Nestorius's deposition ibid. Chap. 6. Concerning Paulus Bishop of Emisa's journey to Alexandria and Cyrillu's commendation of Johannes on account of his Letter Page 405 Chap. 7. What the impious Nestorius writes concerning his own sufferings and how his tongue having at last been eaten out with worms he ended his life at Oasis ibid. Chap. 8. How after Nestorius Maximianus and after him Proclus then Flavianus were made Bishops of Constantinople Page 408 Chap. 9. Concerning the unfortunate Eutyches and how he was deposed by Flavianus Bishop of Constantinople and concerning the second to wit that theevish Synod at Ephesus ibid. Chap. 10. What was transacted by Dioscorus and Chrysaphius at the absurd Synod at Ephesus ibid. Chap. 11. This Wzitors Apology iâ— defence of the variety of Opinions amongst uâ—Christians and his derision of the Pagan Trifles Page 409 Chap. 12. In what manner the Emperour Theodosius prosecuted and expelled the Herefie of Nestorius Page 410 Chap. 13. Concerning Saint Symeon the Stylite ibid. Chap. 14. Concerning the Sâ—â—â— which appears frequently in the Piazza about the Pillar of Saint Symeon which this Writer and others have seen and concerning the same Saint's Head Page 412 Chap. 15. Concerning Saint Isidorus Peleusiots and Synesius Bishop of Cyrenae Page 413 Chap. 16. How the Divine Ignatius having been removed from Rome was deposited at Antioch ibid. Chap. 17. Concerning Attila King of the Scythae and how he destroyed the Provinces of the East and West And concerning the strange Earthquake and other dreadfull prodigies which hapned in the world Page 414 Chap. 18. Concerning the publick buildings in Antioch and who they were that erected them Page 415 Chap. 19. Concerning the several Wars which hapned both in Italy and Persia during the Reign of Theodosius ibid. Chap. 20. Concerning the Empress Eudocia and her daughter Eudoxia and how Eudocia came to Antioch and went to Jerusalem Page 416 Chap. 21. That Eudocia did many good actions about Jerurusalem and concerning the different Life and Conversation of the Monks in Palestine Page 417 Chap. 22. What Structures the Empress Eudocia built in Palestine and concerning the Church of the Proto-Martyr Stephen within which 〈◊〉 was piously buried moreover concerning the death of the Emperour Theodosius Page 419 Book II. Chap. 1. COncerning the Emperour Marcianus and what signes preceded declaring he should be Emperour Page 420 Chap. 2. Concerning the Synod at Chalcedon and what was the occasion of its being convened Page 421 Chap. 3. A description of the great Martyr Euphemia's Church which is in the City Chalcedon and a Narrative of the miracles performed therein Page 422 Chap. 4. Concerning thâ—se things which were agitated and established in the Synod and how Dioscorus Bishop of Alexandria was deposed but Theodoret Ibas and some others were restored Page 423 Chap. 5. Concerning the Sedition which hapned at Alexandria on account of Proterius's Ordination likewise concerning what hapned at Jerusalem Page 426 Chap. 6. Concerning the Drought which hapned and the Famine and the Pestilence and how in some places the earth in a wonderfull manner brought forth fruits of its own accord Page 428 Chap. 7. Concerning the Murder of Valentimianus and the taking of Rome and concerning those other Emperours who governed Rome after Valentinianus's death ibid. Chap. 8. Concerning the death of Marcianus and the Empire of Leo. And how the Hereticks of Alexandria slew Proretius and gave that Arch-Bishoprick to Timotheus Aelurus Page 429 Chap. 9. Concerning the Emperour Leo's Circular Letters Page 431 Chap. 10. Concerning those things which the Bishops and Symeones the Stylite wrote in answer to the Emperour Leo's Circular Letters Page 432 Chap. 11. Concerning the Banishment of Timotheus Aelurus and the Ordination of Timotheus Salophaciolus and concerning Gennadius and Acacius Bishops of Constantinople Page 433 Chap. 12. Concerning the Earthquake which hapned at Antioch Three hundred fourty and seven years after that which had hapned in the times of Trajane ibid. Chap. 13. Concerning the Fire which hapned at Constantinople Page 434 Chap. 14. Concerning the universal Calamities Page 435 Chap. 15. Concerning the Marriage of Zeno and Ariadne ibid. Chap. 16. Concerning Anthemius Emperour of Rome and those Emperours who succeeded him ibid. Chap. 17. Concerning the death of Leo and the Empire of Leo Junior and also concerning Zeno his Father Page 436 Chap. 18. An Epitome of the Acts at the Synod of Chalcedon set at the end of the second Book Page 437 Book III. Chap. 1. COncerning Zeno's Empire and concerning his Life pag. 448 Chap. 2. Concerning the Incursions of the Barbarians both in the East and in the West ibid. Chap. 3. Concerning Bafiliscus's Tyranny and Zeno's Flight Page 449 Chap. 4. That Basilisâ—us recalled Timotheus Aelurus and induced thereto by him sent his Circular Letters to all places in order to the abrogating of the Chalcedon-Synod