gentle and meek easie to be Jam. 3. 17. 2 Tim. 2. 25. entreated with meekness instructing them that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them the knowledge of the Truth It is Spiritual and the Weapons thereof are not Carnal but mighty through the Spirit But that 2 Cor. 10. 4. which stands in the Worship of man or of the Devil or of the Worship of the Devil or man is otherwise It is like that from whence it came which is Carnal and outward and fierce and implacable and destructive in the consequence to those that bow not thereunto which is a demonstration of that from whence it came as pertaking of its nature and being like thereunto This I write to give a little taste of the difference of either that as I go along all may see what things have ruled in the World and what hath been the ground of the troubles that have been therein concerning Religion and that they may know what that Religion is that ends in death and other sufferings and may be convinced how far it is from that which came not to bring death but to deliver from it which seeks the destruction of the spirit that leads aside from God not the man but to redeem and deliver him And here as in a Glass these things may be seen and discovered and with great perspicuity and plainness if men shut not their eyes on purpose and refuse to see though the day-light break in never so bright upon them whose eyes the god of this World hath blinded even the minds of them lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who 2 Cor. 4. 4. is the Image of God should shine unto them As the Apostle spake in his day of those to whom his Gospel was hid even to them that were lost it was so plain it was so perspicuous If our Gospel be hid it is to them that are lost in whom the God of this World hath blinded their minds c. as aforesaid 2 Cor. 4. 3. 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. So there I leave this matter and shall proceed to shew what hapned or came to pass after the time of which the Scriptures give testimony being the thing of which I have declared to treat though thus much was necessary to say to bring things down from the beginning to their due order and place and so I shall proceed Sufferings by the Heathen after the days of the Apostles The Roman Emperors were worshippers of Images of Godds their Jurisdictions were large and their Worships they made as large as their Jurisdictions nothing was more against that which was not God than the Name of that or of him which came to redeem from dumb Idols to the Service of the living God and this was Christ Jesus he gave a great start to the Godds made with hands the Inventions of men who had eyes and saw not ears and heard not neither did they understand The Psal 115. 5. Power in which he stood and the Miracles which he wrought were such that drew to him great admiration throughout the World The Romans had jurisdiction over Judea in those dayes and the Regions thereabouts they were an inquisitive and understanding People as men though ignorant of God their Lievtenants Prefects and Governors usually gave them account who had the chief rule of what considerably passed in their Provinces and was most remarkable the mighty things which Jesus did and how he was put to death and rose again went not without its observation and report Pilate under and by whom he suffered Pilates account at the instigation of the Jews being then Governor of Jerusalem who washed his hands and said He would have nothing to do in the death of that just Person though he afterwards delivered Jesus to their wills notwithstanding that he knew that through very envy Jesus was delivered to him having a sence upon him of what Jesus was and of the mighty things he had wrought signified the matter so unto Tiberius who was Anno. 18. to Tiberius Emperor of Jesus occasioned then Emperor that he had him in great Reverence and his Doctrine and declared to the Senate That it pleased him right-well and so would have had him put among the number of their Godds but they received it not because of the decree that was amongst them That no Godd should be consecrated by the Emperor unless it were first agreed upon by the Senate as Eusebius quotes Tertullians words who nevertheless viz. Tiberius Euseb lib. 2. cap. 2. gave not over but persevered in his Opinion of Jesus and his Doctrine â—hreatning them with death that would accuse the Christians The Seâ—ate the liberty of the profession of saith Eusebius of Tertullians words rejected it because they had not allowed the same but he persevered in his Opinion threatning them death that would accuse the Christians And this maketh for us saith Eusebius of Tertullian in his Apology for the Christians that the Deity is weighed amongst you after mans will and judgment unless God please man he is not made God so that saith Tertullian by the Decree man must be favourable Tertul in Apolog advers Gentes cap. 3. and gracious unto God This was the wisdom saith Eusebius of Tiberius his