored him vnto the Churche â–ª and exhibited a greate example of true repentance a greate tryall of nevve birth and a singular token of the visible resurrection this haue I taken out of Clemens partly for the history and partly also for the profitâ— of the Reader CAP. XXI Of the order of the Gospells NOw we will forwardes and entreate of the vndoubted wrytinges of this Apostle And firste let there be no staggering at his Gospell which is well knowne of all the Churches vnder heauen Why it was of olde placed the fourthe after the other three it shall thus appeare The diuine holy men namely the Apostles of Christ leading a passing pure life hauing their mindes be decked with euery kinde of vertue vsed rude and simple speache yet of a diuine and forcible power which they had receaued of Christ neither knewe they nether endeuored they to publish the doctrine of their â—â—ister with curious paynting of wordes but vsing the demonstration of the holy spirite which wrought with them and the onely power of Christ which brought miracles to perfection they shewed the knowledge of the kingdome of heauen to the whole worlde being nothing carefull at all for the writinge of bookes And this they brought to passe being occupied with a greater worke and in maner exceeding the strength of man Paul the mightiest of all the rest in the setling of wordes and best armed with the power of perfect senses wrote but very short epistles whereas he might haue layd downe infinite thinges yea and secretes being rapt vnto the thirde heauen and behoulding celestiall things yea brought into paradyse it selfe and there thought worthy to heare secrete mysteries neyther were the rest of the Disciples of our Sauiour namely the tvvelue Apostles and the seuenty with other innumerable ignorant and vnskilful herein And yet of al these the Disciples of our Sauiour Matthew Iohn wrote gospels Who as report goeth were constrained therunto for Matthew when he had first preached vnto the Hebrevves now passing vnto other people wrote his Gospell in his contrey language supplying by writing in his absence y â— which was desired in his presence When Mark and Luke had published their gospels â–ª Iohn say they in all y â— space preached without writing but at length was moued to write for this cause It is reported that when the bookes of the three Euangelistes were through out the worlde and come into his handes he allowed them and yelded of them a true testimonye wishing that the declaration of such thinges had bene printed in their bookes which were done at the first preaching of Christ the Reader may perceaue these three Euangelistes to haue onely sett forth the doinges of our Sauiour one yeare after the imprysonment and captiuitye of Iohn the Baptist which may be gathered by the beginning of their histories for after the xl dayes fasting and the annexed temptation Matthewe sheweth the time of the beginning of his historye saying VVhen he had hearde that Iohn vvas taken he returned from Iudaea into Galilee And Marke likewise after that sayth â—e Iohn vvas taken Iesus came into Galilee And Luke also before he had mentioned the doings of Iesu obseruing the same manner Herode saythe he proceeding in his haynous offences shutt vp Iohn in prison Iohn the Apostle beinge for these causes entreated wrote the tyme passed ouer of the former Euangelistes with sylence and therein the Actes of our Sauiour namely which went before the imprisonment of Iohn which he partly signified writing thus this vvas the first of the miracles vvhich Iesus did partly with all mentioning the doinges of Iohn the Baptist who as then baptized in â—non by Salem which is euident when he sayth for as yet Iohn vvas not cast into prison Iohn then in his Gospell deliuereth such thinges as were done of Christ before the coâ—â—iâ—â—ing of Iohn the other three beginne with the mention of Iohns imprysonment vnto him that recoâ—â—yleth the Euangelistes thus they shall not seeme discrepant in so much that the Gospell of Iohn contayneth the former doinges of Christe the other the latter lastinge vnto the ende therefore not without cause Iohn passeth ouer with silence the genealogye of our Sauiour accordinge vnto the fleshe being afore amply layde downe by Matthewe and Luke and beginneth with his diuinitie reserued of the holy Ghost for him as the mightier thus much shall suffice concerning the Gospell written by Sainct Iohn The cause why Marke wrote his Gospell we haue declared before Luke in the beginninge of his historye sheweth the occasion of his writing signifying that diuers nowe already had imployed their diligent care to the setting forthe of such thinges as he was fully perswaded of deliuering vs very necessarily from their doubtful opinion why left that he by his Gospell declareth vnto vs the sure and certaine narration of such thinges whereof he had receaued the truthe sufficiently partely by the company and conuersation of Paul partely also throughe the familiaritie
Alexandria in his seconde booke after he had remembred the reuelation of Sainct Iohn receaued by tradition of olde he reporteth of this man thus Cerinthus vvhiche founde the Cerinthian heresie â–ª gaue his figment a name for the further creditt thereof his kinde of doctrine vvas this â—he dreamed the kingdome of Christ shoulde become earthly and sett vppon those thinges vvhich he lusted after novv being couered vvith his fleshe and compassed in his skinne that is the satisfying of the belly and the thinges vnder the belly vvith meate vvith drinke vvith mariage and that he might the more colerably bring his deuelish deuices to passe he dedicated thereunto holy dayes oblations and slaughter for sacrifices so farre Dionysius but Irenaus in his first booke against the heresies layeth downe certayne more detestable opinions of his And in his thirde booke he reporteth a historye worthy the memorye as receaued by tradition of Polycarpus saying that Iohn the Apostle on a certayne time to bayne him selfe entred into a bathe and vnderstandinge that Cerinthus there vvithin bayned him selfe also started a side and departed forthe not abiding any tariance vvith him vnder the same â—ouffe signifying the same to his company and saying let vs speedely goe hence lest that the bathe come to ruyne vvherein Cerinthus the enemy of the truth baineth him selfe CAP. XXVI Of Nicolas and such as of him are called Nicolaïtes AT the same time the heresie of the Nicolaïtes spronge whiche lasted not longe after wherof the reuelation of S. Iohn made mention they boast that he was one of the Deacons ordayned together with Stephen of the Apostles to minister vnto the poore Clemens Alexandrinus in his thirde booke of stromatôn reporteth thus of him This Nicolas sayth he hauing a beautifull vvoman to his vvife after the ascention of our Sauiour vvas accused of ielousie and to cleare him selfe of that cryme brought forth his vvife and permitted him that lysted to marye her but his follovvers say that their doing is agreable vvith that saying that is the fleshe is to be brydled and so follovving that doing and saying vvithout all discretion they sinne vvithout all shame in silthy fornication but I heare that Nicolas accompanied with none other then his proper wife allotted vnto him by wedlocke and of his children his Daughters to haue endured virginity his sonne to haue remained vncorrupt the case being thus in y â— he brought forth his wife for ielousie ouer the which he was accused into the middest of the Apostles it was to cleare him oâ— the â—â—â—me layde to his charge and to teache the brydling of the fleshe by contayning and refrayning voluptuous lust and pleasure He woulde not as I suppose accordinge vnto the precept serue two masters lust and the Lorde they say that Mathias after this maner commaunded by instruction the fleshe to be ouercome and tamed yelding vnto it not one iote which might tende vnto pleasure and that the soule hereby shoulde take encrease by fayth and knowledge Thus much shall seeme sufficiently spoken toutching them which then depraued the truth and sodainely came to naught CAP. XXVII Of the Apostles which liued in wedlocke CLemens whose wordes lately we alleadged after the premises against them which relece and rebuke mariage reciteth the Apostles which liued in wedlocke saying VVhat doe they condemne the Apostles for Peter and Philip employed their industry to the bringing vp of their children Philip also gaue his Daughters to mariage And Paul in a certaine epistle sticked not to salute his vvife vvhiche therefore he ledd not aboute that he might be the redier vnto the ministation In so much then that we haue made mention hereof it will not seeme tedious if we alleadge an other historye worthy the notinge which he wrote in his seuenth booke after this manner they say that Sainct Peter going to his house and seeing his vvife ledd to be executed reioyced greatly because of the calling and cryed out vnto her vehemently exhorting and comforting her calling her by her name and saying O vvoman remember the Lorde such vvas the mariage of the godly and the entire affection of faithfull friendes And thus muche as pertinent to my purpose hereof I thought good here to alleadge CAP. XXVIII Of the death of Iohn and Philip the Apostles OF the deathe of Paule and Peter the tyme eke and the manner their resting place also after their departure hence we haue spoken of before and of Iohn toutchinge his appoynted tyme we haue tolde before but of his resting place or tombe we are enstructed by Polycrates his epistle this Polycrates was Bishop of Ephesus whiche he wrote vnto Victor Bishop of Rome where he remembreth also Philip the Apostle and his Daughters after this maner foâ— in Asiâ— sayth he greate pleadges of Christian religion rested them selues â–ª vvhiche shall rise the laste daye at the comming of the Lorde vvhen he shall come from heauen vvith glorye to seeke out all the Sainctes â–ª Philip one of the tvvelue Apostles â–ª resteth in the dust of the earthe at Hierapolis and tvvo of his Daughters vvhiche ledd their vvhole lyfe in virginitye the thirde vvhose conuersation vvas directed by the holy Ghoste resteth at Ephesus And Iohn vvhiche leaned on the breaste of our Sauiour vvho beinge also a Priest vvore the garment petalum A martyre and a doctor rested at Ephesus thus much of their endes In the Dialogue of Gaius mentioned before Proclus agaynst whom be proposed the question testifieth agreeable vnto that before of the death of Philip and his Daughters saying After this the foure Prophetisses the Daughters of Philip vvere at Hierapolis in Asia their sepulchre is there to be seene and their fathers also â–ª so farre he â–ª Luke in the Actes of the Apostles maketh mention of the Daughters of Philip dwelling at Caesarea in Iudaea with their father which were endued with the gift of prophecye saying VVe came to Caesarea and entred into the house of Philip the Euangelist vvhiche vvas one of the seuen and there made our abode this Philip had iiij Daughters vvhiche vvere virgines and Prophetisses â–ª thus much of the Apostles and apostolicke tymes and the thinges deliuered vnto vs by holy Scriptures of the canonicall and disalowed Scriptures though read of many in many Churches of the forged and farre from the Apostolicall rule as farre forth as we could learne Now to that whiâ—â— followeth â–ª CAP. XXIX The martyrdome of Symeon Bishop of Ierusalem AFter Nero and Domitian vnder that Emperour whereof we minde now to entreate the rumor went euery where throughout the cityes that persecution was raysed agaynst vs Christians through populare seditions in the which we learned that Symeon the sonne of Cleopas the seconde Bishop of Ierusalem ended his life with martyrdome hereof is Aegesippus a witnesse whose wordes we haue oft alleadged for he writing of certayne Hereticks geueth vs to vnderstand how that the afore sayd
CAP. XVIII Of the workes and writinges of Iustinus IVstinus hathe leaft vnto the posterity many monuments of his instructed minde and right vnderstanding full of all kind of profitt vnto the which we referre the studious readers and withall we will note such as came to our knowledge first a supplication vnto Antoninus Pius and his sonnes and to the Romayne Senate in the defence of our doctrine Agayne an Apology vnto y â— sayd Emperours successor by sirnamâ— Antoninus Verus whose time we presently do prosecute He wrote also agaynst the Gentiles where at large he disputeth many questions both of ours and the heathenish philosophers doetrinet of the nature of spirites altogether impertinent for this our present purpose He wrote an other booke also agaynst the Gentiles intituled a confutation or reprehension After that of the monarchie of God collected not onely out of the sacred Scriptures but also out of prophane wryters Next one intituled Psaltes An other of the soule as by way of annotation alleaging diuersâ— questions and many opinions of the heathen philosophers differring the consutation and his definitiue sentence vntill an other place Lastly of all he wrote a dialogue agaynst the Ievves disputing at Ephesus with Tryphon then a famous Doctor among the Ievves where he beelaâ—eth how the mercifulnes of God brought him to the knowledge of the true fayth how he diligently studied philosophie and earnestly sought after the trueth In that dialogue of the Ievves declaring their spite against the doctrine of Christ he inueieth against Tryphon thus You haue not onely hardened your selues from repentance but haue sent chosen men from Ierusalem vvhich shoulde passe through out the vvorlde and pronounce that there vvas a certaine Christian Heresie spronge slaunderinge vs as the rest doe vvhich knovve vs not so that thereby you proued your selues authors of falsehood not onely to your ovvne people but to all other nations He wryteth also how that vnto his time the gifte of prophecy flourished in the Church He remembred the reuelation of Iohn plainely affirming that it was the Apostles he alleageth many places of the prophets charging Tryphon that the Ievves rased them out of the Bible It is reported he wrote many other things well knowne vnto diuerse of the brethrâ— His workes of old were in great reuerence Irâ—â—â—â—â— in his fourth booke remembreth him saying Iustinus vvryting agaynst Marcion sayth very vvell Nether vvoulde I haue beleued in the Lord if he had shevved any other God besides the maâ—â—â— of all thinges And in his first booke â–ª Iustinus sayd vvell that before the coÌ„ming of our Sauiour Sâ—thaÌ„ durst not blaspheme God in so much he knevve not certainely of his condemnation before that tyme. These thinges were needfull to be noted that the â—â—â—sous mightâ—â—â—â—nestly embrarâ— his workes so farre concerning Iustinus CAP. XIX The succession of Byshops in Rome Alexandria and Antioche IN y â— eight yeare of the sayd Emperours raygne when as Anicetus had bene byshope of Rome eleuen yeares Soter succeded And in Alexandria after that Celadion had gouerned fourteene yeares Agryppas came in place* In the Church of Antioche Theophilus was the sixt from the Apostles Heros the fift Cornelius the fourth CAP. XX. VVhat ecclesiasticall persons flourished at that time IN those dayes Egesippus flourished in the Churche one of the moste auncient and Dionysius byshope of Corinthe and Pinytus byshope of Creta Philippus Apollinarius Meliton Musanus Modestus but specially Irenaeus of all which number there are monuments leaft in wryting vnto the posteritie of their Apostolicke traditions and sounde fayth CAP. XXI By the reporte of Egesippus he declareth what vniforme consent in relligion there was in that age and who of olde were authors of sectes and heresies EGesippus in his fiue bookes left vnto the posteritie a full remembrance of him where he declareth that comminge to Rome and conferringe with many byshopes he founde them all of one minde and the same doctrine we haue also to vnderstande of the worthy reporte alleaged by him toutching the Epistle of Clemens wrytten vnto the CorinthiaÌ„s saying The church of Corinthe remayned in the pure and right rule of doctrine vnto the tyme of Primus byshop there vvith vvhome meaninge the Corinthians sayling to Rome I conferred and abode many dayes and vvas conforted very much by reason of them and their doctrine Being come to Rome I stayd there vntill that Anicetus vvas stalled byshop vvhose Deacon vvas Eleutherius vvhome Sother succeded and after him Eleutherius In all their successions and in euery one of their Cities it is no othervvise then the lavve and prophets and the Lorde himselfe preached The same author reciteth y â— originalles of y â— heresies in his tyme wryting thus After that Iacobus Iustus had bene martyred in such sorte as Christ himself vvas put to death this vncle SimoÌ„ Cleopas vvas chosen byshope vvhome all preferred because that he vvas the Lordes seconde kinsman vvherefore they called that church a pure virgin for as yet the deuell had not sovvne there any corrupt seed of false doctrine But Thebulis because he vvas not chosen byshop vvent about to corrupt the same beinge partaker of the seuen heresies vvhere of one is Symon of vvhome the Simoniani and Cleobius of vvhome Cleobiani and Dositheus of vvhome Dositheani and Gorthaeus of vvhome Gorthaeani and Masbothaei of vvhome spronge the Menandrianists Marcionists Carpocratians Valentinians Basilidians and Saturnilians vvhereof euery one hath sett a broche a proper seuerall opinion Of these sprang the false christs the false prophets the false-apostles renting a sunder the Church vvith their false doctrine directed agaynst God Christ our Sauiour The same author describeth likewise y t old heresies of the Ievves saying There vvere in the time of the circumcision sundry sectes among the children of Israell varying in opinions sett opposite agaynst the tribe of Iuda and Christ namely theese the Essaeans â–ª the GalilaeaÌ„s the Hemerobaptistes the Masbothaeans the Samaritans the Sadduces the Pharises diuerse other thinges he wryteth of the which haue bene partly remembred of vs before and applyes to their proper and peculier places Afterwardes he maketh relation of the Gospell after the Hebrevves and Syrians and seuerally of certayne Hebrue dialectes and that 〈◊〉 meanâ—s of the Hebrevves he attained vnto the Christian fayth with a recitall of other vnwrytten traditions of the Ievves â–ª Moreouer Egesippus and yet not onely he but also Irenaeus with the whole assembly and company of the elders â— haue termed the prouerbes of Salomon wisedome it self replenished with all kinde of vertue and godlines and by occasion reasoninge of the Scriptures called Apocrypha he sayde that in his time diuerse of them were published by Heretickes hereof thus much now to that which by order of history we are bounde vnto CAP. XXII Of Dionysius Byshop of Corinthe â–ª and his Epistles FIrst we haue to speake of Dionysius â–ª who being byshop of Corinthe freely
the Lorde vvrought these thinges phantastically vve vvill leade them vnto the practised examples of the Prophetes and proue out of them that they all prophecied of him after this manner and that these thinges vvere done in deede and that he vvas the onely sonne of God VVherefore in his name they that be his true Disciples receauing grace of him bende their vvhole might to this ende that euery one after the quantitie of the talent receaued doe benefitt the other brethren some soundely and truely expell deuills so that they being deliuered of their euill spirites embraced the fayth and vvere receaued into the Church others haue the foreknovvledge of thinges to come they see diuine dreames propheticall visions others cure the deseased and sickly restore them to their health by their laying on of handes Novv according to our former saying the deade vvere raysed to life and liued together vvith vs many yeares for the gracious giftes of the holy Ghost are innumerable vvhich the Church dispersed throughout the vvhole vvorlde hauing receaued disposeth dayly in the name of Iesus Christ crucified vnder Pontius Pilate to the benefitt of the Gentyles seducing none neither selling to any at any pryce as she hath receaued them freely so freely she bestovveth them Againe in an other place Irenaeus writeth as vve haue hearde of many brethren in the Churche vvhich had the gift of prophecying vvhich vvere able through the holy Ghost to speake vvith sundry tongues vvhich coulde reueale the secretes of men vvhere it so behoued and expounde the darke mysteries of God thus much of the diuersity of giftes which florished among the worthy men vnto that time CAP. VIII VVhat Irenaus wrote of and concerning the holye Scriptures canonicall and the septuagints translation FOr as much as in the beginning of this our treatise we haue promised in their seuerall places to alleage the testimonies of the auncient ecclesiasticall elders and writers which they haue written to our knowledge deliuered to the posteritie toutchinge the canonicall scriptures of bothe the olde and newe testament nowe we will endeuour to performe the same And beginninge with Irenaeus firste of all let vs see what he hath written of the newe testament his wordes are these Matthewe deliuered vnto the Hebrues the historie of the Gospell vvritten in theire ovvne tongue VVhen Peter and Paul preached at Rome and planted the churche after their departure Marke the disciple and interpreter of Peter also deliuered vs in vvritinge suche thinges as he had hearde Peter preache and Luke accompanyenge Paul comprised in one volume the Gospell preached of him After these Iohn the disciple of our Lorde vvhich also leaned on his breaste published a Gospell vnto the posteritie remaining at Ephesus This hath he written in his thirde booke And in the fifte of the same argument he reasoneth of the reuelation of Sainct Iohn and the calculation of Antichristes name These thinges beinge thus vvhen as in all true and auncient copies this numbre is layde dovvne and they also testifie the same vvhiche savve Iohn vvith their eyes and the vvorde it selfe teacheth vs that the number of the beastes name according vnto the numbring of the Gentiles is declared by the letters expressed in the vvord it selfe A litle beneath of the same thus he sayth VVe doubte nothing of the name of Antichrist of the vvhich vve affirme sure certenly for if his name at this present vvere openly to be published no doubt it had bene done by him vvhich pronounced the reuelation â–ª neither vvas the reuelation seene long agoe but vvelnighe in this our age vnder the end of Domitians raigne thus muche he sayed of the reuelation of Sainct Iohn He hath made mention of the firste Epistle of Iohn citing thence many testimonies also of the former of Peter and he not onely knewe but allowed of the booke of Hermes intituled Pastor sayeng That vvritinge hath very vvell pronounced vvhich saithe before all thinges beleue there is one God vvhich hath created and made perfect all thinges c. Hee hath vsed also certaine sentences selected out of the booke of VVisdome of Solomon where he sayeth The sight of God bringeth incorruption incorruption dravveth a man vnto God He cyteth the woorkes of some one Apostolicke elder whose name he passeth ouer with silence yet pronounceth his interpretation of holy scripture Moreouer he remembred Iustinus Martyr and Ignatius alleaging their writinges for testimonies he hath promised to confute Marcion in a seuerall volume but of the translation of the olde testament by the septuagintes heare what he writeth in these wordes God then vvas made man the Lord himselfe hath saued vs geuing vs a Virgine for a signe not as some saie vvhich presume to interprete the Scriptures beholde a damsell shall conceaue and bring forth a sonne as Theodotion the Ephesine and Aquila of Pontus translated vvhich vvere both Ievvish proselytes vvhom the Ebionites folovving haue taught that Christ vvas borne of Ioseph and Marie After a fewe lynes he addeth sayinge Before the Romaine empire grevve to be of suche force vvhen as yet the Macedonians helde Asia Ptolomaeus the sonne of Lagus fullie minded to erect a librarie at Alexandria and to replenishe the same vvith all such good bookes as vvere extant requested of the Ievves inhabiting Ierusalem that they vvould sende him their bookes translated into the Greeke tongue they forasmuche as they vvere as yet subiect vnto the Macedonians sent vnto Ptolomaeus seuentie elders from among them very skilfull in their bookes and both the tongues God no doubt disposinge this thinge after his pleasure Ptolomaeus for tryals sake fearing if they conferred together they vvould conceale the truth reuealed in their bokes commaunded them seuerally euery man by himselfe to vvrite his translation and this in euery booke throughout the olde testament VVhen as they all came together in presence of Ptolomaeus and conferred the translations one vvith an other God vvas glorified and the Scriptures diuine in deede vvere knovven for all they from the beginninge to the endinge had expressed the selfe same thing vvith the selfe same vvordes and the selfe same sentences so that the Gentils then present pronounced those scriptures to haue bene translated by the instincte and motion of the spirite of God neither may it seme maruailous vnto any man that God brought this to passe for vvhen as in the captiuitie of his people vnder Nabuchodonosor the scriptures vvere perished the Ievves returning into their ovvne region after seuenty yeares in the tyme of Artaxerxes King of Persia he inspyred Esdras the priest of the tribe of Leâ—â— that he restored agayne all the sayinges of the former Prophetes and delyuered vnto the people the lavve geuen by Moses thus farre Irenaeus CAP. IX Of Iulianus Bishop of Alexandria and Pantaenus there professor of diuinitie WHen Antoninus had raigned ninetene yeares Comodus tooke the rule of the imperiall scepter in the first yeare of whose raigne
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
coÌ„mentaries of Heraclitus vpoÌ„ Paul Maximus of y â— common question in hereticks mouthes vvhence euill proceedeth and that this substance vvas made Candidus of the creation of vvorke of the sixe dayes Appion of the same argument Sixtus of the resurrection and a certein tracte of Arabianus with a thousande mo all whiche writers time doth not permitte neither is it possible to publishe them in this our history because they minister no occasion to make mention of them CAP. XXV Of suche as from the beginning impugned the heresie of Artemon the behauiour of the hereticke and his presumption in reiecting and corrupting the scriptures AMong these bookes there is found a volume written against the heresie of Artemon â–ª which Paulus Samosatenus in our daies endeuored to reuiue wherin is coÌ„tained ah history worthy to be published among these our histories diuersly from euery where collected â–ª wheÌ„ this boke had coÌ„futed y â— said presuÌ„ptuous heresy which affirmed Christ to be a bâ—â—e naked maÌ„ that the authors therof had gloried of it as an auncient opinioÌ„ after many lynes leaues to the coÌ„fuâ—acion of this blasphemous vntrueth he writeth thus They affirme that all our aunâ—â—â—ours â–ª yea and the Apostles them selues vvere of that opinion and taughte the same vvith them and that this their true doctrine for so they call it vvas preached embraced vnto the time of Victor the thirtenth bishop of Rome after Peter corrupted by his successour Zephyrinus this peraduenture might seeme to haue some likelyhoode of trueth vnlesse firste of all the holy scriptures reclamed next the bokes of suÌ„dry meÌ„ loÌ„g before the time of Victor vvhich they published against the gentiles in the defence of the trueth in the confutation of the hereticall opinions of their time I meane Iustinus Meltiades Tatianus and Clemens vvith many others in all vvhich Christ is preached and published to be God VVho knovveth not that the vvoorkes of Irenaus Melito and all other Christians do confesse Christ to be both God and man to be shorte hovve many psalmes and hymnes and Canticles vvere vvritten from the beginninge by the faythfull Christians vvhich â—ounde and singe Christ the vvorde of God for no other then God in deede hovv then is it possible accordinge vnto their report that our auncetors vnto the time of Victor should haue preached so vvhen as the ecclesiasticall censure for so many yeares is pronounced for certeine and knovven vnto all the vvorlde and hovve can they chuse but be ashamed thus vntruely to reporte of Victor vvhen as they knovve for suretie that Victor excommunicated Theodotus a tanner the father and founder of this Apostasie vvhich denyed the diuinitie of Christ because that he firste affirmed Christ to be but onely man if Victor as they reporte had bene of their blasphemous opinion hovv then could he haue excoÌ„municated Theodotus the author of that heresie but Victor was thus affectionated when he had gouerned y â— ecclesiasticall function the space of tenne yeares Zephyrinus succeeded him about the tenth yere of the raigne of Seuerus The same author which wrote the aforesaid booke against the founder of this heresie declareth a certeine historie that was done in the time of Zepherinus after this maner Therfore to the ende I may aduertise diuerse of the brethren I vvil rehearse a certaine historie of our time vvhiche as I suppose if it had bene in Sodome they vvold haue fallen to repentaÌ„ce There vvas one Natalius vvho not loÌ„g before but eueÌ„ in our time becam a coÌ„fessor this Natalius vvas on a tyme seduced by Asclepiodotus an other Theodotus an exchauÌ„ger they both vvere disciples of Theodotus the taÌ„ner vvho theÌ„ being author of this blasphemous opinioÌ„ as I sayd before vvas excoÌ„municated by Victor bishop of Rome for Natalius vvas persvvaded by theÌ„ for a certeine hire revvarde to be called a bishop of this heretical opinioÌ„ to vvete a huÌ„dreth fifty peÌ„ce monethly to be payd him Novv he being thus linked vnto theÌ„ the Lord vvarned him oft by visions for God and our Lord Iesus Christ full of mercy compassion vvold not that the vvitnesse of his passioÌ„s should perishe vvithout the churche for that he vvas altogether carelesse negligeÌ„t in marking the visions froÌ„ aboue being novv as it vvere hooked vvith the svveete baites of primacie honour filthy lucre vvherby thousands do perishe at leÌ„gth he vvas scurged by an Angel of the Lord. for the space of a vvhole nyght chasticed not a little so that vvhen he rose earely in the morning couered in sackcloth sprinckled in ashes vvith much vvoe many teares he fel dovvn flatte before the feete of Zephyrinus bishope of Rome not after the manner of a cleargie man but of the laye people beseaching the churche prone alvvayes to compassion vvith vvatrishe eyes and vvette cheekes for the mercie of Christ to tender and pitie his miserable case so that vsinge many petitions and shevvinge in his bodie the printe of the plaguye stripes after muche adoe he vvas receaued vnto the communion We thinke best to adde vnto these other relations of the same author for thus he writeth They corrupted the holye sacred scriptures vvithout any reuerence they reiected the canon of the auncient faith they haue bene ignorant of Christ not searching vvhat the holie scriptures affirmed but exercisinge them selues therein siftinge it to this ende that some figure or forme of a syllogisme myght be founde to impugne the diuinitie of Christ and if any reasoned vvith them out of holie scripture forthvvith they demaund vvhether it be a coniuncte or a simple kinde of syllogisme layenge asyde holye scripture they practise Geometrie as beynge of the earth they speake earthlye and knovve not him vvhiche came frome aboue Euclides amonge a greate many of them measureth the earth busielie Aristotle and Theophrastus are hyghlye esteemed Galen is of diuerse vvorshipped but vvhat shall I saye of these vvho beynge farre from the fayth abuse the arte of infidels to the establyshinge of theyr hereticall opinion and corrupt the simplicitie of holy scripture through the subtle craft of sinfull persons for to this purpose they put their prophane handes to holie scripture sayinge they vvolde correcte them and that I reporte not this vntruely of them or parciallie agaynste them if any man please he may easily knovve it for if any vvill peruse their copies and conferre one vvith an other he shall finde in them great contrariety The bookes of Asclepiades agree not vvith them of Theodotus there is found betvvene them great difference for their disciples vvrote obscurely such things as their masters had ambiciously corrected againe vvith these the copies Hermophilus do not consent neither are the copies of Apollonius at concord among theÌ„ selues if their alligatioÌ„s be coÌ„ferred vvith their traÌ„slatioÌ„s alteratioÌ„s there shal be found great diuersity belike they are altogether ignoraÌ„t vvhat presumptioÌ„