ibid. Chap. 5. Concerning those persons who consented to Basiliscus's Circular Letters and rejected the Synod of Chalcedon Page 450 Chap. 6. That Timotheus Aelurus recovered the Bishoprick of Alexandria and having restored the priviledge of a Paâ—â—iarâ—hate to the Church of Ephesus Anathematized the Chalcedon Synod Page 452 Chap. 7. That the Monks having raised a Sedition by the perswasion of Acacius Basiliscus was put into a fear and wrote and promulged Circular Letters contrary to those he had published before ibid. Chap. 8. Concerning Zeno's return Page 453 Chap. 9. That after Basiliscus's death the Bishops of Asia that they might appease Acacins sent him a Penitentiary-Libell craving pardon for their offence in rejecting the Synod of Chalcedon ibid. Chap. 10. Concerning those who governed the Bishoprick of Antioch ibid. Chap. 11. That the Emperour Zeno took a resolution of persecuting Aeâ—urus but by reason of his age he had compassion on him and let him alone And how after Aelurus's death Petrus Mongus was ordained by the Alexandrians But Timotheus Proterius's successour by the order of the Emperour obtained the Chair of the A 〈…〉 Page 454 Chap. 12. Concerning Johannes who obtained the Presidency â—ver the Alexandrian Church after Timotheus and how Zeno outed him in regard he had forsworn himself and restored the Chair of Alexandria to Petrus Moâ—gus ibid. Chap. 13. That Petrus Mongus embraced Zeno â— Henoâ—â—con and joyned himself to the Pâ—oâ—â—â—ians Page 455 Chap. 14. Zeno's Hâ—noâ—iâ—on ibid. Chap. 15. Thâ—â— Johannes Bishop of Alexandria coming to Rome perswades Simplicius to write to Zeno concerning what had hapned and what Zeno wrote back in answer to him pag. 456 Chap. 16. Concerning Calendion Bishop of Antioch and that he was condemned to be banished on account of the friendship he was suspected to have held with Illus and Leontius also that Petrus Fullo entred into an Union with Mongus and with the Bishops of Constantinople and Jerusalem ibid. Chap. 17. Concerning those things written by Petrus to Acacius who had embraced the Chalcedon-Synod Page 457 Chap. 18. In what manner Johannes Bishop of Alexandria perswades Felix Pope of Rome to
4. That there being a disturbance in the Secular as well as the Ecclesiastick State of affairs the Macedonians having convened a Synod at Lampsacus did again confirm the Antiochian Creed and Anathematized that published at Ariminum and did again ratifie the deposition of Acacius and Eudoxius ibid. Chap. 5. That an engagement hapning about a City of Phrygia between the Emperour Valens and the Tyrant Procopius the Emperour took the Tyrant by the treachery of his Commanders and put him and them to death by inflicting new and unusual punishments upon them ibid. Chap. 6. That after the death of the Tyrant the Emperour forced those who had been present at the Synod and all the Christians to embrace Arius's Opinion Page 307 Chap. 7. That Eunomius having ejected Eleusius the Macedonian was made Bishop of Cyzicum And concerning Eunomius's original and that having been Amanuensis to Aëtius sirnamed Atheus he imitated him ibid. Chap. 8. Concerning the Oracle which was found cut upon a stone when the Wall of Chalcedon was demolished by reason of the Emperour Valens's anger Page 308 Chap. 9. That the Emperour Valens persecuted the Novatians also who in like manner as did the Catholicks embraced the Homoöusian Faith Page 309 Chap. 10. That the Emperour Valentinianus begat a son who bore his Fathers name to wit Valentinianus he having begat his son Gratianus before his being created Emperour ibid. Chap. 11. Concerning a hail of an unusual bigness which fell from heaven and concerning the Earthquakes in Bithynia and the Hellespont Page 310 Chap. 12. That those who embraced Macedonius's Opinion being reduced into streights by reason of the Emperours violence towards them sent an Embassage to Liberius Bishop of Rome and subscribed to the Homoöusian Creed ibid. Chap. 13. How Eunomius separated himself from Eudoxius because he adhered to his master Aëtius And that a disturbance being raised at Alexandria by Eudoxius's means Athanasius fled again And that when the Populace were tumultuous hereupon the Emperour being afraid by his Letters pacified the Alexandrians and ordered that Athanasius should be put into quiet possession of his Church again Page 313 Chap. 14. That after the death of Eudoxius at Constantinople the Arians ordained Demophilus but the Orthodox by the assistance of Eustathius of Antioch made Evagrius Bishop of Constantinople ibid. Chap. 15. That when the Emperour had banished Evagrius and Eustathius the Arians sorely oppressed and afflicted the Homoâ—usians Page 314 Chap. 16. Concerning the holy Presbyters who were burnt in a Ship and concerning the Famine which by the wrath of God hapned in Phrygia upon that account ibid. Chap. 17. That the Emperour arriving at Antioch did again persecute those that embrace the Homoöusian Opinion ibid. Chap. 