retaining of the sence of Christ and his Doctrine of the Divine Providence lightning his mind that the preaching of the Gospel should pass Christian Religion at the beginning throughout the World So I have given the ground or occasion as to men how the fame of Jesus had its liberty to go through the World which as Eusebius hath observed no doubt was through the Wisdom of God and his mighty Hand that the report of what he was and did from Pilate should bear that weight with Tiberius as to allow a propagation thereof throughout his Dominions which extended very far by reason of which it so came to pass that multitudes were turned from their Idols and worshipped the God which made Heaven and Earth through his Son Jesus Christ Thus got the Name Christian footing in the World and spread it self Which spreading it self over under the whole Heaven as it were of the Roman Empire into Towns Cities Nations Provinces and the Lord was called upon who made Heaven and Earth the Sea and the dry Land of which John speaks and the Earth was replenished with the knowledge of the Lord But in The World occasioned or the Persecution because thereof this state it stood not long but the Enemy as soon as he could wrought off that sound which was of what Jesus was from all the Emperors that succeeded Tiberius and the sence of him and it and got the constitutions of the Roman Empire for the enforcing of the Worship of their Idol become General Godds to take place which gave occasion of infinite sufferings and unheard of Butcheries to be committed on the Christians from the dayes of Nero who succeeded
Dioscorus who succeeded Cyril in the Bishoprick Cap. 10. of Alexandria was Moderator through the working of Chrysaphius Governor of the Pallace for the hatred he bore to Flavianus whom the Council before Eutyches had charged with the forging of the Records which concerned him but being searched it was found otherwise and the Records were confirmed at the Council Now at this Council Elpidius having acquainted them with the command of Theodosius which was this Such as in time past gave Sentence of Eutyches the most virtuous Abbot good leave have they to be present at the Council but let them be quiet and their voices suspended My Will is That they wait for the general and common Sentence of the most holy Fathers seeing that such things were aforetime decided by them are called in controversie Dioscorus and the Bishops with him restored Eutyches Eutyches restored Flavian and Euseb deposed four Bishops more excommunicated and deposed two removed The Council ends whom the other Council had degraded unto his former dignity and Flavianus and Eusebius they deposed they excommunicated and deprived also four Bishops more and two more they removed so this Council broke up This kind of contrary work one Council undoing what the Cap. 11. The Historian constrained through these contradictions to apologize for the Christian Faith to the Heathen His whole History a continuation of the rehearsal of the Division other had done and concerning Faiths and Creeds varying and changing as aforesaid put the Historian eftsoons to Apologize for the Christian Faith because of these things with the Heathen among whom his History could not but come which in this Chapter he endeavours Yet the whole series of his Book holds forth little less than the continuation of such division and contradiction which shews the fruit and consequences when men undertake to determine of him whom they cannot comprehend The natural consequence of imposing Religion who should let alone things of that nature which is too high for them and if they have Faith have it to themselves that is to say in such freedom and liberty unto every man that they seek to impose no more on another man than they would have imposed upon themselves in that which is contrary Theodosius decreed Nestor condemned by the Emperor to perpetual exile and accursed him He yet boasts of the Emperors good will Nestorius to perpetual exile and pronounced him therein to be accursed being moved thereunto no doubt saith the Historian by the instinct of the Holy Ghost yet Nestorius elsewhere boasted That the Emperor bore him intire and singular good will We Decree moreover saith the rehearsal of the said Decree Cap. 12. Another Decree against Nestor and his Favourers Cod. de sum trin fid cath tit 1. l. 3 sancimus found in the Code of Justinian the third Law of the first Title that whosoever doth imbrace the wicked Opinion of Nestorius and give ear unto his lewd Doctrine if they be Bishops that they be banished the Holy Churches if Lay persons they be accursed Other Laws also he made in the behalf of Religion Many things ran up and down in this Generation for as the Many opinions ran up and down in this day and superstition times drew off the dayes of the Apostles or were at a greater distance from them so superstition folly as well as confusion and division entered in among the Christians To give one instance for many In