things worthy of memory they reporte of this mans life whereof this is one certaine lewde varletts seeing the constancie vprightnesse of his life could not brook nether away with it fearing that if through his meanes they were attainted there was no other way but execution therefore they in conscience being priuey to infinite lewde practises preueÌ„t the same and charge him with a greuous accusation afterwards to perswade the hearers y â— sooner they confirme their accusatioÌ„s with othes y â— first swore if I lye let me be burned to ashes the seconde if I reporte not the trueth let my whole body be tormented and wasted away with some cruell disease The third if I beare false wittnesse let me be sâ—itten with blindnesse but for all their swering and staring not one of the faithfull beleued them the chastitie and vpright conuersation of Narcissus so preuailed among all men He tooke greuously theyr despitefull dealing and because that of olde he had bene of the Philosophicall secte he fledd and forsooke his Churche hidd himselfe priuely in the deserte and obscure places for the space of many yeares yet the great and watchfull eye that iustely auengeth woulde not permitt such as had maliciously practised this lewdnes to haue perfect rest but speedely and swiftely compassed them in theire owne crafte and wrapped them in the same curses if they lyed they had craued vnto themselues The first therefore without any circumstance at all in plaine dealinge had a smale sparcle of fire fallen in the night time vpon the house where he dwelt whereby he his house and his whole family by fire were consumed to ashes The seconde was taken with the same disease from toppe to toe which he had wished vnto himselfe before The thirde seeing the terrible ende of the two former and fearinge the ineuitable vengeance of God that iustely plagueth periured persons confesseth vnto all men they re compacted deceate and pretended mischiefe agaynst that holy man and wasteth awaye with sorowefull mourninge punisheth his body and pineth wyth teares so long till bothe his eyes ranne out of his heade and such were the punishmentes of false wittnesses and periured persons CAP. IX Of the succession of byshops in the Church of Ierusalem AFter the departure of Narcissus when it was not knowen where he remained the bishops of the borderinge and adioyninge Churches ordayned there an other byshop whose name was Dios whome after he had continewed but a smale space Germanion succeeded and after Germanion Gordius In whose time Narcissus shewed himselfe againe as if he had risen from death to life and is entreated of the brethren to enioye his byshopricke againe beinge much marueiled at for his departure for his philosophicall trade of life and especially for the vengeance and plagues God powred vpon his accusers and because that for his olde yeares and heuie age he was not able to supplie the rowne the deuine prouidence of God through a vision by night reuealed vnto him prouided Alexander byshop of an other prouince to be Narcissus his felowe helper in discharging the function due vnto the place CAP. X. Of Alexander byshop of Ierusalem and Asclepiades byshop of Antioche FOr this cause therefore as warned by a vision from aboue Alexander who afore was byshop of Cappadocia tooke his iorney to Ierusalem for prayer sake and visitinge of the places there whome they of Ierusalem receaue bountifully and suffer not to returne whome againe and that did they accordinge vnto the vision which appeared vnto them in the night and plainely pronounced vnto the chief of them charging them to hasten out of the gates of their city and receaue the byshop ordained of God for them this they did through thaduise of the bordering byshops constraining him of necessitie to remayne among them Alexander himselfe in his epistles at this day extant against the Antinoites maketh mention of this byshopricke in commen betwene him and Narcissus wryting thus about the later end of an epistle Narcissus greeteth you vvho gouerned this byshopricke before me and novve being of the age of a hundreth and sixtene yeares prayeth vvith me and that very carefully for the state of the church beseacheth you to be of one mind vvith me These thinges went then after this sorte when Serapion had departed this life Asclepiades was stalled bishop of Antioch and constantly endured the time of persecution Alexander remembreth his election writing to the church of Antioch after this maner Alexander the seruant of the Lord and the prisoner of Iesus Christ vnto the holy church of Antioch sendeth greeting in the Lorde The Lord eased lightened my fetters and imprisonment vvhen that I hearde Asclepiades a man vvell practised in holy Scripture by the prouidence of God for the vvorthines of his faith to haue bene placed bishop of your church This epistle he signifieth in the end to haue bene sent by Clemens This epistle I haue sent vnto you my Maysters and brethren by Clemens a godly minister a man both vertuous vvell knovven vvhome you haue seene and shall knovve vvho also being here present vvith me by the prouidence of God hath confirmed furthered the church of Christ CAP. XI Of the workes of Serapion byshop of Antioch IT is very like that sundry epistles of Serapion are reserued amonge others vnto our knoweledge onely such came as he wrote vnto one Domnus which renounced the fayth of Christ in the time of persecution and fell to Iewish Apostasie and vnto one Pontius and Caricus ecclesiasticall persons againe epistles vnto other men and also a certaine booke of the Gospell which they call after Peter wrytten to this end that he might confute the falsehoode specified in the same for that diuerse of the churche of Rosse went astray after false doctrine vnder coloure of the foresayd Scripture it shall seeme very expedient if we alleage a fewe lines out of it whereby his ceÌ„sure of that booke may appeare thus he wryteth VVe my brethren receaue Peter the other Apostles as messengers of Christ himselfe but their names being falsely forged vve plainely do reiect knovving vve receaued none such I truely remaining amongest you supposed you vvere all sounde and firme in the right fayth and vvhen I had not perused the booke published in Peters name entitled his Gospell I sayd if this be onely the cause of your grudginge and discoraging let it be redd but novve in so much I perceaue a certaine hereticall opinion to be thereby cloked and coloured by occasion of my vvordes I vvill hasten to come vnto you vvherefore my brethren expecte shortely my comming For vve knovve vvell inough the heresie of Marcianus vvho vvas founde contrary to himselfe he vnderstoode not that vvhich he spake as you may gather by the things vvhich vve vvrote vnto you vve might peraduenture our selues laye dovvne more skilfully the grounde of this opinion vnto his successors vvhome vve call coniecturers for
by perusing the expositioÌ„s of their doctrine vve haue fouÌ„d many things sauoring of the true doctrine of our Sauiour and certaine other things borovved and interlaced vvhich vve haue noted vnto you Thus farre Serapion CAP. XII Of the workes of Clemens byshop of Alexandria THe bookes of Clemens entitled Stromatôn are in all eight and extant at this daye bearing this inscription The diuerous compacted bookes of Titus Flauius Clemens of the science of true Philosophie There are also of the same number bookes of his intitled Dispositions or InformatioÌ„s where he namely remembreth his maister Pantaenus expounding his interpretations traditions there is extant an other booke of his for exhortatioÌ„ vnto the gentils and three bookes intitled the schoolemaister other thus vvhat ritch maÌ„ can be saued againe a booke of Easter and disputations of fasting and of sclaunder an exhortation to nevvenes of life for the late conuerts The canon of the church or against the Ievves dedicated vnto Alexander the bishop aboue named In the bookes Stromatôn he explicated not onely the deuine but also the heathenish doctrine and he repeating their profitable sentences maketh manifest the opinions both of Grecians and barbarians the which diuerse men highely doe esteeme and to be shorte he confuteth the false opinions of Graunde heretickes dilatinge manye Historyes and ministringe vnto vs muche matter of sundry kindes of doctrine With theese he mingleth the opinions of philosophers fittlye entitling it for the matter therein contained a booke of diuerous doctrine He alleageth in the sayde booke testimonies out of wryters not allowed and out of the booke called the vvisedome of Solomon Iesus Sirach the Epistle to the Hebrvves Barnabas Clemens Iude. He remembreth the booke of Tatianus against the Gentils and of Cassianus as if he had wrytten a Chronographie Moreouer he remembreth Philo Aristobulus Iosephus Demetrius Eupolemus Iewish wryters and howe that all they pronounced in their writings that Moses and the nation of the Hebrevves and Ievves were farre more auncient then the Gentils The bookes of the aforesayd Clemens containe many other necessary and profitable tractes In the first of his bookes he declareth that he succeded the Apostles and there he promiseth to publish comentaries vpon Genesis In his booke of Easter he confesseth himself to haue bene ouer treated of his friendes that he shoulde deliuer vnto the posteritie in wryting those traditions which he hearde of the elders of olde he maketh mention of Melito and Irenaus and of certain others whose interpretations he alleageth To conclude in his bookes of Dispositions or Informations He reciteth all the bookes of y â— Canonicall Scripture neyther omitted he y â— rehearsall of such as were impugned I speake of the Epistle of Iude the Catholicke epistls the epistle of Barnabas the Reuelation vnder the name of Peter CAP. XIII Clemens byshop of Alexandria of the Canonicall Scripture Alexander byshop of Ierusalem of Clemens and Pantaenus Origen cometh to Rome in the time of Zephyrinus THe Epistle vnto the Hebrevves he affirmeth to be Pauls for vndoubted and therefore written in the Hebrewe tongue for the Hebrews sakes but faithfully translated by Luke and preached vnto the Gentils and therefore we finde there the like phrase and maner of speache vsed in the Actes of the Apostles it is not to be misliked at all that Paul an Apostle is not prefixed to this Epistle For saith he vvryting vnto the Hebrevves because of the ill opinion they conceaued of him very vvisely he concealed his name lest that at the first he shoulde dismay them Againe he sayth For euen as Macarius the elder sayd for so much as the Lorde himself vvas the messenger of the almighty sent vnto the Hebrevvs Paul for modesty his sake being the Apostle of the Gentils vvrote not himselfe the Apostle of the Hebrevves partly for the honor due vnto Christ and partly also for that he frely boldly being the Apostle of the Gentils vvrote vnto the Ievves Afterwardes of the order of the Euangelists according vnto the tradition of the elders he writeth thus The gospels vvhich containe the genealogies are placed and counted the first The Gospell after Marke vvas vvritten vpon this occasion VVhen Peter preached openly at Rome and published the Gospell by rote many of the auditors intreated Marke being the hearer and follover of the Apostle a long vvhile one that vvell remembred his vvords to deliuer them in vvryting such things as he had heard Peter preach before vvhich thing vvhen he had signified to Peter he nether forbad him neither commaunded him to do it â–ª Iohn last of all seing in the other Euangelists the humanitie of Christ set forth at large being entreated of his friends and moued by the holy Ghost vvrote chiefly of his diuinitie Thus farre Clemens byshop of Alexandria Againe the aforesayd Alexander in a certaine epistle vnto Origen writeth howe that Clemens Pantaenus were become familiar friends after this manner This as you knovve very vvell vvas the vvill of God that our frendship should continevve and remaine immoueable begonne euen from our progenitors become yea more feruent stedfast vve takâ—â—â—em for our progenitors vvho going before haue taught vs they vvaye to follovve after vvith vvhome after a vvhile vve shal be coopled I meane blessed Pantaenus my Mayster holy Clemens my maister also vvhich did me much good and if there be any other such by vvhose meanes I haue knovven you throughly for my maister and brother So farre Alexander but Adamantius so was Origen called writeth in a certaine place that he was at Rome when Zephyrinus was bishop there for he was very destrous to see the most auncient churche of the Romains where after he had continewed a litle while he returned to Alexandria executing most diligeÌ„tly y â— accustomed office of Catechizing when as Demetrius also bishop of Alexandria vsed all meanes possible together with him to th ende he might profitt and further the brethren CAP. XIIII Of Heraclas Origens campanion in catechizinge WHen Origen sawe himselfe not sufficient neither able alone to searche out the profound mysteries of holie scripture neither the interpretation and right sense thereof because that suche as frequented vnto his schoole graunted no leasure at all â–ª for from morning to nyght in seuerall companies one ouertakinge an other they flocked to his preachinge he ordained Heraclas of all the other his familiers his fellowe helper and Usher a man experte in holy scripture discrete and wise and a profounde philosopher committing vnto him the instruction of the inferiour sort and lately come to the faith reseruing vnto himselfe the hearinge of suche as were father and better entred CAP. XV. Origen studyed the Hebrewe tongue and conferred the translations of holie scripture ORigen had so greate a desire of searching out the deepe mysteries of holy scripture that he studied the Hebrevve tongue and bought the copies vsed
among the Ievves whiche were written in Hebrevve letters he searched and conferred the septuagints translation of holy scripture with others at that time extant CAP. XVI Origen compiled and sette forth the translations of holy scripture terming the one edition Tetrapla that is fourefolde the other Hexapla that is sixfolde ORigen founde certeine other translations besides the common and vulgare variyng among them selues to wete the translation of Aquila of Symachus of Theodotion â–ª which I wote not where lying hidde of a long while he searched out and set forth vnto the worlde of the which by reason they were obscure dusty mothe eaten he knewe not the authors but this onely he signified that the one he founde at Nicopolis on the shore Actiâ—eke the other in some other odd place In the sixefolde edition of the psalmes after the foure famous translations he annexed not onely the fifte but the sixte and the seuenth reportinge againe howe that he founde one of them at Hiericho in a tunne in the time of Antoninus the sonne of Seuerus These being compacted together in one volume and the pages deuided into pillers or columnes euery copie sette righte ouer against the other together with the Hebrevve he published the same and entituled it Hexapla ioyning withall seuerally the translations of Aquila of Symachus of Theodotion and of the Septuagints entituling them Tetrapla yet haue we to vnderstande that of these interpreters Symachus was an Ebionite The Ebionites opinion was recounted an heresie for that they taught Christ to be borne of Ioseph and Marie and that Christ vvas but a bareman They taught that the lavve vvas to be obserued after the Ievvishe manner as we haue learned by histories heretofore The commentaries of Symachus are at this daye extant wherein he inueyeth against the Gospell after Mathewe endeuoring to establishe vphold the foresaide 〈…〉 opinion These works of Symachus together with other traÌ„slations of holy scripture Origen tâ—porteth him selfe to haue found with a certaine woman called Iuliana which sayde that Symachus deliuered hir them to keepe CAP. XVII Origen reuoketh Ambrose from the heresie of Valentinus he professeth diuinitie and philosophie with greate admiration AT that tyme Ambrose addicted vnto the Valentinian heresie and 〈…〉 by Origen was lyghtened with the trueth whiche shyned as the sonne beames and embraced the sounde doctrine of the churche together with manie other learned men whiche resorted vnto him When the rumor was nowe euerie where bruted abrode of the fame of Origen they came to trye the trueth of his doctrine and to haue experience of his vtterauntâ— in preachinge Heretickes also very many and philosophers specially of the moste famous â–ª whereof not a fewe gaue diligent eare and attentiue heede and were instructed of him not onely in deuine but also in prophane literature as many as he perceaued towardly and sharpe wiâ—â—e◠〈…〉 them vnto philosophicall discipline expoundinge vnto them Geometrie and Arithmeticke with the other liberall artes againste the absurde opinions of philosophers he alleaged philosophers autorities and expounded them consideringe seuerally of them as by waye of commentarie so that he was renowmed famous and recounted amonge the Gentiles for a greate philosopher he perswaded also vnto the studie of the liberall artes many of them which were dull witted affirminge they shoulde thence procure vnto them selues great commoditie and helpe to the contemplation and increase of knowledge in holye scripture for he was of this opinion that the exercise of prophane and philosophicall discipline was very necessary and profitable for him selfe CAP. XVIII VVhat diuers men thought of Origen THe heathenishe philosophers who then florished are witnesses approued of his good purpose and industrie in this behalfe in whose commentaries we finde often mention made of this man wherof some haue dedicated their bookes vnto him other some haue deliuered vp their works vnto him as vnto the censure of their maister But what shall I speake of them when as Porphyrius himselfe then in Sicilia striuinge and strugglinge against vs with his bookes endeuouring to confute holy scripture remembred the interpreters thereof And beynge not able to charge neither to impugne to any purpose our doctrine any kinde of waye now voyde of reason he fell to rayling speaches and sclaundering of the expositors of which number namely he goeth about to accuse Origen whome he reporteth to haue knowen of a child yet through his vnaduised forgetfulnesse he commendeth the man sometyme reporting truely when as he coulde not otherwise chuse sometime vntruely thinking thereby to delude others and whilest that nowe he accuseth him for being a Christian anone he paynteth forth and wondereth at his singular gyfte and excellencie in philosophicall discipline heare him therefore for thus he writeth Many beyng desirous to finde out not the imperfection and impietie of Ievvishe scriptures but the resolution haue turned them selues vnto expositions not cohaerent interpretations of the scriptures inconuenient and not onely allovvinge of forged scriptures but also approuing and extollinge the commentators for they alleaging the darke speaches vvhich are sayd to be manifest in Moses and publishing them as Oracles replenished vvith hydd concealed mysteries they frame a charmed iudgement through the arrogancie of their minde and shevv forth their expositions Agayne after a fewe lynes he sayeth This is the absurde manner and guyse of that man vvith vvhome I beyng very yonge haue had conference vvho then vvas very famous and at this daye also by reason of the commentaries he lefte behinde him I meane Origen is muche spoken of vvhose greate prayse is blased farre and nyghe among the maisters and fauourers of that doctrine For vvhen he vvas the disciple of Ammonius vvho in our tyme excelled for his fame in philosophie he profited very muche vnder him beyng his maister and obtayned greate knovvledge in the sciences but as toutchinge the right institution of lyfe he tooke in hande an other trade quite kame from his for Ammonius beyng a Christian and brought vp of christian parents vvhen he had grovven into rypenesse of iudgement and the knovvledge of philosophie forthvvith he framed his trade of lyfe conformable vnto the lavves but Origen beynge a Gentile and brought vp in the sciences of the Gentiles degenerated and fell into that barbarous temeritie vvherevvith beynge taken he corrupted both him selfe and the perfection of those sciences leading a lyfe after the maner of the Christians contrary vnto the lavves according vnto their opinions of celestiall matters and of God preferring straunge fables before the science of the gentiles He continevvally perused Plato he readde ouer the vvorkes of Numenius Cronius Apollophanes Longinus Moderatus Nicomachus and the reste of the Pythagoreans counted vvise and profounde men he vvas vvel seene in Chaeremon the Stoicke and in the vvorkes of Cornutus vvhence he borovvinge of the Grecians maner the allegoricall interpretation of mysteries applyed it vnto the Ievvishe scriptures These thinges
haue contayned them He vvrote also the reuelation beyng commaunded to conceale and not to vvrite the vvordes of the seuen thunders He left behinde him an epistle comprising very fev ve verses be it that the seconde and the thirde be annexed though some take them not for his In bothe vvhiche there are not an hundreth verses Moreouer of the epistle vnto the Hebrevves in his homelyes expoundinge the same he writeth thus The character of the epistle vnto the Hebrevves setteth not forth the style of Paul vvho confessed him selfe to be rude in speache for the phrase of that epistle sauoreth very muche of the Greeke tongue VVhosoeuer he be that hath any iudgement in discerninge of phrases vvyll confesse the same Agayne that the doctrine of this epistle is sounde not inferior to those epistles vvhiche vvithout contradiction are knovven to be the Apostles vvho so euer vvyll vvith iudgement reade the Apostle he vvyll also confesse the same to be most true A little after he sayeth thus I truely of myne ovvne parte if I maye speake vvhat I thinke do saye that the doctrine of this epistle is the Apostles for vndoubted but the phrase and style an other mans vvhich noted the sayinges of the Apostle and contriued such thinges as he had hearde of his maister into certayne scholyes VVherefore if any churche heretofore hath receaued the same as the epistle of Paul â—et her still embrace and receaue the same vnder this name For the learned men of olde haue not vvithout greate consideration deliuered the same vnto vs for the epistle of Paul But who wrote it God the onely trueth knoweth yet histories haue declared vnto vs that some thought it to haue bene written by Clemens bishop of Rome some by Luke who wrote both the Gospel and the Actes of the Apostles but of these thinges thus muche in this sorte CAP. XXV Origen professeth diuinitie at Caesarea Heraclas is chosen byshop of Alexandria IT was in the tenth yeare of the raygne of the aforesayde Emperour when Origen left Alexandria and gotte him to Caesarea when also he committed the office of catechizinge there vnto Heraclas In a while after Demetrius the bishop of Alexandria dyeth when he had continewed in the same rowme the space of three and fortie yeares him succeeded Heraclas There florished also at that same tyme Firmilianus byshop of Caesarea in Cappadocia CAP. XXVI Of the byshops that were Origens familier friendes THis Firmilianus so highly esteemed of Origen that one whyle he sent for him vnto his owne prouince to edifie his churches an other while he tooke his voyage vnto Iudaea vnto him where for a certayne space he continewed with him for farther vnderstandinge of the holy scriptures Besides him Alexander byshop of Ierusalem and Thâ—â—ctistus byshop of Caesarea continewally were of his side and embraced him permittinge vnto him alone as maister the interpretation of holy scripture with the rest of the ecclesiasticall function CAP. XXVII Of the persecution which Maximinus the Emperour raysâ—â— AFter that the Emperour Alexander had ended the raigne of therteene yeares Maximinus â—â—sar succeeded him who beyng iâ—censed with the anger spite â–ª and grudge he â—are vnto the house of Alexander whiche â—arhored many of the faythfull â–ª styâ—red 〈◊〉 the fyrye flame of pâ—rsecution and gaue commaundement that â—he gouernouâ—s â—nely of the churches as principal authors of the doctrine of our sauiour should be put to death â–ª â—â—t that â—â—mâ— Origen wrote a booke of Martyrs the which he dedicated vnto Ambrose and Protoctaetus minister of Caesarea for that both they suffered no small affliction in that troublesome tyme. When as also they had endured moste constantly examination and confession Maximinus him selfe continewinge Emperour no longer then three yeares Origen noted the tyme of this persecution both in the two and twentieth tract of his commentaries vpon Iohn and in sundry of his epistles When Gordianus had succeeded Maximinus in the empire of Rome Anterus also folowed Pontianus after he had gouerned sixe yeares in the bishops seae of Rome CAP. XXVIII Of the straunge election of Fabianus bishop of Rome of the succession of byshops at Antioche and Alexandria â–ª AFter that Anterus had enioyed the ecclesiasticall function the space of one moneth Fabianus succeeded him who as reporte goeth came from the contrey after the death of Anterus together with certaine others for to dwell at Rome When such a thinge as neuer was seene before at the election of a bishop happened then by the deuine and celestiall grace of God For when all the brethren had gathered them selues together for the election of a bishop â–ª many thought vpon diuers notable and famous men Fabianus him selfe there present together with others when as euery one thought least nay nothinge at all of him sodaynly from aboue there fell a Doâ—e and rested vpon his head after the example of the holy ghost which in likenesse of a Doue descended vpon our sauiourâ— the whole multitude beynge moued thereat with one and the same spirite of God cryed out cheerefully with one accorde that he was worthy of the bishopricke and immediately as they reporte he was taken and stalled bishop At that tyme when Zebinus bishop of Antioche had departed this lyfe Babylas came in place and at Alexandria when Heraclas the successor of Demetrius had finished his mortall race Dionysius one of Origens disciples supplyed the rowme CAP. XXIX Of Gregorius and Athynodorus disciples of Origen WHen Origen executed his accustomed maner of teachinge at Caesarea many flocked vnto his lessons not onely that contrey men but also infinite foraynerâ— who forsaking their natiue foyle became his disciples of whiche number as chiefe we haue knowen Theodorus he was the same Gregorius the moste renowmed byshop amonge vs and his brother Athynodorus he beynge moste studious in the Greeke and Romaine discipline so perswaded them that they embracinge the syncere loue of philosophie altered their former studies vnto the exercise and study of holy scripture And after that they had continewed with him the space of fiue yeares they profited so much in holy scripture that both beinge as yet yonge men they were ordayned byshops of certayne churches in Pontus CAP. XXX Of Aphricanus an ecclesiasticall writer and his bookes ABout that tyme also was Aphricanus renowmed and muche spoken of the author of thâ—se commentaries intituled of Cestes or vvedding gâ—rdels there is extant also an epistle of his vnto Origen to this effect that he doubted whether the historie of Susanna commonly redde in Daniel was true or fayned Whome Origen fully satisfâ—ed There came also to our handes of the same Aphricanus doynge fiue volumes of Cronicles curiously penned where he reporteth himselfe to haue trauailed vnto Alexandria because of the greate fame of Heraclas whome excellinge in philosophicall sciences and discipline of the Gentils we haue shewed before to haue bene