18. Concerning what was done at Edessa and the reproachfull affront put upon the Prefect and concerning the Faith couragiousness and constancy of those Citizens and concerning a pious woman ibid. Chap. 19. That the Emperour Valens slew many persons the first letter of whose name was Theta upon account of a certain Necromantick-divination whereby that was foretold Page 315 Chap. 20. Concerning Athanasius's Death and the promotion of Peter to his See ibid. Chap. 21. That after Athanasius's death the Arians by the Emperour Valens's Order delivered up the Churches in Alexandria to Lucius who had been Ordained by them before and committed Peter to prison Page 316 Chap. 22. That Sabinus the Macedonian Heretick has made no mention of those many mischiefs which happened at Lucius's installment But they are recorded in a Letter written by Peter who made his escape and fled to Damasus Bishop of Rome But the Arians and Lucius were the Authours of many mischievous practises and cruelties against those holy persons who led a Monastick life in the solitudes ibid. Chap. 23. A Catalogue of the holy Monks who lived in the Desart ibid. Chap. 24. Concerning those holy Monks who were exiled how God by the Miracles they performed attracted all persons to himself Page 319 Chap. 25. Concerning Didymus a blind man Page 320 Chap. 26. Concerning Basilius of Caesarea and Gregorius of Nazianzum ibid. Chap. 27. Concerning Gregorius Thaumaturgus Page 322 Chap. 28. Concerning Novatus and those from him termed Novatians And that those Novatians who inhabited Phrygia altered the time of celebrating the Festival of Easter and kept it on the same day the Jews did Page 323 Chap. 29. Concerning Damasus Bishop of Rome and Ursinus How a disturbance and Sedition hapning in Rome upon their account there followed a great slaughter of men Page 324 Chap. 30. How after the death of Auxentius Bishop of Millain a Sedition hapning on account of the Election of a Prelate to succeed in that See Ambrosius President of the Province going with a Military Force to appease the tumult was by a general suffrage the Emperour Valentinianus having given his consent also preferred before all persons and Elected Bishop of that Church ibid. Chap. 31. Concerning Valentinianus's death pag. 325 Chap. 32. Concerning the Philosopher Themistius And that Valens appeased by the Oration he spake to him did in some measure mitigate his Persecution against the Christians ibid. Chap. 33. How the Goths under the Reign of Valens embraced Christianity Page 326 Chap. 34. That the Goths vanquished by other Barbarians fled into the Territories of the Romans and were received by the Emperour Which reception of theirs was the occasion both of the destruction of the Roman Empire and also of the Emperours own overthrow ibid. Chap. 35. That the Emperour by reason of his care and sollicitude about a War with the Goths remitted something of his Persecution against the Christians Page 327 Chap. 36. That the Saracens also at that time embraced the Faith of Christ a woman by name Mavia being their Queen and took one Moses a pious and faithfull person that led a monastick life to be their Bishop ibid. Chap. 37. That after Valens's departure from Antioch the Orthodox in the East more especially those at Alexandria took courage and having ejected Lucius restored the Churches again to Peter who was returned fortified with the Letters of Damasus Bishop of Rome ibid. Chap. 38. That the Emperour arriving at the City Constantinople and being reproach't by the people upon account of the Goths marches out of the City against the Barbarians And coming to an ingagement with them near Adrianople a City of Macedonia is slain by them after he had lived fifty years and Reigned sixteen Page 328 Book V. THE Preface Pag. 329 Chap. 1. How after the death of Valens when the Goths laid Siege to Constantinople the Citizens Sallied out of the City against them having those Saracens who were under Mavia's command to be their Auxiliaries ibid. Chap. 2. That the Emperour Gratianus having recalled the Orthodox Bishops from their Exile drove the Hereticks out of the Churches and took Theodosius to be his Colleague in the Empire Page 330 Chap. 3. What Bishops were in possession of the Presidency over the greater