these times there was one Simeon a man famous and Cap. 13. One instance for all Simeons living in a Pillar upon pretence of the Angelical Life The particulars thereof of renown as the History saith for a godly man he in pretence of imitating in life the trade of the Angelical Powers withdrew himself from worldly Affairs forced Nature which of her self leaneth downwards and followed after lofty things being placed as it were in the midst between Heaven and Earth he sought conference with God he praised him together with the Angels he lifted the prayers of men up to Heaven and offered them to God he brought the goodness of God from Heaven to Earth and made the World partaker thereof Thus saith the History a ridiculous kind of Superstition by placing himself in a Pillar high from the Earth and scarce two Cubits wide to think that this brought him nigher to the Angels and to accomplish that which thereof hath been quoted by the History and all this as I have intimated springs from the ignorance of the Principle of God in man by and in which and as that revealeth him man only can know God I should write very much if I should be particular in what is said of this man and what reckoning was made of him whilst he lived and how his body being dead was worshipped and carried His dead body adored and carried up and down as Reliques about in pieces as Reliques The people of Antioch desired of the Emperor Leo who desired the Body that they might have it for a fortified Wall to their City and so exprest it because the anger of the Emperor had caused the Wall to be pulled down so much they put of preservation in a dead Carkass Gregory Bishop of that Church and Philippicus required That the Reliques of the Saint for the speedier execution of his martial Affairs in The Reliques of the dead required for the expedition of Martial Affairs the East should be sent unto him such blind superstition was amongst them at that day First A singular humour and fantastical imagination they hold forth as the height of Religion then the Carkass of the humorists they adore as Religion they say he lived six and fifty years nine years in a Monastery seven and forty years in Mandrya ten of which in a very narrow Room An account of his life and of the Iron Chain about his neck seven in a very strait Pillar and thirty years in a Pillar of forty Cubits they speak of the Iron Chain that hung about his Neck and with it the Corps so renowned saith the History of all men and for induring so great hardness and misery was honoured with Divine Praises and yet in the same Chapter he quotes the Religious men of the Desart to have sent a Messenger unto him to And the message of â—â—e Monks to require him to give an account of his so living demand of him What he meant by that new-found and unknown kind of life and wherefore he forsook the wonted Trade the steps and traces of the Saints which went before and devised unto himself a forreign and unknown way and moreover to have exhorted him by the Messenger to come down from his Lodging and to follow the Holy And to come down Fathers which were his Predecessors and to have given the Messenger in charge that if he saw him yeeld and come down he should license him to go on in his own way for they perswaded
was the Roman Empire without trouble within it self during Cap. 23. John seeks to be Emperor on the death of Honorius sends Legats to Theodosius to procâ—aim him They are imprisoned John is marched against overthrown the whirl of Christians persecuting one another for Honorius being dead John his chief Secretary took upon him and sent Legates to Theodosius to proclaim him Emperor who laid up his Embassadors Prisoners and with his Army marched against him and at length overthrew him though he passed through many straits in the accomplishing thereof after which he caused Valentinianus the Son of Constantius and Placida the Aunt of Theodosius Valentinianus proclaimed Emperor Cap. 24. Troubles in Constant Cap 25. The Johannites courted by Atticus of Constantinople John Chrysostoms memorial solemnized at Service Observations thereupon to be proclaimed Emperor at Rome A great stir there was in Constantinople about the Exile and death of John Chrysostom of whom I have formerly spoken the Church being divided about him and those called Johannites using their private Conventicles Atticus the Bishop hoping thereby to cease the Division and to return many to the Church of which he was commanded the memorial of John to be solemnized at Service as was the manner for other Bishops that were deceased So the one deposeth exiles him as a cursed person the other Canonizeth him as a Saint and this was the contradiction as well as the superstition of those dayes among the Christians The followers also of Sabbatius removing his Corps from the Prayers made on Sabbattius's Tomb by his Followers Atticus removes his body thereupon in the night Observations on both Isle of Rhodes where he died in exile prayed upon his Tomb which