spoken he vvas speachelesse agayne The boye ranne vnto the Priest it vvas night the Priest vvas sicke and could not come vvith him And because I gaue commaundement sayth Dionysius that such as vvere aboute to dye if humbly they requested shoulde be admitted to the ende they being strengthened in faith might departe in peace he deliuered vnto the boy a litle of the Eucharist commaunded him to crimble or soke it and so droppe it by a litle a little into the olde mans mouth the boy returneth and bringes vvith him the Eucharist vvhen he vvas hard by before he came in Serapion sayd comest thou my sonne the priest caÌ„not come vvhy then dispatch thou that vvhich he commaunded thee to doe and lett me departe the boy immixed or loked the eucharist and vvith all lett it by droppe meale into the old mans mouth vvhereof vvhen he had tasted a litle forth vvith gaue vp the Ghost â–ª is it not manifest that this olde man vvas so longe helde backe vntill he vvere absolued and loosed from the linke of sinne by confessing in the presence of many the fault he had committed Thus farre Dionysius CAP. XLIIII The epistle of Dionysius byshop of Alexandria vnto Nouatus NOwe let vs see what he wrote vnto Nouatus who at that time molested the Churche of Rome Because that he pretended the cause of his fall and the occasion why he embraced that Apostasie and schisme to rise through the perswasion of certaine brethren as if he were thereunto compelled by them Marke howe he wryteth vnto him Dionysius vnto the brother Nouatus sendeth greeting If thou vvast constrayned against thy vvill as thou sayest thou vvilt declare the same if thou returne vvillingly â–ª thou shouldest haue suffred anything rather then to rent a sunder the church of God neither is this martyrdome vvhich is suffred for not seueringe and deuidinge the Church of lesse glorie then that vvhich is tollerated for denyall of sacrifice vnto deuels â–ª yea in my iudgement it is offarre greater glorye For in the one martyrdom is suffred for one soule in the other for the vniuersall church but if thou ether persvvad the brethren or constraine them to returne to vnitie this notable fact vvilbe farre greater then the fault that vvent before the one vvill not be imputed the other vvilbe comended If thou canst not persvvade the rebellious and disobedient saue at leaste vvise thine ovvne soule I desire thy health in the Lord and thy embracing of peace vnitie Thus he wrote to Nouatus CAP. XLV The catalogue of Dionysius Alexandrinus Epistles concerning repentance HE wrote an Epistle of repentance vnto the bretherne throughout Aegypt where he layeth downe his censure of such as fell and describeth meanes to correct vices of the same matter there is extant an epistle of his vnto Conon byshop of Hermopolis and an exhortation vnto his flocke of Alexandria among these there is an other wryten vnto Origen of martyrdome likewise he wrote of repentance vnto the brethern of Laodicea whose byshop was Thelymidres to the bretherne throughout Armenia whose byshop was Meruzanes Moreouer he wrote vnto Cornelius byshop of Rome approuinge his epistle against Nouatus where he reporteth that he was called of Elenus byshop of Tarsus in Cilicia and other his companions Firmilianus byshop of Cappadocia and Theoctistus byshop of Palaestina to meete them at the synode held at Antioch where diuerse went about to establish the schisme of Nouatus he addeth besides howe he signified Fabius there to haue deseased and Demetrianus to haue succeded him byshop of Antioch He wrot of the byshop of Ierusalem these wordes The renovvmed Alexander dyed in pryson There is extaÌ„t an other epistle of Dionysius vnto the Romayns deliuered by Hippolytus againe he wrote an other of peace and repentance an other vnto the confessors which cleaued vnto the opinion of Nouatus Againe other two epistles vnto such as were conuerted vnto the churche and to many others he wrote very profitable tractes for the studious readers to peruse The ende of the sixt booke THE SEVENTH BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF EVSEBIVS PAMPHILVS BISHOP OF CAESAREA IN PALAESTINA CAP. I. The wickednesse of Decius and Gallus the Emperours the death of Origen NOwe takinge in hande the seuenth booke of the ecclesiasticall historye the great Dionysius byshop of Alexandria who partely by his commentaries and partely by his Epistles described all the seuerall actes of his time shall stande vs in good steede Here hence will I beginne this present booke â–ª when Decius had not raygned full two years he was slayne together with his sonnes whome Gallus succeeded at what time Origen of the age of threscore nine yeares departed this life but of the foresayd Gallus Dionysius wrote vnto Hermammon in this manner Neyther did Gallus perceaue the implety of Decius neyther did he foresee what seduced him but stumbled at the same stone which laye right before his eyes who when the emperiall scepter prosperously befell vnto him and his affayrs went luckely forvvardes chaced awaye the holy men which prayed for peace and his prosperous estate and so he banished together vvith them the prayers continually powred vnto God for him And this much of him The translator vnto the reader IN so much that Ensebius throughout his sixt booke almost in euery chapiter hath wrytten at large of the famous clarke and greate doctor of Alexandria by name Origen and nowe also in the beginninge of his seuenth booke reporteth of his ende and that in fewe wordes I thought good for the readers sake for the more absolute and perfect deliuer aâ—â—â— of the story and for the further knowledge of his ende to annexe here vnto a worthie history out of Suydas a greeke writer who liued about a thousande years agoe toutching the thinges which happened vnto Origen a litle before his death his wordes are these The life of Origen out of Suydas Origen is sayd to haue suffred much afliction for Christs sake being famous eloquent and trayned in the Church euen from his youth vp but through enuy he was brought before the rulers magistrats through the despitefull subtlely crafty â—nuâ—tion of Satan he was brought into great sclaunder blemish of infamy A man they say the authors of iniquitie deuised to vvorke the feat as much to saye they prepared an Aethiopian or foule blacke moore beastly for to abuse his body but he not able to avvaye neyther vvillinge to here so horrible an Acte brake out into lovvd speach and exclaymed at both the thinges vvhich vvere giuen him in choyce rather then the one that he vvoulde doe the other in the end he consented to sacrifice vvherefore vvheÌ„ they had put frâ—kensence in his hand they threwe it into the fire vpoÌ„ the altar by this meanes he was by the iudges put froÌ„ martyrdome also banished the church wheÌ„ he had thus done he was so ashamed that
deuell in the same night transformed into an Angell of light reasoned vvith me sayinge vvhen thou art vp in the morninge goe on and persvvade them and bringe them vnto God if they demaunde ought of thee If in case they condescende and harken vnto thee doe it and ceasse not staggeringe nothinge at the matter to the ende many may be saued And agayne the deuell goinge before to prepare the vvaye vvhetted theyr vvitts to deuise mischief agaynst me seely vvretch he sovved in theyr mindes hypocrisie dissimulation and deceate but I o vnhappie creature skippinge out of my bedd at the davveninge of the daye colde not finishe my vvonted deuotion neyther accomplishe my vsuall prayer but vvishinge that all men might be saued and come vnto the knovveledge of the trueth folded and vvrapped my selfe in the snares of the deuell I gott me vnto the vvicked I required of them to performe the couenantes made the night before I seely soule not knovveing of any thinge and vve came vnto the baptisme O blinded heart hovve didest thou not remember O foolishe mynde hovve didest thou not bethinke thy selfe O vvittlesse brayne hovve didest thou not vnderstande O thou sense of vnderstandinge vvhere didest thou sleepe but it vvas the deuell vvhich prouoked thee to slumbre and slepe and in the end slevve thy vnhappy and vvretched soule he bound my mightie men and spoyled me of my knovvledge he bound my mightie men vvounded me I ansvvered but in a vvorde became reprochefully defamed I spake vvithout malice yet felt I spite the deuell raysed an assembly about me and pronounced agaynst me that vniuste sentence Origen sayth he hathe sacrificed O thou deuell vvhat hast thou done vnto me O thou deuell hovve hast thou vvounded me I bevvayled sometime the fall of Sampson but novve haue I felt farre vvorse my selfe I bevvayled heretofore the fall of Solomon yet novve am I fallen farre vvorse my selfe I haue bevvayled heretofore the state of all sinners yet novve haue I plunged in them all Sampson had the heare of his heade clypt and cropt of but the crovvne of glorie is fallen from of my heade Sampson lost the carnall eyes of his body but my spirituall eyes are digged out it vvas the vvilyenesse of a vvoman that brought him to his confusion but it vvas myne ovvne tongue that brought me to this sinfull fall And euen as he vvanted after the losse of his earthly possession So my tongue hauinge bolted out this vvicked sayinge depriued me of the spirituall giftes vvhich sometime haue flovved vvith heauenly ritches And euen as he beinge seuered from the Israelites and cleauinge vnto forayners endured these thinges so I goinge about to saue notorious sinners brought my selfe captiue vnto captiues and the bondeslaue of sinne Alasse my Churche liueth yet am I a vviddovver Alasse my sonnes be aliue yet am I barren Alasse euery creature reioyceth and I alone forsaken and sorovvfull Alasse o Church vvherein I vvas gladsome Alasse o seate vvherein I sate full mery Alasse o spirite vvhich heretofore camest dovvne vpon me vvhy hast thou forsaken me I am forsaken and become desolate because of the corruption and filth of mine iniquitie bevvayle me that am depriued of all goodnes bevvayle me o ye blessed people of God vvhich am banished from God bevvayle him that is bereued of the holye Ghost bevvayle me that am thrust out of the vvedding chamber of Christ bevvayle me vvho once vvas thought vvorthye the kingdome of God novve altogether vnvvorthye bevvayle me that am abhorred of the Angels seuered from the saincts of God bevvayle me for that I am condemned to eternall punishments bevvayle me for that I am here on earth and novve tormented vvith the pricke of conscience I doe feare death because it is vvicked I doe feare the dreadfull day of iudgement for that I am damned for euer I doe feare the punishment for that it is eternall I doe feare the Angelles vvhich ourseethe punishment because they are voyde of mercy I do feare out of measure all the tormentes and vvhat I shall doe I vvott not beinge thus on euery side besett vvith misery If there be any man vvhich can I beseche him novve assiste me vvith his earnest prayers and vvith his sorovvfull teares For novve it behoues me to shed infinite teares for my greate sinne vvho knovveth vvhether the Lorde vvill haue mercye vpon me vvhether he vvill pitie my fall vvhether he vvill tender my person vvhether he vvilbe moued vvith my desolation vvhether he vvill shevve mercie vnto me vvhether he vvill haue respecte vnto mine humilitie and encline his tender compassion tovvards me but I vvill prostrate my selfe before the thrasholds and porches of the Churche that I may entreate all people both small and greate and I vvill saye vnto them trample and treade me vnderfoote vvhiche am the foolishe salte the vnsauery salte treade me vvhiche haue no taste or relishe of God treade me vvhiche am fitte for nothinge Novve let the Elders mourne for that the staffe vvhereto they leaned is broken Novve lett the yong men mourne for that their schoolemayster is fallen Novve let the virgines mourne for that the aduauncer thereof is defyled Novve let the Priestes mourne for that their patrone and defender is shamefully fallen Novve let all the Clergye mourne for that their Prieste is fallen from the faythe Vvo is me that I fell so levvdely VVo is me that I fell moste daungerously and can not rise againe Asist me o holy spirite and geue me grace to repente Let the fountaynes of teares be opened and gushe out into streames to see if that peraduenture I may haue the grace vvorthely and throughly to repente and to vvype out of the booke of the conscience the accusation printed agaynst me But thou o Lord thinke not vpon polluted lippes neyther weye thou the tongue that hathe vttered levvde thinges but accept thou repentance afliction and bitter teares the dolour of the harte and the heauynesse of the soule and haue mercy vpon me and rayse me vp from out of the mire of corruption for the puddle thereof hathe euen choked me vp VVo is me that somtime vvas a pearle glisteringe in the golden garlande of glorye but novve throvven into the dust and trode in the myre of contempte VVo is me that the salte of God novve lyeth in the dung hill but hovve greate streames of lamentation shall vvype and purifie myne humble harte novve I vvill adresse my selfe and turne my talke vnto God vvhy hast thou lysted me vp and cast me dovvne For as thou haste exalted me vvith the deuine vvorde of thy heauenly vvisedome so me thinkes I sticke in the depth of sinne vvhich my selfe haue vvrought I had not committed this impietie vnlesse thou hadest vvithdravven thy hande from me But it is thy pleasure o Lorde vvhich art good to doe all thinges graciously and I of the other side beinge a foole haue foolishlye fallen But vvhy o Lorde haste thou shutt my
mouth by thy holy Prophete Dauid haue I bene the first that sinned Or am I the first that fell vvhy hast thou thus foresaken me being desolate and reiected and banished me from amonge thy saynctes and astonyed me to preache thy lavves vvhat man is he borne of a vvoman that sinned not VVhat man is he that euer vvas conuersant here vpon earthe and did no iniquitie This I say because thou haste thus forsaken me Dauid himselfe first vvho shutt vp my mouth sinned toe bad in thy sight yet after his repentance thou receauedst him in mercye Likevvise saincte Peter the piller of trueth after his fall vvyped avvaye that bitter passion vvith salte teares sleyinge sinne and purginge avvaye the venoume of the serpent not continevveinge longe in the puddle of infidelitie But they of fauour vvere thought vvorthie of mercy and this I speake to the ende these thinges may take effect vvo is me that I fell thus moste vvickedly vvo is me that my aduenture in these thinges vvas so vnfortunate but novve I humbly beseche thee o Lorde in as much as I haue felt farre vvorse Call me backe o Lorde for that I treade a moste perilous and ruynous vvaye Graunte me that good guide and teacher the holy Ghost that I be not made a prickinge hedgehogge and become an habitation for deuells but that I maye treade vnder foote the deuell vvhich trode me and ouercomminge his sleyghtes be restored agayne to the former health and saluation Remember not o Lord the iniquitie of thine humble suter vvho sometime haue celebrated vnto thee the function of priesthood remember not o Lord the iniquity of me vvho made aunsvvere vvith vvicked language Novve o all you vvhich behold my vvounde tremble for feare and take heede that ye slumber not neither fall into the like crime but come ioyntly vvhich haue the same measure of faith let vs assemble together rent our hartes and prouoke streames of teares to gushe out of the temples of our heades For vvhen these runne and flovve vpon the face of the earth there vvill follovve remission of sinnes the paynes vvyll be auoyded and the tormentes shall not be felt I mourne am sorie from the hart roote O ye my frendes that euer I fell from aloft I haue fallen and am brused there is no health in me let the Angels lament ouer me bicause of this my daungerous fall let the garlands crovvnes of the saincts lament ouer me for that I am seuered from amoÌ„g their blessed assemblies let blessed Aaron lament ouer me his pâ—â—esthoode let the holy church lament ouer me for that I am ruynously decayed Let all people lamente ouer me for that I haue my deathes vvounde I see the cloudes in the skie shadovving the lyght from me and the sonne hydinge his bryght beames But novve you do all see and perceaue the prophet Dauid hath shutte the dore of my mouth I vvas constrayned of the holie byshops to breake out into some vvordes of exhortation and takinge the booke of Psalmes in my hande I prayed and opened and I lyghted vpon that sentence the vvhiche I am ashamed to repeate yet compelled to pronounce Vntò the vngodly sayde God vvhy doest thou preache my lavves and takest my couenaunt in thy mouth But bevvayle me and lament this my bytter sorovve bevvayle me vvhich am in like case vvith the reprobate levves For that vvhiche vvas sayde vnto them by the Prophet novve soundeth alike in myne eares Vvhat shall I do that am thus besette vvith many mischiefes alasse o death vvhy doest thou linger to vvete that thou mayest spite and beare me malice O Satan vvhat mischiefe hast thou vvrought vnto me hovve hast thou pearced my breast vvith thy poysoned darte thinkest thou that my ruyne vvyll auayle thee any thinge at all thinkest thou to procure vnto thy selfe ease and reste vvhyle that I am greeuously tormented vvho is able to signifie vnto me vvhether my sinnes be vvyped and done avvay vvhether that I haue escaped the paynes vvhich greatly I feared VVho is able to signifie vnto me vvhether agayne I shal be coopled and made companion vvith the saincts O ye the saincts of God for that I am not vvorthie to heare the message of theÌ„ that bring such tidinges but presuming farre vvorse practises haue hearde the terrible threates of the Euangelistes alasse ô the boosome of Abraham the vvhich I am depriued of â–ª alasse that I became partaker vvith the ritche man of his condemnation in the horrible pitte and partner of his thurst in the bitter place full of all sorovve heauinesse alasse ô father Abraham entreate for me that I be not cutt of from thy coasts the vvhich I haue greatly longed after yet not vvorthely because of my great sinne But ô Lorde I fall dovvne before thy mercie seate haue mercie vpon me vvhich mourne thus out of measure vvhich haue greatly offended vvhich haue shed many salt and bitter teares vvhose miserable case euery creature hath lamented VVhy hast thou broken dovvne my hedge strong holdes the vvilde bore out of the vvood hath destroyed me the vvilde beaste of the fielde hath eaten me vp rydde me o Lorde from the roaring Lion the vvhole assemblie of saincts doth make intercession vnto thee for me vvhich am an vnprofitable seruant the vvhole quire of Angels do entreate thee for me vvhiche haue greeuously offended that thou vvilt shevv mercy vnto the vvaÌ„dering sheepe vvhich is subiect to the renting teeth of tâ—…â—uenous VVolfe saue me o Lord out of his mouth suffer me not to become the sacrifice of sinne but let dovvne vpon me thy holyspirite that vvith his firie couÌ„tenance he may put to flight the crooked fiende of the deuell that I may be brought vvhome againe vnto thy vvisdome that the bill of sinne vvritten agaynste me be blotted out that my lamentation may ceasse in the euening receaue loye in the morning let my sackcloth be rented asunder gyrde me vvith ioye gladnes let me be receaued againe into the ioye of my God let me be thought vvorthye of his kingdome through the prayers and intercession of the sainctes through the earnest petitions of the church vvhich sorovveth ouer me humbleth her selfe vnto Iesus Christ to vvhome vvith the father and the holie ghost be all glorie and honor for euer and euer Amen CAP. II. Of the byshops of Rome and of the controuersie then raysed of Baptisme WHen Cornelius had ended full three yeares in the byshops seae of Rome Lucius succee ded whiche enioyed the rowme not fully eyght monethes and after him was Stephan chosen bishop vnto this Stephan Dionysius wrote his firste epistle of baptisme when as at that tyme there was no small controuersie raysed whether they which returned from any heresie whatsoeuer shoulde be rebaptized or after the auncient manner be receaued with prayer and layinge on of handes CAP. III. Stephan bishop of Rome reprehendeth Cyprian bishop of Carthage for
rebaptizing of heretickes THen firste of all Cyprian bishop of Carthage thought the heretickes no other kinde of waye to be admitted and purged from their errour then by Baptisme But Stephan thought good that nothinge shoulde be innouated preiudiciall to the tradition preuaylinge of olde for whiche cause he was greatly offended with Cyprian CAP. IIII. Dionysius writeth vnto Stephan bishop of Rome of the matter in controuersie and of the peace which followed after persecution DIonysius when he had often written vnto him of this matter at length certifieth him that persecution beynge ceassed all the churches enioyed peace embraced vnitie and detested the erroneous nouelties of Nouatus he writeth thus Vnderstand nowe o brother that all the churches throughout the east yea and beyonde are vnited together whiche afore tyme were deuided and at discorde amonge them selues All the gouernours of the churches euery where are at one reioysinge exceedingly at the peace which happened beyonde all expectation Demetrianus of Antioche Theoctistus of Caesarea Mezabanes of Ierusalem Marinus of Tyrus Alexander who is dead Heliodorus of Laodicea which succeeded after the death of Thelymidres Helenus of Tarsus all the churches of Cilicia Firmilianus and all Cappadocia I haue onely recited the most famous Bishops lest my epistle become ouer large and the readinge be ouertedious All Syria and Arabia two wherewith ye are pleased and to whome presently ye write and Mesopotamia Pontus and Bithynia and that I may vtter all in one worde euery one euery where reioyceth glorifyinge God in concorde and brotherlie loue So farre Dionysius Stephan when he had bene byshop of Rome two yeares dyed and after him came Xystus in place And to him wrote Dionysius an other epistle of Baptisme layinge downe the censure of Stephan and the other byshops Of Stephan he sayeth thus He wrote an epistle toutchinge Helenus and Firmilianus and all Cilicia Cappadocia Galatia and the borderinge nations that he woulde not communicate with them for that cause to weete for that they rebaptized heretickes Consider that this is a weyghtie matter For truely as I heare in the greatest synodes of bishopes it is decreed that such as renounce any heresie shoulde firste agayne be instructed then be baptized and purged of the dregges of the olde and impure leauen And hereof I wrote vnto him requestinge him to certifie me agayne and to our welbeloued fellowe ministers Dionysius and Philemon who at the firste gaue their censure with Stephan and nowe they write vnto me to whome at the firste I wrote brieflie but nowe at large So farre presently of this question then in controuersie CAP. V. Of the Sabellian heresie MAkinge relation of the Sabellian heretickes then preuaylinge he writeth thus For as much as manie brethren of both partes haue sente theyr bookes and disputations in writinge vnto me toutchinge the impious doctrine lately sowen at Pentapolis in Ptolemais contayning many blasphemies against the almightie God and the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ and withall muche incredulitie toutchinge his onely begotten sonne and firste begotten of all creatures and the worde incarnate and senselesse ignorance of the holy ghoste Some of them I haue written as God gaue me grace with greater instruction and sent the copies vnto you CAP. VI. Dionysius being warned from aboue read with greate profitt the bookes of heretickes he thinketh that such as returne from their heresies shoulde not be rebaptized DIonysius in his third epistle of Baptisme writeth thus vnto Philemon a Romaine minister I haue read ouer the traditions and commentaries of heretickes not infecting my minde with their impure cogitations but profiting my selfe accordingly that I reprehēded thē with my selfe and detested them vtterly And when I was brotherly and charitably forbidd by a certaine minister whiche feared lest that I wallowed my selfe in the puddle of their malicious writinges whereby my soule myght perishe who as it seemed me tolde the trueth a certaine vision came vnto me from aboue plainlie commaundinge and sayinge Reade all whatsoeuer come into thy handes thou shalt be able to weye to proue and trye all for by this meanes at the firste thou camest vnto the faith I thankfully receaued the vision as agreable vnto the voice of the Apostle speakinge vnto myghtier men Be you tryed stewardes or disposers of the mysteries of God Agayne after he had spoken somewhat of all the heresies before his time he proceedeth on thus I haue receaued this canon and rule of blessed Heraclas our pope Suche as returned from heretickes though they fell from the churche or not fell but thought to participate with them yet betrayde for that they frequented the companie of one that published false doctrine he excommunicated neither admitted no if they had entreated before they had openly pronounced all they had hearde of the aduersaries then at length he gathered them together not requiringe that they shoulde be baptized againe For a good whyle before they had obtained by his meanes the holie ghost Agayne when he had largely entreated hereof he writeth thus ▪ And I am sure of this that not onely the bishopes of Africk haue practised the like but also the bishops our predecessours of olde in the most famous churches and in the Synodes of the brethren at Iconium and Synadis with the aduise of manie haue decreed the same whose sentences to ouerthrovve and raise contention and bravvling among the brethren I cannot awaye with Thou shalt not as it is written alter the bounds of thy neighbours which thy fathers haue limited CAP. VII The same Dionysius of the Nouatian heresie HIs fourth epistle of Baptisme is written vnto Dionysius then a Romaine minister but afterwards there placed bishop whereby we may coniecture howe he was counted wise and famous by the testimonie of Dionysius bishope of Alexandria he wrote vnto him after other things in this manner of Nouatus VVe are not without iuste cause offended with Nouatus vvhiche hath rent a sunder the churche of God and drawen diuerse of the brethren vnto impietie and blasphemies and hath published of God a moste impious and prophane kinde of doctrine charging the moste louing and mercifull God vvith the title and sclaunder of immercifulnesse And moreouer he hath renounced baptisme he hath made shipwracke of his former faith and confession he hath chased avvay the holy ghost vvhat hope soeuer remaines either of the tarying or returning of the holy ghost into them againe CAP. VIII Dionysius reporteth of one that sorowed because he had receaued baptisme of heretickes THe fifte epistle of Dionysius is extant vnto Xystus bishop of Rome where after he had written many thinges againste heretickes he reporteth this one thing which happened in his time writing thus In good sooth brother I stande in neede of aduise and counsaile I craue your opinion for that a certaine thing happened vnto me vvherin I feare lest I be deceaued when the brethren were gathered