to be cast to the wild-beasts And after she had been scourged exposed to the fury of the wild-beasts and set in the Iron-chair at last she was inclosed in a net and thrown before a Bull by which beast after she had been very much tossed having been all along wholly insensible of the tortures she underwent because of her hope and her retaining a firm assent to those things she believed and also by reason of her familiar converse in prayer with Christ she also was run through with a sword and the very Heathens themselves confessed that there never was any woman among them which suffered so many and so great tortures But their rage and cruelty towards the saints was not thus satiated for the Savage and Barbarous Nations having been stirred up by that fierce wild-beast could not without great difficulty be appeased but their cruelty was begun afresh in a new and peculiar manner against the bodies of the Saints For they were so far from being ashamed that they had been vanquished by the Martyrs because they were destitute of humane reason and consideration that their rage was more enkindled both the President and also the people like a fierce beast most unjustly demonstrating the same degree of hatred against us that the Scripture might be fulfilled He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is righteous let him be righteous still For those who had been suffocated in prison they cast to the dogs watching continually night and day least any of us should interre them then having exposed the pieces of the bodies as well what were left undevoured by the wild-beasts as what remained unconsumed by the fire partly torn and partly burnt also the heads of the rest together with their trunks they kept them likewise unburied with a guard of Souldiers for the space of many days And some were full of indignation and gnashed their teeth at the dead being desirous to take some further revenge of them Others insulted over and derided them extolling their Idols and attributing the punishment of the Martyrs to them But those that were more mild and who seemed in some measure to sympathize with us upbraided us very much saying where is their God and what emolument hath this Religion brought them which they preferred before their own lives And such variety was there in the Heathens behaviour towards us but we were affected with a great grief because we could not hide the bodies in the earth for neither was the night assistant to us therein neither would money perswade them nor could our prayers induce them to grant our request but they watched the bodies with all imaginable care and diligence as if they were to gain some great matter if they should not be buried After these words having interposed some other expressions they proceed saying The Bodies therefore of the Martyrs having undergone all manner of ignominious usage and being exposed in the open air for six days space were afterwards burnt and being reduced to ashes were by those impious wretches swept into the River Rhone which runs hard by that so no remains of them might be any longer visible upon earth And this they did as if they were able to have vanquished God and deprive them of a resurrection that so as they said they might have no hope of rising again of which being fully perswaded they introduce a strange and new Religion amongst us and contemning the most exquisite torments doe readily and with alacrity of mind willingly undergoe death Let us now see whether they shall rise again and whether their God is able to assist them and deliver them out of our hands CHAP. II. How the Martyrs beloved of God kindly receiving such as fell away in the persecution wrought a cure upon them SUch were the Calamities which befell the Churches of Christ in the times of the foresaid Emperour from which may be conjectured what also was done in the other Provinces It is worth our adjoyning hereto some other words out of the same Epistle whereby the meekness and humanity of the forementioned Martyrs is described in these very words Who also were so far followers and imitatours of Christ who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God that although they were in such an height of glory and had suffered as Martyrs not once nor twice but often and had been taken from the wild-beasts and committed again to prison although they had the marks of fire the scars of stripes and wounds all over their bodies yet they neither declared themselves to be Martyrs nor would they suffer us to call them by that name But if at any time any one of us either by letter or in discourse termed them Martyrs they reproved us sharply For they readily allowed the appellation of Martyr to Christ who is the faithfull and true witness and the first begotten of the dead and the Prince of the life of God they commemorated also those Martyrs who were already departed this life and said those are now Martyrs whom Christ vouchsafed to assume whilst they were making their confession he having sealed their Martyrdom by their death but we are mean and humble Confessours and with tears they beseeched the brethren entreating them that earnest prayers might be made that they might be perfected they also in reality demonstrated the power and efficacy of Martyrdom using much freedom of speech in their answers before all the Heathens and manifested their excellency by their patient sufferance fearlesness and undaunted courage but they refused the appellation of Martyrs given them by the brethren having been filled with the fear of God Again after some few words they say They humbled themselves under the mighty hand by which they are now highly exalted then also they excused themselves