caused Atticus to have his Body in the night to be removed to another Sepulchre whether for Religion sake or because of the Opinion of Sabbatius let the Reader judge seeing he caused the name of dead John to be remembred in the Service of his Church and these but prayed upon the Tomb of dead Sabbatius but the body being gone those that frequented the place where he lay ceased any more to come thither and pray These were the poor things into which they ran in those dayes who knew not the Principle of Truth yet few exceeded this man Atticus The praise of Atticus if any came at him of whom I read of very few for charity seemed to be very little among many Bishops he is said to have given to Calliopus Minister of Nice three hundred pieces of Gold His liberality to the Poor without respect to Opinion but to such as wanted who were ashamed to beg to be distributed among such as were ashamed to beg without having respect to practise of Faith or Sect or Opinion but to such who had not wherewithal to relieve their hunger and thirst He is commended for very many things and especially for tenderness to such however differing from him who suffered persecution in the dayes of Constantius and Valens he prophesied of He prophesies of his death and dies accordingly Cap. 26. Great stir about his Successor Sisinius chosen The like at Cizicum about Proclus Cap. 28. Dalmatius chosen against the Canon by the people his death which fell out accordingly About his Successor there was a great stir in Constantinople as it fell out ordinarily Sisinius carried it against Philip who yet was not quiet but wrote Books and made all the stir about it as he could and the like hapned at Cyzicum where Sisinius appointed Proclus in the place of the Bishop that was dead whom they of Cyzicum would not receive but against the Canon chose Dalmatius so that he was constrained to continue at Constantinople In two years after his consecration at Constantinople Sisinius Cap. 29. Sisinius dies new stirs about one to succeed him Nestorius from Antioch is the man He sets all on fire His proud Speech to the Emperor dies a new stir is again for another to succeed him the Complotment brings Nestorius thither from Antioch he sets all one fire and in his Oration to the Emperor before the people immediately after his Enstalment thus said Restore unto me O Emperor the Earth weeded and purged of Hereticks and I will render Heaven unto thee Aid thou me in foyling of the Hereticks and I will assist thee in the overthrow of the Persians A proud arrogant Speech which I notifie to shew to what a height these Bishops were come and what furious persecution lay in the bottom of their proud stomachs to all that which was otherwise than their own Religion He had hardly drank as the saying is before he began to He falls on the Arâ—ians blow the smoke and kindle the fire of Persecution for the fifth day after he was chosen he determined to overthrow the Arrians Church where they had their service privily and by stealth who when they saw their Church must needs down they set it on fire themselves which fell on the next houses and burned them They burn their Church when they saw he would have it down It burns more houses He is called the Firebrand by all to Ashes and rose up to revenge them on their Enemies From that time not only those that opposed him but his own party called him a Firebrand Neither rested he here but destroyed as much as in him lay the whole City whilst he went about to mischieve those who from him differed The Novations he molested He persecutes the Novations because Paulus their Bishop was more eminent than himself but the Emperor who sent for him because divers vain-glorious persons in Constantinople sought the Bishoprick who now had enough of him meeting with one that was worse than them all nipped The Emperor nips him He vexes the observeâ—s of Easter on the 4th day of the month in Asia Lydia Caria him with sharp admonitions and so withstood his enterprises he vexed those that kept Easter the fourth day of the month througout Asia Lydia and Caria with many injuries and was the occasion of cutting off many in the Sedition which he raised at Miletum and Sardis and so perplexed the Macedonians in Hellespont At Miletene Sardice many are cut off Cap. 31. In Hellespont the Macedonians conspire the death of Anthony through his setting him on to persecute by Anthony Bishop of Germa that they conspired the death of Anthony and by certain persons did accomplish it which gave occasion to Nestorius to perswade the Emperor to deprive them of their Churches many of which thereupon conformed to the Faith of one Substance Commonly saith the History we say such as are given to Cap. 32. The scale comes to turn on Nestorius drunkenness are never to seek for the Cup and busie bodies never want woe Nestorius who endeavoured to cast others out of their Churches comes to be cast out himself Anastasius a Priest whom he brought thither from Antioch preached That none