the blessed Martyrs not vvithout great daunger And yet vnto this day the President ceaseth not cruelly to slay some that are brought forth to teare in pecces other some with torments to consume other with emprisonment fetters commaunding that none come nigh them enquiring daily if any such men be attainted For all that God refresheth the afflicted with cheerefulnes frequenting of brethren These thinges hath Dionysius writteÌ„ in y â— aforesaid epistle yet haue we to vnderstand y â— this Eusebius whom he calleth a deacon was in a while after chosen bishop of Laodicea in Syria Maximus whom he calleth a minister succeded Dionysius in y â— bishops sea of Alexandria Faustus who theÌ„ endured coÌ„fessâ—oÌ„ w t him was reserued vnto the persecution of our time â–ª a very 〈…〉 hauing liued many dayes at length among vs was beheaded and â—cowned a martyrsiâ—â—â— were the thinges which happened vnto Dionysius in those dayes CAP. XI Of the Martyrs in Caesarea AT Caesarea in Palaestina in the persecution vnder Valerianus there were three famous men for their sayth in Christ Iesu deliuered to be deuoured of wilde beastes and bewtified with diuine martyrdome whereof the first was called Prisonâ— the seconde â–ª Malchus the thirde Alexander â–ª the reporte goeth firste of all that these men leading an obscure and contrey life blaâ—â—d them selues for negligence and â—touthfulnes because they stroue not for the crowne of martyrdome but despised those maisteries which that present time distributed to such as couered after celestiall thinges and taking further advisement therein they came to Caesarea they went vnto y â— iudge â—â—nigyed the i◠〈…〉 Moreouer they write a certayne woman of y â— same citie in the same persecution with like triall to haue ended her life and as they report one that enclyned to the heresie of Marcion CAP. XII How that peace in the steade of persecution was restored by the benefitâ— of Galienus the Emperour NOt long after Valerianus hauing subdued the Barbarians his sonne got the supremacyâ—â— and ruled the empire with better aduisement and forthwith released and stiâ—â—ed the â—erâ—â—cution raysed agaynst vs with publike edices and commaunded that the Prisâ—deâ—â—s and chiefe of our doctrine shoulde freely after their wonted maner execute their office function The coppy whereof faythfully translated out of Romaine letters and interlaced in this our history is read as followeth The Emperour Câ—sar Publiâ—◠〈…〉 Galienus vertuous fortunate â–ª Augustus vnto Dionysius Pinna Demetrius together vvith the rest of the Bishops sendeth greeting The benefit of our gracious pardon vve commaunde to be published throughout the vvhole vvorlde that they vvhich are detayned in banishment depart the places inhabited of Pagans for the execution vvhereof the coppy of this our edict shal be your discharge lest any go about to molest you and this vvhich you novv may lavvfully put in vre vvas graunted by vs long agoe VVherefore Aâ—â—relius Cyrenius our high Constable hath in his keeping the coppy vvhich vve deliuered vnto him There is extant also an other constitution of his vnto other Bishops wherein he permitteth them to enioye and frequent they places called Churchyardes CAP. XIII The famous Bishops of that time ABout this time was Xystus Bishop of Rome â–ª Demetrianus after Fabius Bishop of Antioch Firmilianus of Caesarea in Cappadocia Gregorius ouer the Churches throughout Pontus and his brother Athenodorus familiars of Origen At Caesarea in Palaestina after the death of Theoctistus Domnus was chosen Bishop whome in a short time after Theotecnus succeeded who also was of the schoole of Origen and at Ierusalem Mazabanus being departed this life Hymenâ—ns enioyed the Bishopricke who liued with vs many yeares CAP. XIIII How that Marinus a souldier through the perswasion of Theotecnus sufferedmartyrdome at Caesarea ABout that time when as the Church enioyed peace throughout the worlde at Caesarea in Palaestina there was one Marinus a famous souldier for seates of armes of noble â—ynage and great substance beheaded for the testimony of Christ The cause was this There is a certayne dignity among the Romayns called the Centurions vine the which whosoeuer doth obtayne is called a Cenâ—ution When the rowme was voyde the company called Marinus to this degree Marinus being preferred an other came before the tribunall seate and accused him affirming it was not lawefull by the auncient lawes for him to enioy that Romayne dignitie because he was a Christian and sacrificed not vnto the Emperours that it was his turne next to come in place the iudge being very much moued with this his name was Achainâ— firsto he demaundeth what opinion Marinus was of when he saw him constantly confessing him selfe to be a Christian he graunted him three houres space to deliberate This being done Theotecnus Bishop of Caesarea calleth vnto him Marinus from the tribunall seate taketh him in hande with exhortations leadeth him by the hande into the Churche setteth him downe in the Chauncell layeth his cloke aside sheweth him the sworde that honge by his side afterwards pulleth out of his pocket the newe testament setteth it ouer agaynst the sworde and bad him chuse whether of those two he preferred or liked best for the health of his soule When he immediatly stretching forth his right hande had taken vp the booke of holy scripture holde fast then sayth Theotecnus vnto him cleaue vnto God and thou shalt enioy the thinges thou hast chosen being strengthened by him and goe in peace After he had returned thence the cryer lifted his voyce and called him to appeare at the barre the time graunted for deliberation was now ended standing therefore at the barre he gaue tokens of the noble courage of his sayth wherefore in a while after as he was ledd heard the sentence of condenmation and was beheaded CAP. XV. Of the fauor which Astyrius a noble man bare towards the Martyrs HEre is mention made of Astyrius because of his most friendly readines and singuler good will he bare vnto the persecuted Christians This man was one of the Senators of Rome well accepted of the Emperours in good estimation with all men for his noble stocke well knowne for his great substance who being present at the execution of the Martyr tooke vp his body layed it on his shoulders being arayed in gorgeous and costly attyre and prouided for him a most noble funerall infinite other thinges are reported by his familiers to haue bene done of him whereof diuers liued vnto this our time CAP. XVI Astyrius by his prayers repressed and bewrayed the iuggling and deceate of Satan ANother straung facte is reported to haue bene practised at Caesarea Philippi which the Phaenicians call Paneas at those fountaynes which spring out of the foote of the mount Paneius whence the riuer Iordan hath his originall they reporte that the inhabitants of that place haue acustomed vpon a festiual day to offer some sacrifice or other which through
had perswaded the senate with these and the like reasons firste of all he rose and pronounced that all such of what age soeuer as were not fitte for feates of armes were they men or women myght boldly passe and depart the citie affirminge that if they woulde remaine and lynger in the cytie like vnprofitable members there was no hope of life they must nedes perishe with famine to which saying the whole seuate condescended so that he deliuered from daunger of death in maner as many as were besieged but specially those that were of the churche Agayne he perswaded to flyght all the christians throughout the citie not onely such as were within the compasse of the decree but infinite mo vnder colour of these priuely arrayed in womens attyre carefully he prouided that in the nyght season they should conuey them selues out at the gates and flye vnto the Romaines campe where Eusebius entertained all them that were afflicted with longe siege after the maner of a father and phisition and resteshed them with all care and industrie Such a coople of pastors orderly succeeding one an other did the church of Laodicea by the diuine prouidence of God enioye who after the warres were ended came thither from Alexandria we haue seene many peces of Anatolius works whereby we gather how eloquent he was howe learned in all kind of knowledge specially in those his bookes of Easter wherof at this present it may seeme necessary that we alleage some portion of the canons toutching Easter The nevy moone of the first moneth first yeare sayth he cōpriseth the originall cōpasse of nineteene yeares after the Aegyptians the sixe tvventieth day of the moneth Phamenoth after the Macedocians the xxij day of the moneth Dystros after the Romaines before the eleuenth of the calends of Aprill the sonne is found the xxvj of Phamenoth to haue ascended not onely the first line but also to haue passed therin the iiij day this section the first tvvelfe part they terme the aequinoctiall spring the entrance of moneths the head of the circle the seuering of the planets course but that sectiō vvhich foregoeth this they terme the last of the moneths the tvvelfe part the last tvvelfe part the ende of the planets course vvherefore they vvhich appoynted the first moneth for the same purpose celebrated the feast of Easter the fourteenth daye after the same calculation haue erred in our opinion not a little and this haue vve not alleaged of our ovvne brayne yea it vvas knovven of the Ievves of old and that before the comming of Christ and chiefely by them obserued The same may be gathered by the testimonies of Philo Iosephus Musaeus and yet not onely of them but of others farre more auncient to vvete of both the surnamed Agathobulus schoolemaisters vnto the famous Aristobulus one of the seuentie that vvere sent to trāslate the sacred holy scripture of the Hebrevves vnto the gracious princes Ptolemaeus Philadelphus his father vnto vvhome he dedicated his expositions vpon the lavv of Moses All these in their resolutions vpon Exodus haue giuen vs to vnderstande that vve ought to celebrate the feast of the Paschall Lambe proportionally after the aequinoctiall springe the first moneth comming betvvene and this to be found vvhen the sonne hath passed the first solare section and as one of them hath termed it the signifer circle Aristobulus hath added that it is necessarie for the celebration of the feaste of Easter that not onely the Sunne but the Moone also haue passed the aequinoctiall section In so much there are tvvo aequinoctiall sections the one in spring time the other in Autumne distant diameter wise one frō the other the daye of Easter allotted the fourtenth of the moneth after the tvvilight vvithout al faile the moone shal be diameter vvise opposite to the sonne as ye may easily perceaue in the full moones so the sonne shal be in the sectiō of the aequinoctial spring the moone necessarily in the aequinoctiall autumne I remēber many other profes partly probable partly layde dovvne vvith auncient assertions vvherby they endeuour to persvvade that the feast of Easter of svveete bread ought euer to be celebrated after the aequinoctiall space I passe ouer sundry their proofes arguments vvherby they cōfirme the vayle of Moses lavv to be remoued done avvay the face novv reuealed Christ him selfe the preaching passions of Christ are to be behelde Anatolius left behinde him vnto the posteritie toutching that the first moneth after the Hebrevves fell euer about the Aequinoctial space sundry expositions precepts of Enoch Againe Arithmeticall introductions cōprised in tenne bokes with diuers other monumēts of his diligēce deepe iudgemēt in holy scripture Theotecnus bishop of Caesarea in Palaestina was y ◠first y ◠created him bishop promised y ◠he should succeede him in y ◠seae after his death selues and whilest they heaped these things that is contention threatnings mutuall hatred and enmitie and euery one proceeded in ambition much like tyranny it selfe then I say then the lord according to the sayinge of Ieremie Made the daughter Sion obscure and ouerthrewe from aboue the glorie of Israell and remembred not his footestole in the daye of his vvrath The Lorde hath drovvned all the bevvtie of Israell and ouerthrovven all his stronge holdes And according vnto the prophecies in the Psalmes He hath ouerthrovven and broken the couenant of his seruant and prophaned his sanctuarie casting it on the grounde by the ouerthrowe of his churches he hath broken dovvne all his vvalls he hath layde all his fortresses in ruyne All they that passed by spoyled him and therefore he is become a rebuke vnto his neyghbours he lyfted vp the ryght hande of his enemyes he turned the edge of his svvorde and ayded him not in the tyme of battaile he caused his dignitie to decaye and cast his throne downe to the ground the dayes of his youth he shortened and aboue all this he couered him with shame CAP. II. Howe that the temples were destroyed holy scripture burned and the bishops ill entreated ALl these aforesayde were in vs fulfilled when we sawe with our eyes the oratories ouerthrowen downe to the ground yea the very fundations them selues digged vp the holy sacred scriptures burned to ashes in the open market place the pastors of the churches wherof some shamefully hid them selues here and there some other contumeliously taken derided of the enemies according vnto an other prophecie Shame is powred vpō the pates of their princes he made them wander in the crooked and vnknowen way Yet is it not our drift to describe the bitter calamities of these mē which at lēgth they suffred neither is it our part to record their dissention vnwonted guise practised among them before the persecution but only to write so much of them wherby we may iustifie the deuine iudgement of God
the misery and lamentable state of such as were thus afflicted but also their owne case and the ignominie redounding therby vnto nature the common parent of all This spectacle of mans fleshe not in one place deuoured but piteously scattered euery where was subiect to euery mans eye rounde about the walls of the towne and exceeded all that thereof may be spoken and euery lamentable and tragicall shewe Some reported they sawe quarters whole carkasses and peeces of bowells within the walls of the citie while this continewed the space of many dayes such a miracle was seene as followeth When the weather was calme aud the ayre cleare and the cloudes vnder heauen which compasseth all banished away the pillers of the citie vpon a sodaine which helde vp the great and common porches swett or rather poured out many droppes of water much like vnto teares the markett place also and the streetes when as there fell not a droppe of rayne I wot not how neither whence soked with moysture and sprinkled dropps of water so that immediatly the rumor was bruted abroad in euery mans mouth that the earth being not able to away with the hainous and horrible offences of those dayes poured out infinite teares after a wonderfull sort and that the stones and senselesse creatures bewayled those detestable mischieues reprouing man most iustly for his stoâ—y heart his cruell minde voyde of all pitie and compassion but peraduenture this story will seeme fabulous and ridiculous vnto the posterity yet not vnto such as then were present and were fully perswaded with the trueth thereof CAP. XXVIII The martyrdome of Ares Promus Elias Petrus Apselamus and Asclepius a Bishop of the opinion of Marcion THe fourteneth daye of the moneth Apellaeâ—s which next ensued that is about the nynetenth of the Calends of Ianuary certaine godly men trauellers out of Aegypt their iourney was into Cilicia minding to finde some reliefe at Caesarea for the confessors whiche there abode were taken of the watch which sate at the gates of the citie searched incommers Of which men some receaued the self same sentence as they had before whom they went about to relieue to were y â— pulling out of their eies the maiming of their lyâ—â—â—es and left legges Three of them yelding forth a maruelous constancie at the confession of their faith ended their liues with diuers kindes of torments at Ascalon where they were apprehended One of them whose name was Ares was throwne into a great flaming fire and burned to ashes â–ª the other two whose names were Promus and Elias had their heads stroken of from their shoulders The eleuenth day of y â— moneth Audinaeus y â— is about the thirde Ides of Ianuary Petrus called also Apselamus a worshipper or religious man borne in the village Anea which bordered vpon Eleutheropolis being very often entreated by the iudge and his asistents to remember him selfe to pity his case and to tender his youthly yeares and florishing age contemned their perswasions and cast his whole care vpon Almighty God preferring that before all other thinges yea and before his proper life and at Caesarea tried by fire his faith in Christ Iesu with a noble and valiant courage much like vnto most pure golde together with him on Asclepius a Bishop as men sayd of the heresie of Marcion with godly zeale as he thought but not with that which is according vnto knowledge departed this life in the selfe same burning fire and thus much of them CAP. XXIX Of 12. Martyrs that suffred together in one day with Pamphilus and of the martyrdome of Adrianus and Eubulus TIme now draweth me away to paynt forth vnto the posteritie that noble and glorious theatre of Martyrs which suffred together with Pamphilus whose name I doe alwayes honour and reuerence They were twelue in number and thought worthy not only of y â— Prophetical or rather the Apostolike gift but also the number of the Apostles whose captayne and principall was Pamphilus â–ª minister of the Churche of Caesarea a man very famous for sundry his vertues throughout the whole race of his life singuler in despising and contemning this present worlde bountifull for liberalitie bestowed vpon the poore wonderfull in neglecting the care fixed vpon transitory thinges excelling in behauiour and Philosophicall trade of liuing moreouer passing all the men of our age for feruent zeale and earnest desire and study of holy Scripture maruelous constant in all his doings and enterprises and also very ready to ayde and helpe such as were of his kinne and familiar acquaintance other his vertues and well doinges because it required a longer treatise we haue lately and that largely published in a seuerall and peculier volume entitled of his life and deuided into three bookes Therefore such as are desirous to learne more exactly and more exquisetly to knowe his vertuous life we referre thither and presently we minde onely to prosecute such thinges as concerne the Martyrs which suffred persecution together with him The seconde after Pamphilus that came forth to wrastle was the reuerent whore headed Valens Deacon of the city Aelia a graue father in euery mans eye and greatly skilled in holy Scripture if then there was any such in the worlde he was so expert therein that if he hearde any percell thereof by any man alleadged forthwith was he able by rote to repeate it as well as if then he read it out of the booke The thirde was Paulus a man wonderfull zealous and feruent in the spirite borne in the citye Iamnia where he grewe to greate fame before martyrdome he endured the scorching and searing of his fleshe with hott yrons and passed through a worthy combatt at the confession of his fayth the martyrdome of these was differred by reason of their continewance in prison two whole dayes In the meane while came the brethren of Aegypt which suffered martyrdome together with them these Aegyptians when they had accompanied the confessors of Cilicia vnto the place appoynted for the digging of mettals returned home againe in their returne they were taken of the watch which kept the gates of Caesarea which were barbarous and rude groomes and examined who they were and whence they came when they could not conceale the trueth they were layde in holde as if they had bene haynous trespassers and had committed some horrible crime In number they were fiue which were brought before the tyrant and after their examination clapt in prison The thirde daye being the sixtenth of the moneth Peritius after the Romaynes about the fouretenth of the Calendes of March these together with Pamphilus and the rest of his companions mentioned a litle before by commaundement were brought before the iudg This iudge first of all trieth with sundry and manifold torments with new and straung deuises the inuincible constancy and valiant minde of the Aegyptians And with all he demaunded of the chiefe principal in this combat what his name was then
opinion of Arius seemed absurde approued of Alexanders sentence toucchinge Arius and affirmed the condemnation pronounced agaynst suche as were of that opinion to be iuste and accordinge to right But Eusebius byshop of Nicomedia and as many as fauored the fonde opinion of Arius wrote vnto Alexander that he shoulde reuoke the depriuation and digraduation past and admitte into the churche suche as were excommunicated and excluded the companye of the faithfull and that they maintained no detestable doctrine at all So then when of eyther side letters were brought vnto Alexander byshop of Alexandria the letters of both sides were gathered together into one Arius tooke such as were in his behalfe Alexander gathered the contrary Here occasion was ministred vnto the hereticall sectes of the Arians Eunomians and Macedonians which in these dayes disperse themselues abrode to defende theyr damnable doctrine For euery one seuerally alleageth for proufe and testimonye of his opinion the epistles of suche as are of his owne secte CAP. IIII. Howe Constantinus the Emperour beinge carefull for the concorde vnity of the churche sent Osius a Spanyarde vnto Alexandria to reconcile Alexander and Arius wrytinge also an epistle vnto both the parties WHen the emperour was certified hereof he was wonderfull sorye and supposed this schisme to be his owne calamitye Forthwith therefore he wente seriously about to quenche the heate of discorde kindled among them and sent letters vnto AlexaÌ„der and Arius by a man worthy of creditt whose name was Osius byshop of Corduba a citye of Spayne this man the emperour loued entierly and highely honored Some parte of which letters I supposed not impertinent for this place which are wholy alleaged by Eusebius in his bookes of the life of Constantine Constantine the puysant the mighty and noble emperoure vnto Alexander and Arius sendeth greetinge Hereby I gather the originall grounde of this controuersie in that thou Alexander hast demaunded of the elders toutching a certaine place of holy Scripture yea rather toutching a certaine vaine peece of a question vvhat euery ones opinion vvas and thou Arius hast vnaduisedly blased abrode and sett abroche that vvhich thou shouldest not at the first haue conceaued and hauing conceaued it thou shouldest haue past it ouer vvith silence VVhereby this dissention is risen among you the vvonted assembly of the church hindred the most deuout people diuersly distracted into ether side rente a sunder being afore time one body coÌ„pacted together in harmoniacal vnity wherefore let ether of you pardoning ech other like of that the which your felowe minister not without cause exhorteth you vnto and what is that that you neyther obiecte at all neither answer any obiection that concerne such matters For such questions as no law or ecclesiasticall canon necessarily defineth but the frutelesse contention of idle braine setteth abrode though the exercise thereof auaile for the sharpening of the witt yet ought we to retaine them within the inner closett of our mind not rashly to broch them in the publique assembly of the vulgare people neither vnaduisedly to graunt the common sorte the hearing thereof For hovve many be there that can worthely explicate sufficieÌ„tly ponder the weyght of so graue so intricate and so obscure a matter but if there be any such that persuadeth himselfe able easily to compasse and to attaine vnto it howe many partes are there I beseche you of the multitude whome he can sufficiently instruct therein and who is there in sifting out so curious a question that can well passe the perill of plunging error wherefore in suche cases we must refrayne from verball disputations lest that ether we by reason of the imbecillity of our witt can not explicate our minde ether our auditors when we teach by reason of theyr dull capacity can not comprehende the curious drift of our doctrine whereby the people of necessity incurreth the dauÌ„ger ether of blasphemye or the poysoned infection of discorde wherefore both the rashe obiection and the vnaduised answere being cause of the heretical sectes of the Arians Eunomians and of as many as fauor the like folly ought ere other of ech other craue pardone Neither is there occasion ministred to coÌ„tende about the chiefest commaundement in holy Scripture neither is there sprong any new opinion toutching the seruice of God for you retaine the on and the same sentence in substance of fayth so that you may easily embrace the vniforme consent of vnity coÌ„cordo For it is not well that for your contention about so sclender matters and trifling toyes so great a multitude of the people of God through your negligence should be at such discorde among themselues Yea it is supposed not onely not well but alltogether intollerable And that in fewe wordes I may lay before your eyes some president hereof I will reason with you ye are not ignorant as I suppose that the philosophers agree â–ª amoÌ„g themselues all ioyntly professe one title and name of discipline yet for all that they vary and disagree in some odde opinion which seuerally they holde who though they dissent by reason of theyr seuerall opinion yet because of there compacted profession they ioyne hands and holde together like birdes If then the case be thus why may it not be thought farre more expedieÌ„t that we wearing the cognizance of the most mighty God euen for the christian religion the which we professe should be at peace vnity among our selues but let vs vveygh more diligently and consider more deepely vvith our selues vvhat I shall novve say vvhether it be right or reason that for light and vayne contention about vvordes one brother should dissent from an other and the renovvmed peace by pestilent discord through vs vvhich spite one an other for sclender vnnecessary matters should thus miserably be prophaned and rent in peces These practises are rather popular farre more agreable vvith the youthly rashenes of greene heades then vvith the sobriety of the graue and priestly personages vvherefore of our ovvne accorde lâ—â— vs put to flight the temptations of the deuell And in as much as our Lord God almighty the Sauiour of all meÌ„ hath graciously geuen abrode of his commoÌ„ light vnto all therefore be it lavvefull vnto me I beseche you as much as in you lieth that I being ayded vvith the helping hand of his prouidence may happely bring my purpose to good effect and that also I may leade his people partely vvith often calling vpon them partely vvith the diligent ouersight of theyr life partely also vvith sharpe admonition to mutuall loue amity one with an other And seing that as I sayd there is but one faith amoÌ„g you one consent of profession one trade of life and order of lawe the which with mutual consent of the mind linketh and compacteth into one the vvhole body with the seuerall membres of the same that therefore which through your discorde moued no small sturre among
willing mind This was done in a while after At y â— time y â— byshops which mett together at y â— councell of Nice as soone as they had dispatched both other things also layd downe in wryting y â— decrees which also they call canons already concluded vpon euery one returneth vnto his owne cytie I thinke it very expedient to lay downe in this place not only the names of the byshops assembled at Nice which among all y â— rest were most famous I meane such as I cold learne by records but also the prouince place where euery one gouerned together with y â— time of their assembly There was present at this councel Osius bishop of Corduba Viton and Vincentius priests Alexander bishop of Aegypt Eustathius bishop of great Antioch Macarius bishop of Ierusalem Harpocratio Cynon with others whose names are seuerally exquisitly cited by Athanasius bishop of Alexandria in his booke intitled Synodicus Toutching the time when this councell was summoned as it appeareth by cronicles of record it was in the consulship of Paulinus Iulianus the eleueÌ„th kalends of Iune to weâ—e the XX. day of May the three hundreth thirtye and sixt yeare after the raygne of Alexander king of Macedonia Thus was the councell broken vp which being done we haue to learne that the emperour departed into the Easterne partes CAP. X. Howe that Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia and Theognis byshop of Nice being exiled for Arianisme after they had geuen vp a booke of their recantation and repentance were restored to their former dignities EVsebius and Theognis sent a litle booke vnto the chiefe byshops wherein they shewed theire penitent minds for theyr wilfull folly wherefore by the emperours commaundement they were not onely called home from banishment but also restored to the gouernement of theyr churches remouing from their dignities such as were substituted in their rowmes to wete Amphion remoued by Eusebius and Chraestus by Theognis The coppy of the recantation we haue here layd downe as followeth Although it vvas our part heretofore beinge condemned by your holynes not to haue muttered but quietly to haue borne vvhatsoeuer your vvisedom both godly and religiously had decreed yet because it seemed a shamefull thinge that vvith our silence vve shoulde cause others to conceaue an ill opinion of vs and so to condemne vs for deuisers of falshoode therefore haue we signified vnto you our assent toutching the determination of the fayth and hauing diligently vveyed and examined vvith our selues the force and signification of the cause Of one substance vve vvholly adict our selues to the embracinge of peace and vnity neuer henceforth to intaÌ„gle our selues in the snares of error And partly to the end we might prouide for the peaceable security of the church of God vve haue layde vvide open before you the secretes of our minde partly also that they which to mans seeminge shoulde yelde to our censure and iudgement might in this behalfe setle and confirme themselues vve haue subscribed to the forme of fayth vvhich the holy assembly hath laid downe we protest vnto you moreouer in that heretofore vve subscribed not to the condemnation or accursinge of Arius it vvas not because vve misliked vvith that forme of fayth but because vve coulde not be fully perswaded that he vvas such a kind of felovve as report vvent of him specialy vvhen as by such things as priuatly past by epistles betvvene vs and also by his ovvne protestation pronouÌ„ced vvith his ovvne lipps in our presence we vvere fully persvvaded that he vvas farre from that kinde of disposition If that then that sacred senate holy assembly vvill geue any creditt vnto our words vve haue fully purposed and determined vvith our selues not to impugne by gainesaying but by assentinge and prompt mindes to ratifie those canons vvhich your syncere and religious piety hath already concluded And by this our booke of submission we do seale our consente therein not for that vve are grieued vvith exile and banishment but that most vvillingly vve vvould not onely abandone heresie but also auoide yea the suspicion thereof And if that you vvill voutchsafe vs your presence you shall find in deed as you read by vvord that we vvill subscribe vnto your decrees For as much as it pleased your vvonted goodnes to call before you curteously to entreate the ringleader of this sect it seemes farre out of order wheÌ„ as he beinge gilty vvas sent for and ansvvered for himselfe that we with silence shoulde condemne our selues let it not grieue you then as it becometh your reuerend fatherhood to put our most religious emperour in remembraÌ„ce of vs to present our humble sute vnto him and speedely to determine vvhat your discreete vvisedome thinketh best toutching this our estate This was the recantation of Eusebius and Theognis by which circunstances I do coniecture though they subscribed vnto the forme of fayth decreed by the councell yet that they would not condescend to the renouncing of Arius and that Arius before this time was sent for And for all that it was so yet was it straictly coÌ„maunded that Arius shoulde not tread within Alexandria The which plainly appeareth by the subtle treachery he founde out for to returne vnto the church and to the city of Alexandria through false and fained shewe of repentance But of this hereafter CAP. XI After the dissoluinge of the councell when Alexander had departed this life Athanasius was chosen byshop of Alexandria NOt longe after Alexander byshop of Alexandria hauinge runne the race of his mortall life died Athanasius is appointed to gouerne the church in his place Ruffinus reporteth of him that being a child of teÌ„der years he plaid a part in an holy playe together with his coaged companions The playe was nothing else but animitation or resemblance of priesthood and of the whole ecclesiasticall order in the which Athanasius plaied the byshop of the rest of the children some plaied y â— priests some other the deacons Thus plaied y â— children on that day in the which the church of Alexandria accustometh to celebrat the memoriall of Peter there byshop martyred At that time as it fell out Alexander byshop of Alexandria passinge bye behelde the whole order and discourse of the playe He sent for the childrene to come vnto him and demaunded of them what part euery one handled in the playe gatheringe hereby somethinge to be foreshewed and prognosticated vnto them all Which beinge done he charged they should be brought vp in the church and nurtured in good learning but aboue all Athanasius Whome when he came to any ripenes of yeares he made deacon brought him in his company to the councell of Nice for to ayde him in disputation These things hathe Ruffinus wrytten in his histortes of Athanasius neither is it vnlike but that these circumstances might be for it is most true that many such things haue oftentimes heretofore come to passe This much
that he thrust him selfe againe to execut the function of priesthood without the admission consent of a generall councell For they complaine that after his returne from exile he rushed into the church vpon his owne head Secondly that at his returne when the tumult schisme was raised many were slaine moreouer that he caused some to be scurged some other to hold their hands at y ◠barre they alleage also such things as were pleaded against Athanasius in the councell held at Tyrus CAP. VI. Of Eusebius Emisenus IN the meane space while Athanasius was charged with the aforesayd crimes they chose Eusebius first called Emisenus Bishop of Alexandria Who and what he was Georgius Bishop of Laodicea who then was present at the councell sheweth vnto vs. For in the booke he wrote of his life he declareth that Eusebius came of a noble family of Edessa in Mesopotamia from a litle one to haue bene trained vp in holy scripture afterwards to be instructed in prophane literature by a professor which then taught at Edessa last of all to haue sucked y ◠right sense vnderstanding of holy scripture at the lips of Eusebius Patrophilus the one bishop of Caesarea the other bishop of Scythopolis After this to haue gone to Antioch where it fell out that Eustathius being accused of the heresie of Sabellius by Cyrus bishop of Beroea was deposed of his bishoprik Thēceforth to haue accompanied Euphronius the successor of Eustathius and because he woulde not be prieste to haue gott him to Alexandria and there to haue studied philosophie After that to haue returned to Antioch where he acquaynted him selfe with Placitus the successor of Euphronius Thēce to haue bene called by Eusebius bishop of Constantinople to be bishop of Alexandria but sayth Georgius because that Athanasius was greately beloued of the people of Alexandria he went not thither but was sent into the city Emisa Where when there was much adoe made among the citizens of Emisa about the election for he was charged with the study of the mathematicks he fledd away came to Laodicea vnto Georgius who reported many notable storyes of him Georgius brought him to Antioch by y ◠meanes of Placitus Narcissus caused him to be conueyed to Emisa where againe he was accused of the heresy of Sabellius But of the circumstāces of his election Georgius discourseth more at large last of all he addeth howe that the Emperour going into Barbary tooke him thence and that he knewe full well many wonders miracles to haue bene wrought by him So farre of the things which Georgius remembred of Eusebius Emisenus CAP. VII Howe that the byshops which mett at Antioch after that Eusebius Emisenus had refused Alexandria chose Gregorius to be byshop of Alexandria and endeuored to alter and so consequentlye to abrogate the canons of the Nicene councell WHen as at that time Eusebius by the councell of Antioch was chosen bishop of Alexādria feared to goe thither they consecrate Gregorie in his rowme to enioye the seae of Alexandria These things being done they labour to alter the faith who althoughe they colde reproue nothinge of the thinges decided in the Nicene Councell yet verelye wente they about through theyr often assemblyes to peruerte and ouerthrowe the creede contayninge the clause of One substance and otherwise to establishe of theyr owne that by a little and a litle they mighte soke men in the filthie sincke of Arius But of theyr drifte and fetches in the storyes followinge The epistle contayninge the fayth whiche they published was after this maner VVe are neyther the followers of Arius for howe can it be that we beinge Byshops shoulde geue eare vnto Arius beinge but a prieste neyther haue we receaued any other faythe then that whiche hathe beene published from the beginninge but when as vve examined his faith narrowely and weyed it deepely we rather receaued Arius returninge vnto vs then that our selues shoulde hange vpon his opinion The whiche you may easilye perceaue by that whiche followeth For we haue learned from the beginninge to beleeue in one vniuersall God the creator and maker of all things both visible and inuisible and in one Sonne the only begotten Sonne of God who was before all wordes and had his beinge together with the Father which begott him by whome all things both visible and inuisible were made VVho in the later days according vnto the singular good will of the father came downe from heauen and tooke flesh of the virgine mary VVho fullfilled all his fathers will who suffred rose againe ascended into the heauens and sitteth at the right hande of the father shall come againe to iudge the quick and the dead and continewe king and God for euer VVe beleue also in the holy Ghost And if that you will haue vs to add more we beleue the resurrection of the fleshe and the life euerlasting After that they had wrytten these things in theyr former epistle they sente it to the churches throughout euery cytie But continewinge at Antioch a while longer they in maner condemned the forme of fayth that wente before and wrote forthwith a newe one in these wordes VVe beleue as the Euangelistes and Apostles haue deliuered vnto vs in one God the Father almightie the creator and maker of all thinges and in one Lorde Iesus Christ his onely begotten sonne God by whome all thinges were made begotten of the father before all worlds God of God whole of whole alone of alone perfecte of perfecte kinge of kinge lorde of lorde the liuinge worde the wisedome the life the true light the waye of trueth the resurrection the shepherd the dore inconuertible and immutable the liuely image of the diuinity essence power counsell and glorie of the father the first begotten of all creatures who was in the beginninge with the father God the worde as it is sayde in the Gospell and God was the word by whome all thinges were made and in whome all thinges are VVho in the later dayes came downe from heauen was borne of a virgin according vnto the Scripturs was made man and the mediator of God and man the Apostle of our fayth and the guyde to life And as he sayth of him selfe I came dovvne from heauen not to doe mine ovvne will but his will vvhich sente me VVho suffred for vs and rose agayne the thirde daye for our sakes and ascended into heauen and sitteth at the righte hande of the father and shall come againe vvith glorie and power to iudg the quick and the dead And we beleue in the holy Ghost vvhiche is geuen vnto the faythfull for theyr consolation sanctification and perfection Euen as our Lord Iesus Christ commaunded his disciples sayinge goe teache all nations baptizinge them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghoste That is of the father who is the father in deede and of the sonne who is the
was made after the selfe same maner with other creatures of that vvhich is not as some haue levvdely imagined but that he had beynge and lyuinge that he vvas and subsisted before the foundations of the vvorlde vvere layde and therefore appoynted by his father vvho is Lorde of all thinges the prince of all this vniuersalitie so that the vvorde Made in this place is no othervvise to be taken then Appoynted or Ordayned Peter also the Apostle calleth Princes and Magistrates plaine creatures vvhere he sayeth Submitt your selues vnto euery humane creature for the Lords sake whether it be vnto the kinge as vnto the chiefe heade either vnto rulers as sent of him And the Prophet also prepare thy selfe sayth he O Ierusalem to call vpon thy God for beholde he setteth the thunder he shapeth the spirite and shevveth vnto men his Christ he vnderstandeth not this worde shapeth as if the spirite were made of that which is not for God then made no◠the spirite when he shevved by him his Christ vnto all men he vvas not then nevvely proclaymed vnder heauen for he vvas and subsisted before but he sent him what time the Apostles were assembled together when the sound in the likenes of thunder came downe from heauen as if it had bene the comming of a mighty winde and filled them all with the holy Ghost and thus he shevved his Christ vnto all men according vnto the prophecie which sayd beholde he setteth the thunder he shapeth the spirite and shevveth his Christ vnto men laying dovvne the worde shapeth for sendeth or ordaineth and the word thunder in an other sense for the preaching of the Gospell Dauid also vvhen he sayde Create me a cleane harte O God he sayde it not as though he wāted a hart but he desired a pure hart to be put in him made perfect In like sense also is that spoken that he shoulde create two into one newe man that is he shoulde couple Se likewise this whether it may be taken after the same maner to put on the new man which is created after God Againe If there be any new creature in Christ such like phrases the which with diligent searche we may finde in the holy Scriptures Maruell not then if the Scripture metaphorically doe vse this kinde of speach the Lord made me the beginning of his wayes made that is appoynted or ordayned these were the reasons of Eusebius in his bookes against Marcellus and cited of vs to this ende that the mouthes of such as vnaduisedly do sclaunder him and contumeliously report of him may therwith be stopped They are not able to proue although the wordes of the order and maner be vsually and commonly founde throughout his workes that he assigned vnto the sonne of God a beginning of essence for all that he was a great follower and fauorer of Origens workes where whosoeuer can attaine vnto the secrete and hidd sense of Origens bookes he shall finde euery where the sonne to haue bene begotten of the father thus haue we vsed digression for to ridd Eusebius out of the sclaunderous mouthes of suspicious heads CAP. XVIII VVhen the councell of Sardice decreed that Athanasius and Paulus should be restored to their bishoprikes and Constantius the Easterne Emperour woulde not admitt them The Emperour of the VVest threatned him with warrs so that Constantius was therewith affrayde wrote for Athanasius and sent him to Alexandria AFter that both the Bishops assembled at Sardice and also the bishops assembled at Philippi a citie of Thracia in their seuerall councells had decreed such things as seemed good vnto them selues they returned euery man to his owne home The East west churches were now deuided the space or distance seuering their communion asunder was the mount betwene Illyrium and Thracia called Tisueis for so farre euery of them among them selues though they differed about the faith yet the quarell being layde aside they communicated together beyonde that there was no communion of contrary parts such a confusion such a sturre and such a diuision raigned then in the church Immediatly after the Emperour of the West parts of the world certified his brother Constantius of the things decided in the councel of Sardice requested him to see Paulus Athanasius placed in their bishoprikes But when Constantius differred from day to day his brothers desire the Emperour of the west gaue his brother in choise either to restore Paulus Athanasius so accompt of him as his friend or else to heare the proclamation of open warre and so find him his deadly foe The letters he sent by the embassadour vnto his brother were these There remaine here with me Athanasius Paulus who as I am credibly geuen to vnderstand are persecuted for pieties sake If that thou vvilt promise me to restore them vnto their seaes to punish seuerely such as haue iniuried them I will send the parties them selues vnto thee but if thou wilt not accomplish this my vvill pleasure knovve for suertie that my selfe vvill come thither maugre thy berde restore them to their proper seaes When the Emperour of the East had vnderstoode of this he was wonderfull pensiue and sadd he assembleth together many of the Easterne bishops layeth before them y ◠choice his brother gaue him demaundeth of them what was best in this case to be dōe They make answere that it was farre better to restore againe Athanasius then to rayse deadly and mortall warrs Wherefore the Emperour being constrayned of necessitie sent for Athanasius vnto him In the meane while Constans the Westerne Emperour had sent Paulus honorably together with two Bishops with his owne letters and with the letters of the councell for the more suretie vnto Constantinople When Athanasius feared doubted whether he were best goe or no vnto Constantius for the false reports of sclaunderous persons troubled him very sore the Easterne Emperour Constantius by name sent for him not once but the seconde and the thirde time euen as his letters turned out of the latine into the greeke doe declare and by translation as followeth The epistle of Constantius the Emperour vnto the exiled Athanasius Constantius the puysant noble Emperour vnto Athanasius the bishop sendeth greeting ▪ our singuler wonted clemency vvill no longer suffer thy fatherhoode to be turmoyled and tossed vvith the surging vvaues of the seas ▪ the pietie vvhich vve haue alvvaies in greate price vvill no longer permitt thy holines novve banished out of thy natiue soyle bereaued of thy substance barred of all prosperitie to vvander through crooked and crosse vvaies through desert daungerous contries Although we haue lingered now a great vvhile from sending our letters wherby vve might signifie vnto thee the concealed secretie of our minde hoping that of thine ovvne accorde thou vvouldest repaire vnto vs vvith humble sute craue remedie redresse of thine iniuries yet neuerthelesse feare peraduenture dismaying thee of thy
holy Scripture because the wordes are mysticall and contayne secrecie but it grieues him that all men be not of his minde and therefore he scorneth at such Christians as vnderstande the sayd mysteries simplie Yet he shoulde not haue so derided the simplicitie of the common people neyther therefore to haue inueyed against holy Scripture neither to haue abhorred and detested the sense and notable sentences comprised in the same because all men did not vnderstande them as he thoughte good Nowe as it is very euidente the like happened vnto Porphyrius This Porphyrius beinge rebuked of certaine Christians at Caesarea in Palaestina beinge altogether impaciente throughe boylinge choler and burninge heate of furious rage fell from the Christian faythe and rashely tooke penne in hande because of the hatred he owed vnto them whiche reprehended him for to wryte bookes where he inueyed bitterly with contumelious stile againste all Christians as I reede in the bookes of Eusebius Pamphilus whiche he wrote to the confutation of his workes The Emperoure also settinge vp him selfe insolencely agaynst the Christians in the hearing of vnlearned persons and being prouoked thereunto by the selfe same frentike and raginge humor fell into the like Apostasie with Porphyrius Wherefore bothe of them fallinge of theyr owne accorde into extreme impietie and priuye in conscience to they re blasphemous practises receaued punishment due vnto theyr deseruinge Furthermore when Libanius the Sophiste skornefully derided the Christians in these wordes they take the man that was borne in Palaestina for God and the sonne of God me thinkes he forgetteth himselfe when as in the ende of his Oration he numbred Iulian amonge the Gods in this sorte Firste of all sayth he they coulde not refrayne for they stoned him almoste to deathe vvhiche broughte the firste tydinges of Iulians departure out of this lyfe as if he had lyed agaynste God Agayne a little after O thou scholar sayeth he of the deuells O thou disciple of the deuells O thou assistent and associate of the deuells Although he vnderstoode this otherwise yet in so much he eschewed not the equiuocall worde which comprised also the Deuell he seemed to vtter no lesse then the Christians accustomed to doe in reproche Wherefore if he had determined with him selfe to extoll any man he shoulde haue auoyded euery ambiguous worde in such sorte as he reiected an other phrase beynge reprehended for it and blotted it out of his bookes Howe that man in Christ is made God howe that he is both man openly and God in mysterie howe that also both these thinges may be iustifyed the holie bookes of the Christians doe declare The Ethnickes before they beleeue are not able to comprehende it For the saying of the Prophete is true If you beleeue not ye shall not be able to vnderstand Wherefore they are not ashamed to number many mortall men in the catalogue of the gods I would to God they had offended herein onely in takinge them for godds who were vertuous lyuers iuste men and temperate persons but they haue preferred such as were impure vniust and dronken sortes I meane Herculeans Bacchians Aesculapians whome Libanius doeth very oft call to wittnes in his writinges whose amorous toyes and wanton behauiour both with male and female if I shoulde goe about to rehearse woulde compell mee to vse a longe digression Such as are desirous to vnderstande farther hereof lette them repayre vnto Aristotles Peplus by interpretation the womans attyre vnto Dionysius garlande vnto Reginus Polymâ—â—emon and to the whole rable of Poets who writinge of these thinges doe sette wyde open vnto the worlde the vayne and ridiculous mysteries of the Ethnickes but that it is a heathenishe custome to accompt of mortall men as of gods lette vs consider thereof a little better The Rhodians beynge in greate distresse receaued answere of the Oracle that they shoulde worship Attis the Phrygian who was a priest and dyed frentike The Oracle was as followeth Set forth the greate God Attis name sounde out his glorious prayse VVhome vertue ioynd with Adon chast and Bacchus happie dayes This Oracle maketh Attis who dyed for loue a god together with Adonis Bacchus Moreouer when Alexander king of Macedonia came to Asia the people Amphictiones brought him presents of whome the Oracle of Apollo in Delphos made this answere and charged the people as followeth Let altars burne and incense powre please Ioue Minerua eke The potent prince though nature frayle his fauour you must seeke For Ioue from heauen to earth him sent lo Alexander kinge As God he comes the earth to rule and iust lawes for to bringe These were the words which the deuell out of the breast of Pythia vttered of Alexander The same Oracle to the ende he myght flatter greate personages and Princes of greate power numbred them in the catalogue of the gods and peraduenture this answere was no other but a flatteringe of Alexander To what ende shall I write of Cleomêdes the wrastler of whome to the ende he myght be canonized a god the Oracle spake in this sort Cleomede interred is his fame lett florishe styll Aduaunce with feasts and sacrifice his name this is our will Diogenes Cynicus and Oinomaus the philosopher condemned the Oracle of Apollo for this aforesayde follie The people Cyciceni called Adrianus the thirtienth god Adrianus him selfe counted Antinous his dearlinge in the catalogue of the gods Yet Libanius woulde not once open his lyppes to the reprehension of these ridiculous toyes and meere follie Neuerthelesse though he perused these Oracles and read ouer the booke of Adrias intituled The lyfe of Alexander yet was not he ashamed to esteeme of Porphyrius as of a god I am humblie sayeth he to craue pardon of the olde graybearde of Tyrus in that I haue preferred the vvorkes of the Emperour before his vvritinges Thus haue we discoursed by waye of digression somewhat at large to the ende we myght satisfie the despitefull reportes of the sclaunderous mouth of the Sophist yet in so much they seeme to require a seuerall volume we will ende them heare and proceede on in our historie CAP. XX. Howe that the bishops of all sects opinions posted vnto Iouianus the Emperour as soone as he was created hoping euery one to finde him according vnto their owne vaynes AS soone as the Emperour Iouianns returned out of Persia the churches immediately were troubled with sedition The bishops likewise whilest they hope to finde y â— Emperour of their owne seuerall opinioÌ„s endeuour with all might to preuent one an other The Emperour for as much as alwaies he cleaued vnto the creede coÌ„tayning the clause of One substance made flatt answere that he would alwaies further the same encouraged Athanasius bishop of Alexandria by his letters who immediatly after the desease of Iulian enioyed againe y â— bishopricke of Alexandria For he being theÌ„ coÌ„firmed therein by the Emperours letters layd aside all feare fayntnes of
a great earthquake which scattered the building asunder destroyed many cities Moreouer the sea kept not with in his bounds brake ouer the banks drowned the contries for it fel out in many places that where a litle before men went afoote all then was aflote botes barks shipps were vsed againe the sea went so farre from it self in other places that it left much dry land much sandy grouÌ„d many fishes to swimme without water These thinges happened in the first consulship of these two Emperours CAP. IIII. In the troublesome state of the Church the Macedonian sect in the councell of Lampsacum ratified the creede of the councell held at Antioch accursed the faith of the councell summoned at Ariminum and confirmed the deposition of Acacius and Eudoxius IN the time of the aforesayd calamities neither enioyed the common weale peace neither were the ecelesiasticall affayres in prosperous estate for such as had procured licence of y â— Emperour to summone a councell met together at Lampsacum in the same Counsulship that is the seuenth yeare after the councell of Seleucia and there after they had confirmed afresh the forme of fayth which of olde was published at Antioch they had also a litle before subscribed vnto the same at Seleucia they accursed the creede of the Bishops which with vniforme consent in religion they had lately established at Ariminum Againe they gaue sentence against Acacius and Eudoxius as of right deseruing to be remoued Eudoxius Bishop of Constantinople could in no wise resist their doings the commotion and warres then in hande raysed by the tyrant Procopius was a cause and let that he coulde not reuenge him of them Wherefore Eleusius Bishop of Cyzicum hauing gotten the vpper hande maintayned for a while together with his complices the Macedonian opinion the which also a litle before was disclosed and made more manifest at the councell of Lampsacum I suppose verily the sayd councell to haue bene cause why Hellespontus for Lampsacum is a towne on the sea side of Hellespontus towards Asia is so full of the Macedonian hereticks The aforesayd councell was ended as you reade before CAP. V. How the Emperour and the rebell Procopius pitched their fielde by Nacolaea a city of Phrygia The rebell was betrayed by his owne captains and executed together with them THe yeare following in the consulship of Gratianus and Dagalaephus the warre beganne For Procopius the tyrant left Constantinople and made expedition against the Emperour Valens vnderstanding of it remoued out of Antioch and with all speede went to meete Procopius ioyned with him at Nacolaea a city in Phrygia and there pitched the battell In the first s kirmishe he had the worse his â—ide was the weaker in a while after he tooke Procopius aliue for Angelo and Gomarius his owne captaines had betrayed him whome I meane all three he executed with new and straung kindes of torments The traytors for contemming their alleageance othe past betwene them he sawed asunder in the middest The tyranes thighes he tyed to the toppes of mighty boughes growing not farre asunder the which first of all with certayne Engines he wrested to the grounde afterwards loosed them which lifted Procopius on high and pulled him in peeces The rebell being thus corne in two partes died miserably CAP. VI. How the Emperour after his victory against Procopius went about to compell the Macedonian councell of Lampsacum all Christians to the Arian opinion THe Emperour being puffed vp with his prosperous and lucky successes turned himselfe againe to molest persecute the christians because he determined with him self to preferre euery where the Arian opinion And first of all the councell held at LaÌ„psacum lay on his stomacke not onely because they deposed the Arian Bishops and depriued them of their Churches but also because they accursed the forme of faith lately established at Ariminum Wherefore after his comming vnto Nicomedia a citie of Bithynia he called before him Eleusius Bishop of Cyzicum who as I sayde before was of the Macedonian opinion The Emperour called together a councell of Arian Bishops and compelled Eleusius to subscribe vnto their faith Who though at the first he denied vtterly that he woulde agree thereunto yet afterwards being fore threatned of the Emperour with banishment and confiscation of all his substance he yelded vnto the Arian opinion Immediatly after his subscription he was in a great agony and torment of conscience he returned thence to Cyzicum In the face of the congregation he made a pitifull complaint with relation of the iniurie which the Emperour had done vnto him how he had condescended not with his will but by compulsion vnto the Arian heresie he requested they woulde get them an other bishop because that he was constrayned to deny his owne opinion but the inhabiters of Cyzicum for the great loue and affection they bare towards him neyther woulde acknowledge an other bishop ouer them neyther yeld vp the gouernment of their Church Wherfore they both tooke him for their superior and kept still their former opinion CAP. VII How that Eunomius after the deposition of Eleusuis the Macedonian was made Bishop of Cyzicum The originall of Eunomius and how that he being the scribe of Actius the Atheist followed his stepps WHen the sormer deposition was hearde of the Bishop of Constantinople those Eunomius to be Bishop of Cyzicum who being an eloquent man was thought able with his gift of persuasion easily to induce them to embrace his opinion After that Eunomius was come thither the Emperour sent his commaundement that Eleusius shoulde be remoued and Eunomius placed in his rowme Whereupon the fauorers of Eleusius buylded them a church without the walls of the citie and there had their priuate conuenticles but of Eleusius so farre And now let vs returne vnto Eunomius This Eunomius was a scribe of Aetius who was surnamed the Atheist of whome we spake before And liuing with this Aetius he learned of him captious fallaces and quircks of Logick the which Sophisters doe highly embrace and exercised him self therin continewally Moreouer he was delighted with vayne speaches and epithetons he learned vnaduisedly to frame sophisticall arguments he tooke great pride therein and ranne headlong into open blaspemy he embraced the heresie of Arius and impugned the trueth in Christ And although he was in maner ignorant as toutching holy Scripture and the vnderstanding thereof yet was he able to decline the words and vary the phrase but he coulde neuer attaine vnto the marke he shot at as his seuen bookes of commentaries vpon the epistle of S. Paul vnto the Romaines foolishly written doe declare When he had vttered many dayne and friuolous expositions of that epistle his capacity could not comprise neither attaine vnto the drift of the Apostle There are extant certaine other bookes of his not vnlike the former the which if any be disposed to peruse he shall finde many words but litle
kneeled the souldiers of Theodosius came and stroke his heade of his shoulders These thinges were done the sixt of Septembre in the thirde Consulship of Arcadius and the seconde of Honorius Arbogastes the autor of so great a slaughter two dayes after the ende of the battell seeing that by flight there was no way possible for him to saue his life ranne vpon a naked sworde and dispatched him selfe CAP. XXV How immediatly after this battell the Emperour Theodosius sickned and departed this life afore the triumphes were fully ended THe Emperour Theodosius by reason of the trauell and great toyle he had taken about those warres beganne to be very ill at ease And when that his disease gaue him to vnderstande that the mortall race of his naturall life was then to be finished care and doubts appertayning vnto the gouernment of the common weale troubled him more then the frayle departure or the feare of death yea when he considered with him selfe how many calamities do commonly happen vnto the empire when the Emperour and the scepter be parted asunder Wherefore he sent in post hast for his sonne Honorius to Constantinople purposing to establish through him peace and tranquilitie in the West partes of the worlde At the comming of the sonne to Millayne the father was somewhat recouered and beganne to celebrate exercise of triumphe for ioye of the victory gotten of the tyrant In the morning he felt him selfe so well that he honored the triumphe with his presence In the afternoone he was so sodainly taken with his disease that he was not able to goe beholde the solemnitie but charged his sonne to see all the royaltie accomplished the night following he departed this life It was when Olybrius and Probinus were Consuls the seuenteneth of Ianuary the first yeare of the two hundreth nynety and fourth Olympiad This Theodosius the Emperour liued three score yeares and raygned sixteene This booke contayneth the history of sixteene yeares and eyght moneths The ende of the fift booke of Socrates THE SIXT BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF SOCRATES SCHOLASTICVS The proeme of Socrates signifying that nowe he beginneth the history of his tyme. I Haue performed most holy Theodorus in the former fiue bookes the promise I made and the taske you haue enioyned me as touching the continewing of the ecclesiasticall history from the raygne of Constantine vnto these our dayes after my sclender skill and the simple talente bestowed vpon me But I woulde haue you knowe afore ye reade them that I haue not curiously addicted my selfe vnto lofty stile neither vnto a glorious shewe of gay sentences for so peraduenture in running after words and phrases I might haue mist of my matter and fayled of my purpose and intent had I attayned yet was it not in my reache to laye downe that forcible kinde of stile vsed of auncient wryters wherewith they amplifie and diminish they extoll and debase at their pleasure Agayne such a penning profiteth very litle the vulgare and ignorant sorte of people who desire not so much the sine and elegant phrase as the furtherance of their knowledg and the trueth of the history Wherfore lest that our story shoulde halt of both sides and displease the learned in that it doth not counteruade the artificiall skill and profounde knowledge of auncient wryters the vnlearned in that their capacitie can not comprehende the substance of the matter by reason of the paynted Rhetorick and picked sentences I haue tyed my selfe vnto such a meane for all the handling is simple the trueth is soone founde and the effect quickly vnderstoode Furthermore nowe entring into discourse of our sixt booke I must needes tell you the trueth that I am euen in maner dismayed when I take penne in hande to paynt for the vnto the posteritie the famous acts of these our florishinge dayes lest it fall out that we laye downe in writinge such thinges as may offende some kinde of men or as commonly we saye lest trueth be constrayned to trye her friendes when as we publishe not with prayses and commendations the names of such as they like well of or extoll not vnto the skies the fame of their noble and famous acts The fauorers of Prelats and patrons of clergy men will blame vs for not intitling the Bishops moste godly moste holy and such like epithetons Other sortes of men somewhat more curious then the rest will misconstrewe our meaning for not calling the Emperours Lordes and most vertuous with other such like honorable titles vsually geuen them of men But seeing that I am able to proue and iustifie out of auncient wryters that the seruant in their bookes hath called his Lorde and Maister no otherwise then after his christened name I will laye aside these lofty titles and tye my selfe as my bounden duety requireth vnto the trueth of the history and keepinge my selfe within the compasse and limites of faythfull Historiographers which couet a simple and a playne kinde of stile I will nowe to the matter and write of such thinges as I haue partly seene and partly learned of such as sawe them with their eyes the which I haue better liking of because the reporters varied not amonge them selues I had much adoe and greate labour in sifting out the trueth because that sundry men of diuers fortes made relation thereof vnto me wherof some affirmed that they had bene present some other that they had occasion to searche out all circumstances CAP. I. Howe that after the death of Theodosius the Emperour his sonnes parted the empire Of the Bishops then florishing and howe that Arcadius meeting the army at the gates of the citie had Russinus a Magistrate of his slayne at his feete by the souldiers WHen y â— Emperour Theodosius had departed this life in y â— Consulship of Olybrius Probinus y â— seuententh of Ianuary his sonnes tooke in hand the gouernment of the Romaine empire Arcadius ruled the East Honorius the West then was Damasus bishop of the princely citie of Rome Theophilus of Alexandria Iohn of Ierusalem Flauianus of Antioch and of Constantinople otherwise called newe Rome Nectarius was Bishop as I remembred in the former booke The eyght of Nouembre he being Consul him selfe the corps of Theodosius was brought to his resting graue and solemnely interred with noble funerall by his sonne Arcadius Shortly after being the eyght and twentieth day of the same moneth the Emperour Theodosius army which ouerthrewe Eugenius with all his host was come thither When the Emperour Arcadius went forth as the maner is vnto the gates of the citie to meete the army the souldiers presently layd hands vpon Russinus the Emperours Embassadour and beheaded him for he was suspected of treason and the report went of him that he procured the Hunnes a barbarous nation to inuade y â— Romaine dominions at the same time also they destroied Armenia with other contreyes of the East The same day when Russinus was beheaded
Marcianus the Nouatian Bishop departed this life in whose rowme Sisinius of whome we spake before succeeded CAP. II. The death of Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople whome Iohn Chrysostome succeeded SHortly after Nectarius bishop of Constantinople departed this life in the Consulship of Caesareus and Atticus the eyght and twentieth of Septembre immediatly there was much adoe about the election of a Bishop And when some thought on this man some on that man after longe aduisement and deliberation in the ende it seemed good vnto them to sende for Iohn a priest of Antioch for the report went of him that he was a profounde Interpretor and a notable Rhetorician Wherefore not long after the Emperour Arcadius with the generall consent both of Priest and people sent for him And to the ende his consecration might be of more authoritie by the commaundement of the Emperour there were present many other Bishops and namely Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria who went about by all meanes to discreditt Iohn and to preferre vnto the bishopricke one Isidorus a Priest of his owne Churche Theophilus made very much of this Isidorus because that for his fake he had taken a perilous peece of worke in hande And what the same was I am nowe about to declare When the Emperour Theodosius waged battell with Maximus the tyrant Theophilus sent presents by Isidorus vnto the Emperour together with two letters charging him with all to present him that had the vpper hande with the gift and one of the letters Isidorus being carefull of his busines went diligently about this feate gott him to Rome and harkneth after the victory but his fetch was not longe ere it was founde out for his Reader that kept him company stole away his letters Wherupon Isidorus being afraide to be taken with the maner tooke his heeles in all the hast to Alexandria this was it that made Theophilus to labour so earnestly for Isidorus but all that were of the Emperours court preferred Iohn to the Bishopricke And afterwards when as many charged Theophilus with haynous crimes and presented vnto the Bishops then present libells and articles agaynst some for this thinge and some for that Eutropius one of the Emperours chamber came by the articles and enditements shewed them to Theophilus bad him chuse whether he woulde create Iohn Bishop or stand at the barre and holde his hande to the crimes that were layd to his charge Theophilus was so affrayde with this that by and by he consented to the stalling of Iohn He was consecrated to execute the priestly function of a Bishop and stalled in the seae of Constantinople the six and twentieth of February the Consulship following when as the Emperour Honorius gouerned the common weale of Rome and Eutychianus the Senator in the Emperours steede ruled Constantinople CAP. III. The linage and education of Iohn Chrysostome Bishop of Constantinople IN so much that Iohn was a famous man partly for the bookes he penned and left vnto the posteritie partly also for the greate perills and persecution which befell vnto him it seemed very necessary vnto vs not to runne ouer with silence but briefly to rehearse such things as of him might largely be entreated and so to declare out of what contrey he came what parents he had howe he came by Priesthoode and wherefore he was thereof depriued last of all howe that after his death he purchaced more fame and renowme then euer he did in his life tyme. Iohn was borne in Antioch a citie of Caelosyria his father was cleped Secundus his mother Anthusa he descended of the noble race of Senators he was the disciple of Libanius the Sophist and the auditor also of Andragathius the Philosopher When that he purposed with him selfe to apply his minde vnto the lawe and publique affayres of the common weale and perceaued howe lewde and howe vnrighteous a trade of life they leade which busie them selues therein he left that troublesome trade and transformed him selfe vnto a quiet and solitary kinde of life the example of Euagrius as I thinke allured him thereunto who being brought vp vnder the same teachers schoole maisters addicted him selfe a litle before vnto a solitary life voyd of all trouble molestation Immediatly he chaunged both habite and behauiour and gaue him selfe wholly to the study of the sacred Scriptures he deuised with him selfe howe by all meanes possible be might become a profitable member in the Churche of God he perswaded Theodorus and Maximus his fellow students who together with him frequented the schoole of Libanius to forsake that trade of life which was wholly sett on lucre and gaine and to followe that which was satisfied with a litle of these men the one was afterwards Bishop of Mopsiestia a citie in Cilicia the other was bishop of Seleucia in Isauria These men being then wonderfully inflamed with godly zeale and desire of vertue learned the trade of worshipers of Diodorus and Carterius who then were ouerseers of the religious conuenticles but afterwards Diodorus being made Bishop of Tarsus wrote many bookes and while he addicted him selfe onely vnto the bare and naked letter of holy Scripture he erred fouly in the sense and mystical vnderstanding thereof but of these things so much shall suffice Iohn when that he had of a long time accompanied Basil who then was made Deacon of Meletius but afterwards Bishop oâ— Caesarea in Cappadocia was made Reader in the Church of Antioch by Zeno bishop of lerusalem being Reader he wrote that booke which he intitled against the Ievves In a while after Meletius made him Deacon at what time he wrote the bookes intitled of priesthoode with them also which he made against Stagirius Moreouer the bookes of the incomprehensible nature with the tracts he made of closely kept vvomen In processe of time when that Meletius had departed this life at Constantinople the election of Gregorie Nazianzene had driuen him thither Iohn forsooke the Meletians left also the communion of Paulinus and for the space of whole three yeares he led a solitary life seuered from all the troublesome affayres of the worlde Agayne in a while after that Euagrius who succeeded Paulinus in the seae of Antioch made him Priest His maner of liuing and behauiour before he was made Bishop as I may vse in fewe wordes was in such sorte as followeth He was a man by reason of his maruelous great temperance in life very austere and as one that knewe him from his youth vp did report more ruled by choler then geuen to curteous ciuilitie A man he was of no great forecast he made no accompt of the worlde and because of his plaine and simple meaning he was soone deceaued He was very copious and free of speach with all such as had conference with him as he was very painfull to the ende by teaching he might reforme the maners and liues of his auditors so againe of such as were not acquainted with
of the Nouatians was set on fire SHortly after Paulus the Nouatian bishop although aforetime counted a very godly man yet then specially it fel out y â— men conceaued a farre better opinion of his piety theÌ„ euer they did before At ConstaÌ„tinople there happned such a fire y â— like whereof was not remebred before For the greater parte of the citie was consumed to asses the famous graynard the market house called Achilleus were quite burned Last of all the fire crept into the Nouatian church which adioyned vnto the signe of the Storck Wherefore Paulus as soone as he perceaued the churche to be in great daunger fell prostrate before the Altare referred vnto God in his prayer the preseruatioÌ„ of the church neither ceassed he to inculcate as well the remembrance of the citie as of the church God as it proued in the end gaue eare vnto his prayers For all y e fire flashed into the church both by dore and by windowe yet was there no harme done nay though the buylding round about was on fire though the church was inuironed w t burning flames by the power of God the church was preserued and ouercame the furie rage of the fire It was not quenched the space of two dayes two night s the citie burned all that while In the end though many partes of the citie were vtterly come to nought yet the church as I sayde before escaped that lamentable ouerthrowe And that which was more to be wondred at no signe of the smoke no scorching of the flame no parching of the heat could be seene vpon the timber beames or walls This came to passe the seauenteenth of August in the fourteenth Consulship of Theodosius and the first of Maximus The Nouatians since that time doe yearely keepe holyday the seauenteeneth of August in remembrance y â— their church was then miraculously preserued from fire at what time they render vnto God harty thankes all men doe reuerence that church for the miracle and not only the Christians but also y e Ethniks doe honor it as an holy place So farre of that CAP. XXXIX Howe that Proclus succeeded Maximianus in the Bishoprick of Constantinople WHen Maximianus had peaceably gouerned the church the space of two yeares and fiue moneths He departed this life in the Consulship of Areobindus Asparis the twelf of Aprill It was the ember weeke next before Easter and on good fridaye At what time Theodosius the Emperour plaid a very wise part For lest that tumult dissention should be raised againe in y e church wtout any further delay while as yet y e corps of Maximianus was aboue grouÌ„d he procured the bishops then present to stall Proclus in the Bishops seae To this end the letters of Celestinus bishop of Rome were brought vnto Cyrill bishop of Alexandria vnto Iohn bishop of Antioch vnto Ruffus bishop of Thessalonica certifieng them that there was no cause to the contrary but that one either alredy nominated bishop of some certaine citie or stalled in some proper sea might be translated vnto an other bishopricke As soone as Proclus then tooke possession of the bishoprick he solemnized the funerall of Maximianus and interred his corps CAP. XL. Of Proclus Bishop of Constantinople and what kinde of man he was NOwe fit oportunity is offred to say somewhat of Proclus This Proclus from his youth vp was a reader he frequented the schooles and was a great student of Rhetoricke When he came to mans estate he had great familiarity with Atticus for he was his scribe Atticus seeing his forewardnes in learning good behauiour in life made him Deacon But wheÌ„ he was thought worthy the degree of a priest Sisinius as I sayd before made him Bishop of Cyzicum But these things were done a good while before At that time as I saye he was chosen Bishoppe of Constantinople A man he was of a maruelous good life for being trained vp vnder Atticus he became an earnest follower of his vertuous steps As for pacieÌ„t sufferaÌ„ce he farr excelled Atticus Euen as Atticus as time and place required could terrifie the heretickes so he behaued him self tractable towardes all men perswaded him selfe that it was farre easier for him by faire meanes to allure vnto the Churche then by force to compell them vnto the faythe He determined to vexe no secte whatsoeuer but reserued and restored vnto the Churche that renowmed vertue of meekenesse required in Clergie men Wherein he imitated the EmperoureÌ„ Theodosius For euen as it pleased him not to execute the Emperiall sworde agaynste suche as committed haynous crimes and wrought treason so Proclus made no accompt at all of suche as were of the contrary fayth and opinion CAP. XLI Of the clemencie of Theodosius the Yonger THeodosius the Emperour did highely commende Proclus for the aforsayde vertues For he counteruayled in pacience y â— holy pryests of God he could not away w t persecutors yea â—o say the trueth he passed all the priestes of God in modesty and meekenes of spirite euen as it is wrytten of Moses in the booke of Numbres Moses was the mildest man vpon earth so may it nowe be sayd of Theodosius that he is the mildest man in the world for which cause God subdued his enemies vnto him without slaughter bloodshed euen as the victory he got of Iohn the tyrant and the ouerthrowe of the Barbarians did manifestly declare vnto the worlde For God bestowed such benefittes vpon this most holy Emperour as he did of olde vpon the righteous and vertuous liuers Neyther truely doe I wryte these thinges in the waye of flattery but I will heareafter declare vnto the world more plainely that they are as true as I reporte them CAP. XLII VVhat calamity befell vnto the Barbarians which ayded the tyrante and rebell Iohn AFter the desease of the tyrante the Barbarians whome he had gathered together to wage battaill with the Romaynes purposed to ouer runne certaine dominions that were subiecte vnto the Empire of Rome The Emperour hearing of this referred vnto the wisedome of God after his wonted guise the wholl matter he gaue him selfe altogether vnto prayer and in the end obtayned his desire It shall not be amisse presentely to laye downe the miserable endes of the Barbarians First of all theyr captayne Rugas was slaine with a thunderbolt Next there ensued a plague which dispatched the greater parte of his souldiers Neither seemed this a sufficiente punishment but there came fire also from heaueÌ„ consumed many of them that remained the which thing did greatly astonish y â— BarbariaÌ„s not so much because they presumed to take armour against y â— fierse valiaunt Romaynes as when they saw y â— Romaynes asisted by the mightie arme inuincible power of God At that time Proclus the Bishop repeated some parcell of Ezechiels prophecy expounded it in the Churche and applied it with singuler commendation to haue bene foreshewed of
Theodosius the Emperour beganne to offer praises and thankesgeuing for the benefits he receaued of God and to exâ—oll w t diuine laudes the name of Christ Moreouer he sente Eudocia the Empresse to Ierusalem for he promised y â— she should performe this vowe if he might see his daughter maried But she both at her going and at her returne bewtifled with sundry ornaments not onely the churches of Ierusalem but also throughout all the cities of the Easte CAP. XLVII Of Thalassius Byshop of Caesarea in Cappadocia PRoclus about that time in the seauenteenth Consulship of Theodosius tooke in hand a maruelous enterprise suche a thinge as none of the bishops of old haue at any time brought about After the desease of Filmus bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia the Caesareans came to Constantinople for a bishop When Proclus mused with himselfe whome he should assigne to be theyr bishop by chaunce on the sabbaoth day as he sought a fit maÌ„ for the rowme all the Senators came to the church for to see whome he woulde elect of which number Thalassius was one Liuetenant gouernour of the nations and cities throughout Illyrium Who as reporte goeth being commauÌ„ded of the Emperour to gouerne certen contreyes of the East was consecrated of Proclus and in steede of a Liuetenant made bishop of Caesarea And thus y â— Ecclesiasticall affayres of those times enioyed peace and tranquility But here I will cut of and make an end of my history prayinge for the continewance of peace and prosperous estate of all churches vnder heauen for the wealth of all people for the coÌ„cord and vnity of all cities and contreyes For when peace preuayleth there is no matter for an historiographer to occupie his peÌ„ne for most holy Theodorus which hast inioined me this taske nowe at length performed in these seaueÌ„ bookes of the Ecclesiasticall history there would haue bene no matter ministred for my penne if such as set theyr minds on seditioÌ„ discorde had bene at peace and vnity among them selues This seauenth booke contineweth the historye of two and thirty yeares our wholl history being deuided into seaueÌ„ bookes compriseth the compasse of one hundreth and forty yeares begining at the first yeare of the two hundreth and first Olympiad when Constantine was proclaimed Emperour ending the second yeare of the three hundreth fift Olympiade being the seauenteenth Consulship of Theodosius the Emperour The ende of the seauenth booke of the Ecclesiasticall historie of Socrates Scholasticus The Translatour vnto the Reader HItherto Christian reader haue I translated Eusebius Socrates vvhich continevved their histories from the birth of Christ vnto the raigne of Theodosius Iunior I vvould haue thee knovve that at one tyme vvith Socrates there vvrote tvvo other Grecians Sozomenus and Theodoret beginninge vvhere Socrates beganne and endinge their histories vvith him at Theodosius Iunior Their argument is one to vvit The Ecclesiasticall historie their language one they vvrote all in Greeke their yeares one for they florished the same tyme. Little difference there is betvvene them in substance sauinge vvhere the one is longe the other short vvhere the one is obscure the other playne vvhere the one is taedious the other pleasaunt To translate them all three vvoulde not in my opinion be so profitable as paynefull the volume both vvoulde be toe huge and the reader soone vvearyed vvith the oft repetition of one thinge Cassiodorus the Senatour and compiler of the Tripartite historie preuentinge this inconuenience and seeyng that these three vvriters agreed in substance deuised vvith him selfe hovve to ease the reader of so greate a labour and hovve to rydde him from so taedious a studie He made an Epitome or briefe collection of them all three I meane Socrates Sozomenus and Theodoret and called it the Tripartite historie The creditt of the Epitome and collector doeth not counteruayle the authoritie of the author Antiquitie vvith the trueth is to be preferred Therefore in translating I thought farre better thou shouldest see not the authors to auoyde repetition and vvearisome reading but the author him selfe I meane Socrates alone in steede of the tvvo other vvhome I haue chosen as the soundest vvriter the faithfullest historiographer and the absolutest delyuerer of the historie in all poyntes vnto the posteritie VVherefore if ought be vvell done geue the prayse vnto God lette the paynes be myne and the profit the Readers THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORIE OF EVAGRIVS SCHOLASTICVS A NOBLE MAN OF ANTIOCH AND ONE OF THE EMPEROVRS LIVETENANTS COMprised in six bookes beginning where Socrates left and ending a hundreth and seuentie yeares after VVRITTEN in the Greeke tongue about nine hunderd yeares agoe translated by M. H. Imprinted at London by Thomas Vautroullier dwelling in the Blackefriers 1576. TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVL THE GODLY AND VERTVOVS GENTLEMAN CHRISTOPHER KENNE ESQVIER INCREASE OF VVORSHIP CONTINEVVANCE OF GODLIE zeale and health in Christ Iesu WHeÌ„ I cal to memorie right vvorshipful the saying of the holy Apostle S. Paul that God according vnto his vnsearcheable vvisedome chose not many vvise men according vnto the fleshe not many mightie men not many noble men to plant the principles of his Gospell amonge the nations vnder heauen I can not chuse but honor studious nobilitie and reuerence vertue vvhere I finde her for the rarenesse thereof hovve precious is a litle siluer amonge a great deale of drosse one fruitfull tree in a vvide barren forest one ruddye rose amonge manie pricking thornes one pearle though founde in a puddle of mire one tvvinkeling starre through manie thicke and mystie cloudes one Lotte in Sodome one Helias in Israel one Iob in Husse one Tobias in Niniue one Phoenix in Arabia and one Euagrius a noble gentleman imploying his trauell to the furtherance of the Ecclesiasticall affayres Dionysius byshopp of Alexandria vvritinge a booke of repentaunce sent it to Conon byshopp of Hermopolis vvho by repentaunce had renounced the idolatrie of pagans and zealously cleaued to the Christian profession as a fit reader of so vvorthy a theame Origen vvriting of martyrs sent his treatise vnto Ambrose and Protoctetus ministers of Caesarea such as had endured great affliction and grieuous crosses vnder Decius the emperour vvhere they might haue a vievv of their valiant and inuincible courage The philosophers of Alexandria Aegypt such as in those dayes excelled in prophane literature vvrote great volumes of their profound skill and sent them vnto the famous philosopher and Christian doctor Origen the great clarke of Alexandria Of mine ovvne part right vvorshipfull not attributing vnto my self such excellency of vvit singularitie of giftes as raigned in the aforesaide vvriters vvhen I had finished the translation of the former histories I meane Eusebius and Socrates dedicated them vvhere duety did binde me vnto the right honorable and my very good Lady the Countesse of Lyncolne I thought good to send this present translation of Euagrius vnto your vvorship a noble Gentleman vnto a vvorshipfull Esquier a lieuetenant
through the procurement of Anastasius his disciple called the blessed mother of God not the mother of God but the mother of Christ and therefore was counted an hereticke In so much that Nestorius who called together against Christ a seconde councell with Caiphas who builded a slaughterhouse of blasphemies where Christ a newe is both slaine and solde who seuered and deuided a sunder his natures that hong on the crosse and had not as it is written no not one bone broken throughout all the members of his bodie neither his vnseamed coate parted of such as put the Lorde to death reiected the clause of the mother or bearing of God framed of the holy Ghost by the meanes of many learned and godly fathers set against it this saying the mother or bearing of Christ leudly forged of his owne braine and filled the Churche of God with sedition ciuill warres and cruell bloodshed I thinke verily my penne can not wante matter to paint and orderly to continue the historie and so to proceede vnto the ende if that first of all through the helpe of Christ the ayder of all men I beginne with the blasphemie of Nestorius the schisme which thē rose in the church had such a beginning as followeth Anastasius a certain priest of a corrupt and peruerse opinion an earnest maintainer of the Jewishe doctrine of Nestorius and his companion in the voyage he tooke from Antioch to be byshop of Constantinople whē he heard the leude reasons and conference which Nestorius had with Theodolus at Mopsouestia in Cicilia he fell from the right fayth and as Theodorus writeth of that matter in a certaine epistle he presumed in the open audience of the Church of Constantinople in the hearing of such people as serued God deuoutly to say these wordes let no man call Marie the mother of God for Marie saith he was a woman and it is vnpossible that God shoulde be borne of a woman when the religious people misliked with his reasons and counted not without cause of his doctrine as of blasphemie Nestorius the ringleader of his impietie not onely not forbad him neither maintained the right opinion but first of all confirmed his sayings to be true and was very earnest in the defence of them Wherefore after he had annexed and lincked thereunto his owne opinion and the deuise of his owne braine when he had powred into the Church of God the venome of his poysoned doctrine he endeuoured to establish a farre more blasphemous sentence to his owne destruction he said as followeth I verily will not call him God who grewe to mans state by two monethes three moneths and so forth euen as Socrates Scholasticus and the former councell helde at Ephesus haue informed of him CAP. III. VVhat Cyrill the great wrote vnto Nestorius the hereticke and of the third◠councell of Ephesus whereunto Iohn byshop of Antioch and Theodoritus came shorte CYrill byshop of Alexandria a man of great fame and renowne confuted the leude opinion of Nestorius in seuerall letters yet for al that Nestorius stiffely withstood his confutation yelded not one iote neither vnto Cyrill neither vnto Celestinus byshop of olde Rome but vomited out the venome of his cankered stomacke vpon the Churche and made sute vnto Theodosius the younger who was Emperour of the East that by his authoritie the first councell of Ephesus might be called together Wherfore the Emperour wrote vnto Cyrill and to all y ◠other ouerseers and byshops of the Churches throughout euerie citie geuinge them to vnderstand that the day of Pentecost was prescribed for their assemblie on which day the liuing and ghostly spirit descending from heauen shined among vs. but Nestorius by reason that Ephesus is not farre from Constantinople was there before them Cyrill together with his company came thither also before the day appointed Iohn byshop of Antioch was absent with his prouince not of set purpose according vnto their report which defend his doings but because he coulde not in so short a space call together the byshops of his prouince for many of their cities were distant from Antioch of olde so called but now Theopolis vnto a swift and stoute goer twelue dayes iourney vnto some others more and Ephesus is from Antioch about thirtie dayes iourney And when as Iohn aunswered plainely he was not able to meete them on the Sundaye appointed for so was the day called all his diocesse sturred not a foote from home CAP. IIII. Howe Nestorius the hereticke was deposed by the councell of Ephesus in the absence of Iohn byshoppe of Antioch When the day appointed for their meeting and fifteene dayes ouer were expired the byshops which assembled at Ephesus thinking verily that the easterne byshops would not come or if peraduenture they came it woulde be long ere they mette together when as Cyrill also moderated the councell in steade of Celestinus who as I said before gouerned the seae of Rome called Nestorius before them and willed him to aunswere vnto the crimes that were laid to his charge And when as the first day he promised to come if the case so required and being afterwardes thrise cited to appeare made light accompt of his promise the byshops that were present called the matter into controuersie and began to reason thereof Wherefore after that Memnon byshop of Ephesus had numbred the dayes that were past since the prescribed time to wit seuenteene after they had reade the epistles of the reuerende Cyrill vnto Nestorius and suche as he wrote vnto Cyrill againe together with the holy epistle of the renowmed Celestiniu sent in like sort vnto Nestorius after that Theodotus byshop of Ancyra and Acacius byshop of Melitina had made relation of the blasphemous sentences whiche Nestorius bolted out at Ephesus and after that many notable sayinges to the iustifying of the sincere fayth were vttered in that assembly of holy and learned fathers interlacing sometimes the vnaduised and blasphemous phrases of Nestorius the holy councell pronounced this sentence against Nestorius in maner as followeth Omitting other hainous crimes of the reuerend Nestorius in so much he was cited and would not appeare neither entertaine the most holy and religious byshops which we had sent vnto him vve were driuen of necessitie to sifte and examine his leude and wicked doctrine And seeinge vve founde him to haue belieued impiously and to haue taught heretically partly by perusing of his bookes and epistles and partly also by the blasphemous sentences he vttered of late in this noble citie we were moued both by the canons of the Church and the graue censure of the most holy father our College Celestinus byshop of Rome yet not without sheding of many teares to pronounce against him this seuere and sharpe sentence VVherefore our Lord Iesus Christ in derogation of whose maiesty Nestorius sticked not to pronounce such horrible blasphemie hath decreed and ordained by this sacred assembly that he shoulde both be deposed of his
other For fleshlye pleasure hauinge once takē place obserueth no meane endeth not in good time but by occasiō of one an other is kindled one flame of firy luste flasheth after an other vntill that one hathe gotten either the gouernement of him selfe and geuen vices the ouerthrowe and thenceforth become conquerour or else is ouercome with the tyrannicall slauery of them leade by them vnto the last gaspe and in the end plungeth like a wretch into the deepe pitt of hell CAP. II. Howe the Barbarians inuaded both the East and west contreyes ZEno in the beginning of his raigne leade such a life as I haue described before His subiects throughout the East and West dominions were vexed out of measure and sustayned greate losses for the Barbarians called Scenitae destroyed all places a great multitude of Hunni called of olde Messagetae inuaded Thracia and passed ouer the riuer Danubius without lettor stay Zeno. also was by force after a Barbarian sorte bereaued of the other partes which remained of the Empire CAP. III. Howe Basiliscus the tyrant tooke armour agaynst Zeno and put the Emperour to flight THis Zeno when Basiliscus the brother of Bernia made preparation to take armour agaynst him was of so faynt a courage that he fledde away geuinge vnto Basiliscus the Emperiall honor and victorye without any trauell He was so odious vnto his subiectes who by right detested his abhominable life he had no stomacke at all no shewe of a noble mynde but all luskish and lither of a naughty condition the whiche his sensualitye declared bearinge rule ouer his cowarde minde and slouthfull disposition Wherefore this Zeno together with Ariadne his wife whome he had with him who also had fledde awaye from her mother and if there were any other that bore him good will gotte him into Isauria where he had bene broughte vp and there he was besieged Thus Basiliscus came to be Emperoure of Rome proclaymed his some Marcus Caesar and layde downe a platforme of gouernemente farre contrary both vnto the maner of Zenos raygne and such as were Emperours before him CAP. IIII. Howe Basiliscus called Timotheus Aelurus Bishop of Alexandria home from exile and by his perswasion sent letters into euery Coast wherein he condemned the councell of Chalcedon THis Basiliscus spoken of before at the request of certaine citizēs of Alexandria that were sent vnto him called Timothee home from exile where he had continewed eighteene yeres Acacius then beinge Byshop of Constantinople Timothe after his comming to Constantinople perswaded Basiliscus to send letters vniuersally vnto all Priests throughout the Churches vnder heauen and therein to accursed both the acts of the councell held at Chalcedon and the decree of Leo as toutchinge the fayth the whiche letters were wrytten in this forme The Emperoure Caesar Basiliscus Pius Victorious triumphant chiefe Lorde perpetuall Augustus and Marcus the moste noble Caesat vnto Timothe the moste reuerende and moste holye Archebishop of the noble city of Alexandria sendeth greetinge The lawes and canons hitherto compiled in defense of the sincere and Apostolicke fayth by the moste holye Emperoures our predecessors who worshipped aright the blessed eternall and liuinge trinity seeinge they were godly decreed haue euer bene foūd wholsom for the welth of the whollworld we will neuer haue cancelled nay rather our will is they should be published for our owne proper decrees for we preferre piety and singular loue towards God our Sauiour Iesus who both made and aduaunced vs to glory and renoune before all the care and trauell that is imployed in worldly affayres and we beleue verely that the fastening and knitting together of Christs flock in loue charitie is both a safety vnto vs our selues and vnto all our subiectes vnto our Empire a fundation that can not be shaken and a wall that can not be battered and throwen downe wherefore being moued with the instinct of the holy spirit we haue determined with our selues to offer for a sacrifice vnto God and our Sauiour Iesus Christ the vniforme cōsent of the holy church as the first fruites of our raigne and Empire and ordayned that the ground and bulwarke of the blessed life geuen vnto men to wit the Creede of the three hundred and eighteene holy fathers of olde assembled together in the holy Ghoste at Nice in the which faith bothe we and all our ancestors were baptized shoulde onely be kept and retayned of the faythfull people throughout all the most holy Churches of God for in this one Creede the syncere fayth is so sufficiently decided both to the ouerthrowe of all erroneus opinions and to the establishing of concord vnity throughout the holy Churches of God And moreouer the canons published to the confirmation of the same faith are of no lesse force vertue Againe we doe ratifie the faith of the hundred fifty holy fathers which assembled in this noble city of Constantinople accursed the blasphemers of the holy Ghost In like sorte we approue the acts of the councel called at Ephesus against wicked Nestorius and such as afterwards embraced his opinion As for such decrees as disturbe the quiet estate of the holy Churches of God the peace of the wholl world to wit the decision and decree of Leo all the canons of the councell helde at Chalcedon whatsoeuer they desined toutching the exposition of the Creede interpretation doctrine and deciding thereof to the end a newefound faith might be established contrary to the Creede of the three hundred and eighteene Godly Bishops spoken of before we ordayne and decree that the most holy Bishops both here in euery the seuerall Churches wheresoeuer doe acurse them whersoeuer they are found that they be burned to ashes for so the godly Emperours of famous memory Constantinus Theodosius iunior who liued before our time commaunded as concerning the hereticks bookes and blasphemous pamphlets VVe will haue them so abolished that they be banished for euer out of the one the onely Catholick Apostolicke faithfull church as constitutions which derogate from the whollsome decrees of the three hundred eighteene holy fathers whiche alwayes oughte to be of greate force and vertue and from the canons established in the holy Ghost of the godly Bishops at the councell of Ephesus To be short that it be not lawefull either for Prieste or for people to transgresse that moste diuine canon of the holye creed but that together with all the newe sanctions published in the councell of Chalcedō the heresie also maye be rooted out of suche as confesse not that the onelye begotten sonne of God was cōceaued by the holy Ghost borne of holy Mary the perpetuall virgine and mother of God truely incarnate and made man but that his flesh came downe from heauen so faine it very monstrously to be figurated in some phātasticall sorte or other we will and commaund that euery erroneus opinion at what time in what sorte or place soeuer throughout
graue censure of his preferred him to the Bishopricke of Constantinople immediatly after the death of Menas Vigilius sente his consente in wrytinge vnto the councell but came not thither him selfe When Iustinianus demaunded of the councell what they thoughte of Theodorus what they sayd to y â— things which Theodoritus had wrytten against Cyrill and to his twelue points of the faith last of all what theyr opinion was of the Epistle which Ibas wrote vnto Maris the Persian when they had read many peeces of Theodorus and Theodoritus workes and proued manifestly that Theodorus had bene lately condemned and his name wiped cleane out of the holye catalogue or registrye when they had concluded also that heretickes were to be condemned after theyr desease and with generall consente to accurse not onely Theodorus but also the wordes of Theodoritus againste the twelue pointes of the fayth layde downe by Cyrill and against the true and righte fayth together with the Epistle of Ibas vnto Maris the Persian they layde downe theyr censure in suche order as followeth Seinge our greate God and our Sauiour Christ Iesus hathe spoken as it is in the parable of the Gospell c. And a litle after VVe condemne and accurse not only all other heretickes heretofore condemned by the foure holy councells aboue mentioned and by the holy Catholicke Churche but also Theodorus Bishop of Mopsouestia with his vvicked bookes together vvith the vngodlye vvorkes of Theodoritus impugninge partelye the true fayth vvith the tvvelue poinctes of moste holye Cyrill concerninge the faith and partly also the holy councell of Ephesus and vvhat other thinges soeuer the same Theodoritus hath published in defence of Theodorus and Nestorius Moreouer vve condemne the wicked Epistle vvhiche Ibas vvrote vnto Maris the Persian When they had enterlaced certaine other things they layd downe fourteene poynâ—ts or articles of the true syncere fayth Thus haue we learned that these things were handled when bills were exhibited vnto the councell by Eulogius Conon Cyriâ—â—â—us and Parcratius the Monkes against the doctrine of Origen Adamantius and suche as embraced his errors Iustinianus asked of the councell what they minded to doe as toutchinge these thinges He annered also vnto the aforesayde the copie of one certaine bill together with the letters of Vigilius wrytten in that behalfe Whereby we may learne howe Origen endeuored to stuffe the plaine and simple doctrine of the Apostles with the tares of Gentils and Manichees to be shorte when they had cried againste Origen and againste all them that wallowed in the like error with him the controuersie was referred vnto Iustinianus by an Epistle whereof some parte was as followeth Thou most Christian Emperour that retainest the vertous minde agreable with aunciente nobility And a litle after VVe abhorre and we detest this doctrine we acknowledge not the voices of straungers and aliens vnto the Churche nay rather if there be any such founde we bind him sure with the bonde of excommunication as a thiefe or robber and banishe him the Church of God Againe after a fewe lines Your maiesty may soone vnderstande all that hitherto we haue decided by the viewe and readinge of these our actes Unto these their letters they annexed the articles whiche the Patrons of Origens errors had learned where they reuealed not only their consent but also their dissention manifold absurdites Of which articles the sift contained the blasphemy of certaine monkes inhabitinge the Monastery of Newe Laura layde downe in these wordes Theodorus called Ascidas Bishop of Caesarea sayde If the Apostles and Martyrs whiche nowe worke miracles and enioye so greate an honor be not made equall with Christ at the generall resurrection what are they restored vnto sundry other blasphemies of Didymus Euagrius and Theodorus were rehearsed by them that diligentlye collelected these thinges Within a litle while after that the councell was dissolued Eutychius byshop of Constantinople was deposed and Iohn of Sirimis a village of Cynegia borderinge vpon Antioch succeeded him in the Bishopricke CAP. XXXVIII Howe Iustinianus fallinge from the right faith affirmed that the body of Christ was in euery respect voyde of corruption THe selfe same tyme Iustinianus treadinge out of the waye of true doctrine and lightinge on suche a pathe as neyther the Apostles neyther the Fathers euer ledd him vnto fell amonge briers and brambles with the which he purposed to stuffe the Church of God yet brought he not his will about for the Lorde had fortified the high waye with such strong hedges that murtherers coulde not leape ouer as if accordinge vnto the prophecye the wall had bene throwen downe and the hedge broken Wherefore the same tyme when Iohn syrnamed Cateline was Byshop of Olde Rome after the death of Vigilius Iohn Sirimis of Constantinople Apolinarius of Alexandria Anastasius after Domninus of Theopolis otherwise called Antioch and Macarius nowe restored vnto his proper seae of Ierusalem when the councell after the depriuation of Eustochius condemned Origen Didymus and Euagrius * Iustinianus wrote an edicte where he affirmed that the bodye of the Lorde was not subiecte to death or corruption that it was voyde of suche affections as nature ingraffed and were vnblameable that the Lorde eate before his passion in suche sorte as he did after his resurrection that his moste holye bodye was nothinge altered nor chaunged for all the framinge thereof in the matrix and for all the voluntarie and naturall motions nay not chaunged no not after his resurrection vnto whiche opinions he purposed to compell bothe Priestes and Byshops to subscribe But all they made answere that they expected Anastasius the Byshop of Antiochs opinion and so posted him of for the first tyme. CAP. XXXIX Of Anastasius Archbishop of Antioch ANastasius was a man of such profound skill in holy Scripture so wary in all his doings throughout his wholl life time y â— he weyed greatly of small and light matters would in no wise be chaunged or altered in them much lesse in matters of great weight importance especially which concerned God him selfe And furthermore he so gouerned his nature that neyther for his softenes and gentlenes he woulde easily yelde vnto suche thinges as were vnreasonable neyther againe for his bluntnes and austeritie he woulde condescende where righte and reason did so require He gaue diligente eare to the recitall of graue matters and as he flowed in speach so was he acute and quickewitted in dissoluinge of doubtes and questions He woulde not once as muche as voutâ—…e the hearinge of vayne and idle matters but as for his tongue he so brydled it that he moderated his talke with reason and helde his peace where it so behoued him Iustinianus tooke him in hande with all pollicy as if he had bene to batter a well fortified holde perswadinge him selfe verely if he mighte winne him that he woulde easilye take the wholl citye yoke the true faith as it were in seruitude and
side of the cupp they bragged of their almes they fasted twise a weeke they washed their hands when they come from the market before meate they â—yâ—hed mynte reâ—… their attyre was supâ—â—stitious they wore â—â—â—â—acteries Luc. 11. Mâ—â—â— â–ª 7. Epiphan praeâ—ac lib â–ª 1. de haeres Anno. 6. Christ the 6. yeare after his byrth came out of Aegipt Ioseph hearing that Archelaus did raygne in his steede feared to go to Israel and went to Galile Matt. 2. Anno 47. Augusti Euse chronic  Archelaus afterwardes is deposed by Augustus Caesar and appointed ruler ouer certain prouinces as Idumaea Iudaea and Samaria Euseb lib 1. cap. 10. Ioseph Antiqu. lib. 17. cap. 17. ANANVS otherwise called Annas was appointed hygh priest by Cyrenius that was sent by Augustus into Iudaea after the exile of Archelaus this Cyrenius first deposed Eleazar and substituted Annas Ioseph Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 3. belike Eleazar was afterwards admitted and the 2. time deposed  The Scribâ—â— were thâ— doctors of the lawâ— â–ª foolishe superstitious glossers mayntayners of blind customes contrary to the trueth â–ª Epiphan de haeres Anno. 12. Christ being 12. yeare old went vp with his parents to Ierusalem at the feast of the Passouer was found disputing among the doctors Luc. 2.   Archelaus last of all is banished by Augustus as Euseb in chronic the 9. yeare of his raigne but as Ioseph Antiq. lib. 17. cap. 19. writeth the 10. yeare into Vienna a citie of Fraunce ISMAEL the sonne of Baphus is placed high-priest and Annas deposed by Valerius Graâ—us who was seÌ„t from Caesar into Iudaea Euseb lib. 1. cap. 11. There vvas a councell of priests gathered together at Ierusalem a litle before Christ reuealed him selfe to chuse a Prieste in the rovvme of one that vvas deseased Looke hovv many letters there are in the Hebrevv tongue so many priestes there vvere in the teÌ„ple to vvere 22. the maner vvas to register in a certaine boke reserued in the temple the day of the election the name of the elected the name of his father of his mother of his tribe whilest that they thought some on one maÌ„ some on an other there stepped forth a priest one of the multitude sayd My vvill is that IESVS the sonne of Ioseph the carpeÌ„ter be elected priest vvho though he be yoÌ„g in yers yet passeth he in vtteraÌ„ce vvisdome maners I thinke truely there vvas neuer seene in Ierusalem such a one both for eloquence life maners the vvhiche I am sure all that inhabit Ierusalem do knovve as vvell as I. The vvhich vvas no soner spoken but vvas allovved of the partie I meane Iesus chosen to be a prieste They doubt of his tribe agayne they vvere therein resolued They call for his parentes to register theyr names The priest that fauored Iesus made ansvver that Ioseph his father vvas deade yet Marie his mother vvas alyue She vvas brought before them she affirmed that she vvas his mother that Iesus vvas her sonne but she sayde moreouer that he had no father on earth that she vvas a virgine that the holy Ghost had ouershadovved her They sent for the midvviues also for such as had ben present at the birth She vvas founde to be a virgine in the end they concluded vvith one voyce that he shoulde be registred Iesus the soÌ„ne of God of Marie the virgine VVe remeÌ„ber moreouer Iosephus to haue said that Iesus sacrificed in the temple together vvith the priests Heerevpon also it fel out that as Iesus entred into the synagogue of the Ievves the boke vvas deliuered vnto him vvhere he read of the prophet Esai vvhereby vve gather that if Iesus had not bene priest amoÌ„g the Iewes â–ª the booke vvoulde not haue bene deliuered vnto him Neither is it permitted amongest vs Christians for any to reade holye scripture in the opeÌ„ assemblie vnlesse he be of the cleargie So farre Suidas as he learned of a Ievve  Anno. Christi 15. Anno. 56. August Euseb cronic TIBERIVS succeeded Augustus Caesar in the empire of Rome VALERIVS GRATVS was sent from Tiberius into Iudaea there to be president and after him Pilate Iosep Anti. li. 18. ca. 4. Euseb lib. 1. cap. 10.  Herode the Tetrarch king of the Iewes succeedeth Archelaus Herode heard of the â—ame of Iesu yet beleeued he not in him Math 14.       Herode maried Herodias the wife of his brother Philip his brother being aliue Iohn Baptist reprehended him for it whiche cost him his heade Math. 14.    Anno. Do. 30. Christ was baptized the 30 â–ª yeare of his age the 15. of Tiberius the emperour the 4. of the procuratorship of Pontius Pâ—â—ate Herode being Tetrarch of Galilee Philip tetrarch of Iâ—uâ—aea Lysanias tetrarch of Abâ—â—ene Iuc 3. Euseb lib. 1. cap. 11. Anno. 15. Tâ—berij About this time Iohn the Baptist preached in the wildernes of Iudaea he pointed at châ—â—st with the â—inger he baptised Christ in Iordan he reprehended Herod for marying his brothers wife he is beheaded in pâ—â—son by the coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„t of Herode Math. 3. Iohn 1. Math. 14. Iosephus geueth of â—â—m a notable report Euseb lib. 1. cap. 12. Herod had to wife the daughter of Aretas king of Arabia the which he dimissed and maried Herodias for which cause Herode Aretas warred on against the other in the which battell Herodes host was vtterlye â—oyled as it was thought for a plague for beheadinge Iohn Baptist Euseb lib. 1. cap. 12. out of Iosephus ELEAZAR the sonne of Annas not long after was placed by the same Graâ—us and Ismael remoued Euseb lib. 1. cap. 11.  The Gorthaeans were â—ects celebrating theyr festiuall dayes at other tymes then the Iewes did Epiph. praeâ—ac lib. 1. de haeresib  VITâ—LLIVS the procurator of Syâ—â—a is sent from Tiberius to aâ—d Herode against Aretas Ioseph Antiq â–ª lib. 19. cap. 7. 8   SIMON the sonne of Camithus the yeare after was placed and Eleazar deposed by the same Gratus Euseb lib. 1. cap. 11.  The Sebuaeans were in their ceremonies coÌ„trary to the Iewes and to the Gorthaeans Epip The Dosithaeans were such as in diuers ceremonies seuered themselues from the Iewes â–ª some of them woulde marrie yet liue continue virgins they fasted from al liuing creatures they began of Dosithaeus who shewing his folowers an example of fasting famished him self to death thereby proued him selfe a foole Epiphan lib. 1. tom 1. heres 13. The Ossaeans after the Etymologie of their name signifie impudeÌ„t persons they vsed other scriptures besides the lawe they reiected the greater part of the later Prophets Epipha praeâ—ac lib. de heres Christ being baptized in the first yeare of his preaching was led into the wildernes and hauing fasted 40. dayes 40. nights Mat. 4. was seene of Iohn who pointed at him with the â—inger and sayd beholde the Lambe of God the which when
matters he banished all the Iewes out of Alexandria for murthering of the christians he coÌ„demned Nestorius in the councell of Ephesus Socrat lib. 7. cap. 7. 13. 33 Rhetorius was of a wonderfull vaine opinion He thought that all heretikes walked aright and maintayned the trueth August lib. de haeres Paterniani were heretickes which thought that the nether parts of mans bodyâ— were made not by God but by the deuell there fore yeelded all those partes vnto all beastly life some called these men Venustianos August   Acacius b. of Amida was famous for his godly acts in the dayes of Theodosius the yonger he pytied the Persian captiues which the Romaines had taken lamented to see them perishe for want of foode he called his clergy sayd thus vnto them Our lord hath no neede either of poâ—â—iÌ„gers or of cups for he neyther â—ateth neither drinketh c. he perswaded them so that he sould the treasure relieued the prisoners and redeemed the captiues Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 21. The councell held at TaurinuÌ„ at the foote of the alps was held for the reformatioÌ„ of the clergy tom â— concil The councel of Malta condemned the Pelagians Donatists and concluded that all meÌ„ wer sinners that the grace of God was geueÌ„ to the fulfilling of the law that infants were to be baptized to 1. coÌ„cil â–ª A couÌ„cell helde at Telene in the time of Zosimus thrust vpon the clergye vowed chastitie which Siricius had first commaunded tom 1. concil The 6. councell of Carthage ratified the canoÌ„s of the Nicene councell tom 1. concil   Celestinus was b. of Rome after Bonifacius Anno Donini 425. continewed 9. yeres Soc. lib. 7. cap. 11 Prosp chro this Celestinus sent Palladius to be bishop of the Scotts  Tertullianistae were heretickes which denyed second mariadges and sayd that the soules of wicked men became deuells after theyr departure out of this life and that the soule is continewedby goinge from one into an other as muche to say by carnall descent and succesâ—ion August 425.  Isidorus a Peleusian was of greate fame in the dayes of Cyrill and wrote a boke vnto him Fuag lib. 1. cap. 15. The 7. councell of Carthage layd down what kind of meÌ„ were fit to beare witnes againste the clergy to 1. coÌ„c A councell was held in Aphrike where all the prouinces came together in the tyme of Bonifacius Celestinus bishops of RoÌ„â— where they coÌ„deÌ„ned Pelagiâ—s decreed that no bishop shold be called the heade of all priests that no appeale should be made out of Aphrick to any other bishop c. tom 1. concil   In the time of Celestinus sayth Socrates the bishop of Rome passinge the bosides of his priestly order presumed to chaleÌ„g vnto him self secular power autoritiâ— lib. 7. cap. 11.  Nestorius the hereticke by birth a Germayne yet prieste of Antioch was sent for by Theodositis to Constantinople and there made bishop for his crucltie he was called a fire braÌ„d he brought from Antioch a priest in his coÌ„panie whose name was Anastasius whiche taught in the churche that Marie was not to be called the mother of God whome he defended auoyded as Socrates sayeth this clause the motheror bearing of God as a bugg or frayinge ghost yet he proceeded in spite beynge called to the councell of Ephesus he denyed that Christ was God and seeyng that there rose greate sturre thereof he seemed to repent but the councell deposed and banished him into Oasis God winked not at his impietie but plagued him diueâ—sly from aboue his toÌ„ge was eaten vp of wormes and so he dyed Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 22. 23. 29. Euag. lib. 1. cap. 2. 3. 7.  Synesius b. of Cyrene an eloquent man and a profouÌ„d philosopher florished in the time of Theodosius Euagr. lib. 1. cap. 15. A generall couÌ„cell called at Ephesus an Do. 434. Prosper chron of 200. bishops where Nestorius the he retick was condemned Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 33. Euagr lib. 1. cap. 4. A councell was held at RhegiuÌ„ for the redresse of ecclesiasticall matters tom 1. concil     Abelitae were heretickes aboute Hippo in Aphricke so called of Abel the sonne of Adam wiues they abhorred yet liued they not without men and women vnder colour of chastitie lyued in one house and to be their heire they wold alwayes adopt one or other of their neyghbours children Augu. 434.  Prudentius and Sedulius christiaÌ„ Poetes liued about this time Gennad catalog Prosper Aquitanicus one that wrote many notable tractes whose sentences are to be seene amonge Augustines works florished in the raigne of Theodosius He wrote also a notable chronographie Gennad A councell was called at Rome by Valentinianus the yoÌ„ger wher Sixtus the b. purged him self of certaine crimes that wer layde to his charge     A sect of here ticks the first authors name is not knowen sayde that after the resurrectioÌ„ this world should not be chaunged but remayne still as it doeth contrarit to the scripture which sayth there shall be a newe heauen and â— newe earth August 435. In the raigne of this Theodosius the bryttaynes sâ—t for the Saxones out of Germanie to asist them against the Scots and Picts â–ª Polidor Symeon a religious man in the time of Domnus b. of Antioche was the author of a straunge kinde of life he liued many yeres in a pilloure He was knoweÌ„ to be a godlye man Euagr. lib. 1. cap. 12. lib. 2. ca. 10. Sixtus called a councell at RoÌ„e to examine the doings of Polychronius b of lerusaleÌ„ to 1. coÌ„c The couÌ„cell of Agatha decreed that none should be made priest afore he were 30. yeares olde that the clergie shoulde weare suche attire as became their profession with manie other constitutions to 1. coÌ„cil     An other sect wente always barefoote not for the aflictioÌ„ of the bodye but because they vnderstoode foÌ„dly certaine places of the scripture August An other sect would neuer eate meaâ— with men They tooke the holy ghost for a creature August   Socrates Scholasticus which coÌ„tinewed in seueÌ„ bookes the ecclesiasticall history of Eusebius Pâ—philus froÌ„ Constantinus magnus vnto the better parte of Theodosius iunior his raygne was about this time of greate fame through out all Greece The 1. 2. couÌ„cell held at Aurenge decreed amonge other things that such as fled to sanctu aries shoulde be ayded coÌ„deÌ„ned free will and grace of merits tom 1. concil The 1. and 2. councells helde at Vasio in the tyme of Theodosius decreed that in suche churches where preachers were not Deacons shoulde reade homilies tom 1. concil I find tom 1 concil That in the tyme of Sixtus b. of Rome there was one Polychronius b. of IerusaleÌ„ a very shorte while deposed in a councell helde at Rome for Simony extorcion But other wryters make no meÌ„tion of him and say
pa. 164. Auxentius an Arian b. of Millane pa. 337. Azarias the prophet and his life pa. 523. B. BAbilas b. of Antioch died in prison pag. 111. 114. Babilas the martyr pa. 309. 310. Bachilides a godly minister pa. 71. Banchillus b. of Corinth pa. 92. Bararanes king of persia pa. 386. 422. Barcabus a prophet of the hereticke Basilides pa. 60. Barcoph a prophet of the hereticke Basilides pa. 60. Barchochebas a blinde guide of the Iewes pa. 59. 61. Bardesanes a Syrian and his bookes pa. 74. Barnabas one of the 70. disciples pa. 15. 19. his martyrdome pa. 519. Barsabas one of the 70. disciples pag. 15. he was also called Iustus Ioseph he dranke poyson yet did it not hurt him pa. 57. Barsanaphius a monke pa. 485. Bartholomevve the Apostle preached in India page 85. his martyrdome pa. 519. his life pa. 532. Baruch the prophet and his life pa. 530. Basilides the hereticke wrote 24. books vpon the Gospel pa. 60. 70 Basilides a soldier was beheaded for the fayth pa. 98. 99. Basilicus an hereticke pa. 86. Basiliscus a tyrant and his ende pa. 453. Basilius b. of Ancyra coÌ„futed Photinus the hereticke pa. 277. Basilius magnus b. of Caesarea in Cappadocia pa. 322. 334. 335. Belissarius a Romaine captaine pa. 477. Beniamin the 6. b. of Ierusalem pa. 59. Beryllus Byshop of Bostra in Arabia fell to heresie and was confuted by Origen page 108. 112. Biblis a woman was piteously tormented for the faith pa. 77. Bishops honored pa. 145. Bishops persecuted pa. 146. Blandina a woman of a wonderfull patience is martyred pa. 77. 78. 79. 80. Blastus an hereticke pa. 86. 90. Books of the olde and new Testament looke Canonicall scripture Books of holy scripture burned pa. 146. Bonifacius b. of Rome pa. 381. Bretanion a tyrant and his foile pa. 272. 274. Buddas an heretick his miserable end pa. 242. Burgonians receaue the faith pa. 393. 394. C. CAiphas an high prieste of the Iewes pa. 14. Caius Iulius Caesar howe he died pa. 469. Caius Caligula was Emperour afrer Tiberius pa. 21. he called him selfe a God he plagued the Iewes and raigned not 4. yeres pa. 21. 22. 23. his end pa. 469. Caius b. of Ierusalem pa. 86. Candidus wrote learned books pa. 94. Calistus b. of Rome 5. yeares pa. 108. Canonicall scriptures pa. 36. 45. 49. 50. 73. 84. 104. 109. 110. 137. 138. Capito b. of Ierusalem pa. 86. Caricus a learned man pa. 103. Carpocrates an hereticke pa. 60. 70. Carpus a martyr pa. 67. Carterius a schismaticke pa. 358. Carterius a monke pa. 362. Carus with Carinus and Numerianus was Emperour after Probus pa. 141. Cassianus b. of Ierusalem pa. 85. Cassius b. of Tyrus pa. 92. Cataphrygian heresie looke Montanus and his opinion Cecilianus b. of Carthage pa. 204. 205. Celadion b. of Alexandria pa. 62. Celestinus b. of Rome pa. 38. Cephas one of the 70. disciples pa. 15. 16. Cerdo b. of Alexandria pa. 47. Cerdon an hereticke pa. 62. Cerinthus and his heresie pa. 51. 52. 137. Characes an historiographer pa. 501. Chaeremon b. of Nilus fled with his wife into the desert pa. 117. Chiliastae and their heresie pa. 136. 137. Chosroes king of Persia pa. 509. Chrestus b. of Syracusa pa. 205. Christ is to be vnderstood two wayes pa. 3. Christ appeared to Abraham and conferred vvith him pa. 3. 8. 264. Christ appeared to Iacob pa. 4. 8. Christ appeared to Iosua pa. 4. Christe appeared in the forme of man and why after that sort pa. 5. Christ vvhat time he was borne in the fleshe pa. 5. 8. 9. Christ was a king an high priest and a Prophet pa. 6. 7. Christ tooke a reasonable soule pa. 300. Christ suffred not the 7. yeare of Tiberius as some did write pa. 13. Christ being 30. yeare olde began to preach and vvas baptized pa. 14. Christ preached not foure yeares pa. 14. Christ chose 12. Apostles and seuentie Disciples pa. 14. Christ vvrote an epistle vnto Agbarus gouernour of Edessa pa. 16. Christian religion is not nevve and straunge pa. 3. 7. 8. Christian behauiour pa. 54. Christians in deede and the definition of a true Christian pa. 8. Chrysostome looke Iohn Chrysostome Clarus b. of Ptolomais pa. 92. Claudius was Emperour after Caligula raigned 13. yeares pa. 23. 31. Claudius 2. was Emperour after Galienus tvvo yeares pa. 139. Claudian the Poet vvhen he florished pa. 422. Clemens Alexandrinus is alleaged pa. 15. 19. 23 28. 33. 52. 85. he vvas the master of Origen pa. 100. his workes pa. 103. Clemens the thirde bishop of Rome vvas Sainct Paules fellovve labourer pag. 37. 46. 47. he preached 9. yeares pag. 54. he is sayde to haue translated the Epistle vnto the Hebrevves from Hebrevve into Greeke pag. 56. counterfeyt vvorkes are fathered vpon him pag. 56. his Epistle vvas reade in the Churche pag. 71. Cleobius an heretick pa. 70. Comodus vvas Emperour after Antoninus Verus and raigned 13. yeares pa. 85. 94. his end pa. 469. Confession the original thereof and the rooting of it out of the Church pa. 351. Confessors pa. 81. Confirmation after baptisme by the hands of the bishop pa. 119. Conon b. of Hermopolis pa. 120. Constantius the father of Constantinus Magnus his raigne and end pa. 153. 158. Constantinus Magnus was proclaimed Emperour pa. 153. hovv he became a Christian pa. 215. 216. his death and funerall pa. 252. 253. Constantinus the yonger was Emperour pa. 252. 254. his death pa. 255. 272. Constantius the sonne of Constantinus Magnus pa. 252. he vvas an Arian pa. 254. his death pa. 295. Constans the Emperour pa. 252. 267. his death pa. 272. Coration a Chiliast vvas conuerted by Dionysius b. of Alexandria pa. 136. Cornelius the centurion is conuerted pa. 21. Cornelius the 4. b. of Antioch pa. 70. Cornelius b. of Rome pa. 114. 118. the Councel of Nice pag. 222. 223. 224. 225. 226. 227. the Councel of Antioch pa. 244. the Councel of Tyrus pa. 247. 249. the CouÌ„cel of AriaÌ„s met at Antioch pa. 256. 257. the Councel of Sardice pa. 265. the Councel of Ierusalem pa. 271. the Councel of Alexandria pa. 272 the Councel of Sirmium pa. 275. the Councel of Millane pa. 279. the Councel of Ariminum pa. 280. 282. 283. the Councel of Seleucia pa. 287. 288. 289. the Councel of Arians at CoÌ„stantinople pa. 291. the Councel of Arians at Antioch pa. 293. the Councell of Alexandria called the 2. pa. 300. 301. the Councel of Antioch called the 2. pa. 316. 317. the Councel of Lampsacum pa. 319. the Councel of Sicilia pa. 325. the Councel of Constantinople summoned by Theodosius magnus pa. 344. the Councell of Angaris pa. 352. the Councel of Cyprus pa. 368. the Councel of Ephesus pa. 3â—â— 41â— 413. the Councel of Ephesus called the 2. pa. 417. the Councel of Chalcedon pag. 420. 426. 427. 428. 429. 430. 438. c. the Councel of Constantinople in the time of Iustinian pa. 487. 488. the CouÌ„cells were summoned by the Emperours pa. 341. the
a noble vvoman vvas banished for the faith pag. 47. Flauianus B. of Constantinople was murthered by heretickes pag. 426. Florinus an hereticke pag. 86. 90. 91. Florus a cruell Liuetenant of Iudaea pag. 35. Frumentius a Byshop conuerted the middle Indians pag. 240. G. GAd the Prophete and his life pag. 521. Gainas the rebel and his end pag. 364. 365. Gaius B. of Rome pag. 35. 51. 53. 108. 142. Galba was Emperour a shorte while pa. 37. 469 Galen the phisicion is worshipped of heretickes pag. 95. Galienus vvas Emperour after Valerianus and restored peace he raygned fifteene yeres pag. 131. 139. Galilaeans and their heresie pag. 70. Gallus was Emperour after Decius pag. 121. his end pag. 469. Gallus the brother of Iulian the Apostata rebelled and was beheaded pag. 278. Galma B. of Amastris pag. 71. Georgius the Arian B. of Alexandria and his miserable end pag. 298. Germanicus for his faith was torne in peeces of wilde beastes pag. 64. Germanion B. of Ierusalem pag. 102. Germanus vvas beheaded for the fayth pag. 167 Gitton a village in Samaria where Simon Magus was borne pag. 26. 27. Gnostici were heretickes pag. 60. God diuersly plagued the old vvorld pag. 5. Golauduch a vvoman was martyred pag. 510. Gomarius a rebell is savved a sunder pag. 320. Gomorha was ouerthrowen vvith fire and brimstone pag. 4. Gordianus vvas Emperour after Maximinus and raygned 6 yeares pag. 111. 112. his ende pag. 496. Gordius B. of Ierusalem page 102. Gorgonius a page of the Emperour Diocletian after tormet was hanged for the faith pa. 145. 148. Gorthaeus an hereticke pag. 70. The Gospell after Marcke pag. 28. 57. 84. 104 110. The Gospell after Mathew was vvrytten in Hebrewe pag. 49. 57. 84. 85. 109. The Gospel after Iohn pag. 49. 50. 84. 104. 110. The Gospell after Luke pag. 37. 49. 50. 84. 110. Gospells were published by heretickes pag. 50. 51. 103. The Gotths receaued the Christian fayth page 338. 339. Gratianus was made Emperour pag. 322. his death 347. Gregorius Neocaesariensis the disciple of Origen pag. 111. 131. 335. Gregorius B. of Alexandria and the sturre about him pag. 258. Gregorie Nazianzen vvas of great fame pa. 322. 334. 335. 343. Gregorie the brother of Basil was B. of Nissa pa. 335. 345. Gregorie B. of Antioch pag. 493. H. HAnani the Prophet and his life pag. 523. Helcesaitae were heretickes and their opinioÌ„ pag. 113. Helen Queene of the Osroemians distributed corne in time of famine pag. 26. Helen the mother of Constantinus Magnus foâ—d the Crosse at Ierusalem pag. 237. 238. Helena a vvitch the yoke mate of Simon Magus pag. 27. Hemerobaptists and theyr heresie pag. 70. Heraclides a Martyr pag. 97. Heraclitus vvrote coÌ„mentaries vpoÌ„ Paul pa. 94. Heretickes corrupt the vvorkes of auncient vvryters pag. 71. Heresies reade in the Chronographie the catalogue of all the heresies vvithin the first six hundred yeares after Christ Heraclas B. of Alexandria pag. 97. 105. 110. Hermes vvrote a booke intitled Pastor vvhiche vvas reade in the Church pag. 36. 84. Hermogenes an Arian captaine is cruellye put to death pag. 259. Hermon B. of Ierusalem pag. 144. Hermophilus an hereticke translated the Scriptures pag. 95. Herode vvas kinge of the Ievves vvhen Christe vvas borne pag. 9. 10. Herode Antipater pag. 9. Herode Ascalonites pag. 9. Herode shutte vp vnder his seale the holy robe of the highpriest pag. 10. Herode burned the genealogies of the Ievves to make him selfe a Gentleman pag. 11. Herode commaunded the infantes to be slayne pag. 12. Herode is tormented he seeketh to dispatch him selfe and dieth miserably pag. 12. 13. Herode caused the chief of the Ievves to be clapt in prison and to be slaine at his departure that the Iewes might lament his death pa. 13. Herode the Tetrarch was banished into Vienna together with his harlot Herodias pag. 14. 21. Herode Agrippa is by Caius Caligula made king of the Iewes pa. 21. he imprisoneth Peter the Apostle and dierâ— miserably pa. 23. 24. 25. Herodian an historiographer pa 502. Herodias the harlot of Herode the Tetrarch pa. 14. Heron was beheaded for the faith pa. 98. Heros b. of Antioch after Ignatius pa. 55. Hesychius Bishop of Aegypt was martyred pag. 153. Hilarius b. of Poetiers pa. 304. Hippolitus and his works pa. 108. Honorichus the Arian king of the Vandals persecuted the christians pa. 476. Honorius is created Emperour pa. 359. Hormisda king of Persia pa. 50â— Hulda a prophetesse and her life pa. 527. Hyginus was bishop of Rome 4. yeares pa. 62. 83. Hymenaeus b. of Ierusalem â–ª pa. 131. Hypatia a learned womaÌ„ was of spite cruelly executed pa. 384. Hyrcanus an high priest of the Iewes was taken captiue of the Persians pa. 9. 10. I. IAcob saw God face to face pa. 4. he prophecied of Christ pa. 9. Iames the Apostle called the brother of the Lord was the first b. of Ierusalem and brained with a club pa. 19. the order of his martyrdome is to be seene pa. 32. 33. 34. 37. 519. Iames the brother of Iohn was beheaded by Herode Agrippa pa. 19. 23. 37. 519. his life pa. 532. Iberians receaued the fayth pa. 241. 242. Idithum the prophet and his life pa. 522. Iehaziel the prophet and his life pa. 523. Iehu the prophet and his life pa. 523. Ieremie the prophet and his life pa. 526. Ierusalem had 15. bishops from the Apostles vnto the 18. yeare of Adrian pa. 59. Ierusalem was wonne very oft pa. 44. Ierusalem was called Aelia pa. 59. 60. Iesus is a word of great mysterie pa. 6. Iesus the Christ of God as Iosephus witnesseth pa. 15. Iesus was the sonne of God by the testimonie of Agbarus king of Edessa pa. 17. Iesus shoulde haue bene canonized by the consent of Tiberius in the number of the Romaine gods but the senate would not pa. 20. Iesus the sonne of Dannaeus was an high priest of the Iewes pa. 34. Iesus the sonne of Ananias cried woe woe in Ierusalem pa. 42. the Iewes became tributaries vnto the Romains pa. 10. the Iewes were plagued by Seianus pa. 22. the Iewes were vexed by Pilat pa. 22. the Iewes were banished Rome by Claudius pa. 31. the Iewes to the number of 30000. were slaine vpon Easter day pa. 31. 38. the Iewes were vexed vnder Nero. pa. 31. the Iewes were slaine vnder Florus pa. 35. the Iewes were besieged in Ierusalem pa. 37. their famine slaughter and greate miserie pa. 38. 39. 40. the Iewes were searched and ript to see whether they had hid meate or eaten golde pa. 39. 44. the Iewes were torne of wilde beastes solde and led captiue pa. 41. the Iewes were plagued vnder Traian pa. 58. the Iewes which perished and their infinit number during all the warres pa. 42. 43. the Iewes were destroyed vnder Adrian pa. 59. the Iewes rased certaine places out of the Bible pa. 69. the Ievves rebelled in Diocaesarea and vvere all destroyed pa. 278. the Ievves vvere vtterly foyled vvith terrible signes from aboue in the time
23. after the greeke Publius a Martyr Quadratus Dionysius Areopagita 1. b. of Athens Philip. Bachilides Elpistus Galma Pinytus Vowed chastitie forbidden Dionysius wryteth of the Romains then if he were nowe to wryte he could tell an other tale Dionysius readeth in the Churche of Corinthe the epistle of the Churche of Rome and of Clemens Dionysius complaineth that heretickes corrupted his epistles Cap. 24. after the greeke Theophilus Maximinê° b. of Antioche Anno Domini 179. cap. 25. after the greeke Philip. Irenaeus Modestus Cap. 26. after the greeke Melito and the cataloge of his bookes Melito in his booke of Easter Sagaris martyred Apece of the Apologie of Melito vnto the Emperour Christian religion began to be made manifest in the time of Augustus for then Christ was borne Melito writeth vnto Onesimus of the canonical Scripture of the olde testament These 2. chapters in the Greeke were one Apollinarius Montanus the heretick Musanus Encratitis Tatianus Irenaeus li. 1. cap. 30. 31. Saturniani Marcionitae Tatianus Valentiniani Seuerus Seueriani Diatessaron Tatianus though an hereticke yet wrote â—e a learned book agaynst the Gentiles Bardesanes a Syrian Anno. 179. Eleutherius â–ª b. of Rome Anno Domini 179. The epistle of the french meÌ„ vnto the Churches of Asia Phrygia Rom. â— Vegetius Epagathus martyred Luke 1. Tenne fell in persecution Sclaunders raised against the ChristiaÌ„s Iohn 16. Sanctus a Deacon Maturus a late conuert Blandina a woman 1. Corinth 1. Blandina sheweth great pacieÌ„ce in her tormentes Blandina coÌ„fesseth her selfe to be a Christian Sanctus sheweth greate pacience Sanctus confesseth him selfe a Christian A notable saynge of Sanctus Biblis a womaÌ„ pitiously tormented Many of the Martyrs died in pryson Pothinus b. of lyons after great torments is cast into pryson where after 2. dayes he departeh this life A comparison or difference betwene such as faynted such as continwed faythfull in persecution Maturus and Sanctus beheaded Blandina hanged in gibbets so lowe that the wild beasts might reache her Blandina is cast into prison Attalus brought forth clapt in prison Many that fell repented them againe Ezech. 16. Alexander a Phisician coÌ„forteth the martyrs Alexander torne in peeces of wilde beastes Attalus fryed to death Ponticus of the yeares of 15. martyred Blandina beheaded Apocalyp 22. Deade carkases throwne vnto dogges The ashes of the burned bodyes were throweÌ„ into the riuer Rhodanus to take away the hope of the resurrection The French men write thus of their martyrs Philip. 2. The suffring of Christ is rather to be termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 redemption 1. Pet. 1. then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 martyrdome Who be martyrs and who confessors 1. Pet. 5. Act. 7. They receaue after repentaÌ„ce such as fell in persecution The Frenchmen in their foresayd epistle writ thuâ— also of Alcibiades Montanus Theodotus and Alcibiades not the former false prophets The Martyrs in Fraunce to Eleutheriê° b. of Rome in the commendation of Irenaeus b. of Lions Eusebius wrote a boke of Martyrs which is not extant Marcus Aurelius the brother of Antoninus The Christian souldiers doe pray for rayne immediatly it lightened rayned The lightening legion Tertullian in Apologâ—â— Irenaeus who in his youth was the auditor of Polycarpê° succeedeth Pothinus in the Bishoprik of Lyons in Fraunce Irenaeus lib. 3 cap. 3. 2. Timoth. 4. Paul Peter Linus Anacletus Clemens Euarestus Alexander Xystus Telesphorus Hyginus Pius Anicetus Soter Eleutherius Irenaeus lib. 2 cap. 57. Irenaeus lib. 2 cap. 58. Irenaeus lib. â— Irenaeus lib. 3 cap. 1. Matthewe Marcke Luke Iohn Irenaeus lib. 5 VVhen the reuelation of Sainct Iohn was first sene Irenaeus allea geth pastor lib. 2. maÌ„dat 1. Marcion Irenaeus lib. 3 cap. 23. 24. Esay 7. TheodotioÌ„ Aqnila Irenaeus lib. 3 cap. 25. The septuagints * Comodus succeeded Antoninus Anno Domi 1826. Agrippinê° b. of Alexandria Iulianus b. of Alex. Pantaenê° mo derated the schole of Alex Euangelistes * Cap. 10. after the greke The Gospell of Matthewe in Hebrew at India Bartholomew preached in India Cap. 11. after the Greeke Clemens Alexandrinê° lib. 1. Stromatôn Cap. 12. after the greeke Narcissus b. of Ierusalem Marcus Cassianus Publius Maximus Iulianus Caius Symachus Caius Iulianus Capito Valens Dolichianus Narcissus Cap. 13. after the Greeke Rhodon an Asian Apelles Philumaena Marcion Pontinus Basilicus Lycus Synerus Rhodon reporteth of the disputati on betwene him and Apelles Rhodon in Hexameron Apelles the Hereticke wrote infinit bookes Cap. 14. after the greeke Montanus Priscilla Maximilla * Cap. 15. after the greke Florinus Blastus cap. 16. after the greeke Apollinarius b. of Hierapolis toutching Montanus his originall Apollinarius disputed and coÌ„futed MoÌ„tanê° figmeÌ„ts at Ancyra in Galatia Zoticus Otrenus Ardabau Montanus Matth. 24. 2. womeÌ„ the prophetisses of Montanê° The Churches the synodes faith full of Asia â–ª condemned Montanus Apollinarius of the endes of the false prophets Montanus Maximilla hanged them selues Theodotus the hereticke flying vp broke his necke Apollinarius of the salse prophecies of the Montanists Apollinarius lib. 3. Not the death but the cause of it proueth a Martyr Cap. 17. after the greeke Apollinarius out of Miltiades works alleadgeth this Agabus Iude. The daughters of Philip. Aminias Quadratus Miltiades bookes Cap. 18. after the greeke Apollonius against the Montanistes The prophetisses of Mon tanus receaue gifts Themison a montanist with money deliuered himself from pryson Alexander a thief yet a martyr of Montanus secte Math 10. Luk. 9. Math. 7. Stibium is a white stone founde in siluer mines by rubbinge the skinne it maketh it looke very faire Thraseas a martyr * This tradition first is to be suspected for that christ Matth. 28. Marc. 16. commauÌ„ded the Apostles to passe throughout the worlde to preache the Gospell secondly for that he charged them Luc. 24. Act. 1. to tary in Ierusalem but vntill they were endued with power from an high which was fifty dayes after the ascention Cap. 19. after the Greeke Serapion byshop of Antioch Epist ad Cari cum ponticuÌ„ * Cap. 20. after the Greke Irenaeus lib. de Ogdoade which is not extant Irenaeus vnto Florinus the schismaticke Florinus a courtier then a schismatick last an hereticke Polycarpus vsed oft to re peate this saying Cap. 21. after the Greeke The accuser of Apollonius with the breaking of his legges died miserably Apollonius a Christian philosopher exhibited an Apollogie vnto the senate of Rome and afterwards is beheaded A cruell law Cap. 22. after the Greeke Anno Dom. 192. all these bishops florished at one tyme. Victor b. of Rome Demetrius Serapion Theophilus Narcissus Banchillus Polycrates Cap. 23. after the greeke Anno Dom. 199. Exod. 12. Easter the fasting dayes going before layde downe by decree Theophilus Narcissus were chiefe in Palaestina Victor at Ro. Palmas aâ— PoÌ„tus Irenae us in FrauÌ„ce The bishops of Ostroëna in their prouinces Banchillus at Corinth not the bishope of Rome ouer all cap. 24. after the greeke
heresy of Cerinthus The reuereÌ„t iudgement of Dionysius toutchinge the reuelatioÌ„ of Sainct Iohn Apocalip 22. Apocalip 1. 1. Iohn 1. Math. 16. Apocalip 1. Apocalip 22 Act. 13. The difference gathered first by the sense 2. By the words often repeated in both 3. No meÌ„tioÌ„ in ether of eache other 4. By the â—rase Iohn was both learned and eloqueÌ„t Cap. 26. after the greeke Cap. 27. after the greeke Dionysius b. of Rome Paulus Samosatenus b. of Antioch and an hereticke Cap. 28. after the Greeke Firmilianus Greg. Nazianz Athenodorus Elenus Nicomas Hymenaeus Theotecnus Maximus Dionysius b â–ª of Alex. dieth Anno Domini 267. Cap. 29. in the greeke Claudius was created emperour anno Dom. 271. Autelianus was crowned emperour Anno Dom. 273. vnder whome was raised the ninth persecution Cap. 30. after the greeke The byshops assembled at Antioch vnto Dionysius b. of Rome and maximus b. of Alexandria The subtleâ—y of the hereticke Samosetenus the hereticke is here painted in his colours 1. Timoth. 6. Such a proud preacher was Herod in the actes 12. * Paulê° Samosatenus was excommunicated by the councell and Domuns placed in his rowme * Aurelianus was not able to subscribe to an edict against the Christians Tacitus was emperour 6. moneths Florianus 80 â–ª daies althogh there is here no mention made of theÌ„ * Probus was crowned emperour Ann. Dom. 279. Carus began to raigne an Dom. 285. Diocletian was chosen emperour ann Do. 287. vnder whom the tenth persecution of the primitiue churchâ— was raysed against the churche of God Cap. 31. in the Greeke About the yeare 281. Euseb in chronic the hereticke Maneslyued Manes the hereticke chose 12. Apostles Cap. 32. in the Greeke Eutychianus b. of Rome Gaius b. of Rome Marcellinus b. of Rome Timaeus Cyrillus Dorotheus minister of Antioch afterwards b. of Tyrus Tyrannus Socrates Eusebius Anatolius b. of Laodicea The pollicie deuised by Anatolius Anatolius b. of Laodicea in his bookes of Easter Betwene the 10. 20. day In springe about the eyght kalends of Aprill In Autumne about the eyght kalendes of October Laâ—â—eus 2. Psalm 89. Churches ouerthrowen Scriptures burned Bishops persecuted Psal 107. An. Do. 306. the persecution vnder Diocletian waxed hotte wheÌ„ as these cruell edicts were euery where proclaimed Cap. 3. in the Greeke The pollicie of Satans messengers * Cap. 4. in the Greeke * DiocletiaÌ„ Maximian * Galerius Constantius Peter the emperours page after sundry tormeÌ„ts bruiled to death Dorotheus hanged Gorgonius was hanged Anthimê° b. of Nicomedia beheaded A certaine number beheaded A certaine companie burned A number drowned The deade dygged vp All prisons were filled with Christians Brute beastes spared such as meÌ„ would not spare The constancy of yong men Fiue Martyrs after sundry torments beheaded throwen into the seas Martyrs in Aegypt maymed racked scurged burned drowned beheaded hanged famished to death Martyrs in Thebais their skinnes rased schorched tyed by the on legge their heads downeward Hanged vpoÌ„ boughes 10. Martyrs 20. 30. 60. 100. Some burned Some beheaded Philoromus gouernour of AlexaÌ„dria beheaded â–ª Phileas b. of Thmuis beheaded Phileas b. of Thmuis writeth this epistle out of prison vnto his â—locke Philip. 2. 1. Ioh. 4. Deut. 4. Exod. 20. An whole city burned Audactus martyred Martyrs in Arabia Cappadocia Mesopotamia Alexandria Antioche Some dispatched them selues rather A matron of Antioch together with her 2. daughters drowned theÌ„ selfs rather then their bodies shoulde be abused of the tormentors The Ethnicks drowned 2. virgins of Antioch Martyrs in Pontus The Ethnicks pulled out the right eyes seared the empty place sawed of the left legge of the Christians seared their hames condemned theÌ„ to the myne pitts all this they counted a gracious pardon Anthymus â— of Nicome â—ia beheaâ—ed Lucianus a martyr Tyrannion b. of Tyrus was drowned at Antioch Zenobius of Sidon scourged to death Siluanus b. of Emisa torne of wild beastes Siluanus b. of Gaza beheaded 39 Beheaded Peleus and Nilus b. of Aegypt burned Pamphilus â–ª Peter b. of Alexandria As longe as the Emperours did not persecute the church so longe did theyr empire prosper * Anno Domini â–ª 307. Euseb Chronic Diocletian together with Maximian hauing raygned 20. yeares deposed themselues and liue â— a priuate life Constantiuâ— and Maximinus rule the Empire Constantiuâ— dieth at yoâ—â— in Englandâ— Anno Domini 310. Constátinuâ— magnus waâ— proclaimeâ— emperour Anno Domini 311. Cap. 14. after the greeke Maxentius the sonne of Maximinus a tyrante of Rome Flattery Cruelty Lecherie Tyrranny Extorcion Sorcery Inchauntement Famine cauled by Maxentius Cap. 15. in â—â—e Greeke Maximinus â—pocrisie Superstition Persecution â—…latrie â—…haunteâ—…t Oppression Prodigality Dâ—sikenesse Surfetinge Lechery The tyrant colde not ouercome the Christians A chast matron of Alexandria confounded the tyrant where fore she was exiled and her goods confiscated A matron of Rome slewe her selfe rather then MaxeÌ„tius should abuse her The cause of the worldes calamities was the persecution of the christiâ—s â–ª Cap. 16. in the Greeke * Anno Domini 320. Math. 18. Luk. 17. God plagued Maximinus the tyrante â—â—eng at Tarsus so that he was in a lameÌ„ table plight Cap. 17. after the Greeke The Edict of Maximinus in the behalf of the Christians â–ª the which his sickenesse coÌ„ strayned him to proclaime â— In steede of Constantinê° â—ome doread Constantius which I finde â—ot in the greeke 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Maximinus his practises * Cap. 14. Diocletian the Emperour pined wasted away with diseases vnto his end Maximinian â—he emperour hanged himselfe Maximinus â—ormented â—o death read â—ap 17. Constantius â—yed godly ConstaÌ„tinus Anno Domini 306. Procopius beheaded Alphaeus beheaded Zachaeus beheaded Romanus first had his tongue pulled out next tormented clapt â–ª in prison last of all in prison stifled to death Timotheus burned Agapius and Thecla thro wen to wilde beastes but not dispatched Six yong meÌ„ first imprisoned then beheaded Timolaus beheaded Dionysius beheaded Romulus beheaded Pausis beheaded 2. AlexaÌ„ders both beheaded Agapius beheaded Dionysius beheaded Apphianus Pagas of Lycia The cruell edict of Maximinus The godly and bolde enterprise of Apphianus Apphianus after often imprisoning after sundry horrible torments was throwen into the sea whose carcasse the water threwe vp and layde at the gates of Caesarea A cruell torment An Earthquake Vlpianus wrapped in an oxe hyde together with a dogge a snake is drowned in the sea Aedesius the brother of Apphianus the martyr is drowned in the sea Mat. 10. Mat. 27. In the 21. cap of this boke Agapius is sayd to haue bene beheaded at Caesarea here he is sayde to haue bene drowned so it might be first beheded theÌ„ drowned but there he sayth it was the 2. yere of the persecution here the 4. which can not be wherefore he must either be an other Agapius or â—lie the story lyeth Theodosia drowned Siluanus coÌ„deÌ„ned to the myne pitts with others 39. cap. 13. Domninus burned 3.