to all men but accused none they loosed all men and bound none yea they prayed for those who tortured them as did Stephen that perfect Martyr saying Lord lay not this sin to their charge Now if he prayed for those who stoned him how much more is it credible that he prayed for the brethren Again also after some other words they say For this was the greatest encounter they had with the devil to wit upon account of their genuine and sincere charity because the Serpent being strangled vomited up those alive whom he supposed he had digested They did not proudly triumph over those that fell but bestowed on such as were indigent those good things with which they abounded having motherly bowels of compassion pouring forth many tears for them before God the father They asked life and he gave it them which also they imparted to their friends being Victours over all they went to God having always loved peace and continually exhorted us to it they departed in peace to God leaving no grief to their mother no faction nor dissention amongst the brethren but joy
Arians the Melitians who not long before had been separated from the communion of the Church Now who these Melitians are we must relate one Melitius a Bishop of one of the Cities in Egypt had been deposed by Peter Bishop of Alexandria who suffered Martyrdom under Diocletian for several other reasons but most especially for this that in the time of Persecution he had denied the Faith and sacrific'd This person being divested of his Bishoprick and having got a great many followers constituted himself the Ringleader of their Heresie who in Aegypt are to this day from him called Melitians Moreover having no reasonable excuse at all for his separation from the Church he barely said thus much that he was injured he did likewise revile and speak reproachfully of Peter Peter having suffered Martyrdom in the Persecution ended his life But Melitius withdraws his reproaches from Peter and casts them first upon Achillas Peter's successour and afterwards upon Alexander who succeeded Achillas During their being engaged in this dissention Arius's controversie was started and Melitius and his Complices became favourers of Arius joyning with him in a conspiracy against the Bishop Now those who lookt upon Arius's Opinion as absurd approved of Alexander's condemnation of Arius and thought the sentence pass'd against all that favour'd that Heresie was just and equitable But Eusebius of Nicomedia and as many as embraced Arius's Opinion wrote to Alexander that he should abrogate the sentence of Excommunication that had been pronounc't and readmit the persons Excommunicate into the Church in regard they asserted nothing that was perverse or impious Letters from both the disagreeing parties having been after this manner sent to the Bishop of Alexandria there was a Collection made of these Epistles Arius Collected those which were written in his own defence and Alexander those that made against him Hence those Sects which do abound so numerously in these our days that is the Arians Eunomians and those that derive their denomination from Macedonius took an occasion of defending their own Tenets For each of them quote the Epistles of their own party as a sufficient evidence CHAP. VII How Constantine the Emperour griev'd at these disturbances in the Church sent Hosius a Spaniard to Alexandria to exhort the Bishop and Arius to a reconciliation WHen the Emperour had notice of these things he was greatly perplexed in mind and looking upon this as his own calamitous concern without delay he made it his business to extinguish the mischief newly hatch't directing his Letters to Alexander and Arius by a person of known fidelity nam'd Hosius who was Bishop of Corduba a City in Spain which man the Emperour had a great love and esteem for Part of this letter 't is not unseasonable to insert here the whole Letter is extant in Eusebius's Books concerning the life of Constantine VICTOR CONSTANTINUS MAXIMUS AUGUSTUS to ALEXANDER and ARIUS We understand that this was the ground of the present controversie For when You Alexander enquired of your Presbyters what every particular man's Opinion was concerning a certain Text of Scripture or rather concerning a part of a fruitless controversie and whereas you Arius inconsiderately vented such sentiments as you ought either not to have conceiv'd at first or if you had had such conceptions it had been your duty to have let them been buried in silence upon this a dissention has been raised between you communion is refused and the most Religious populace rent into two factions is separated from the harmonious unity of the whole body Wherefore let both of you mutually pardoning each other quietly accept of what your fellow-servant doth reasonably advise you to But what is that it was your duty neither to have asked such questions at first nor if proposed to have made any return thereto For such questions as no law does necessarily limit or prescribe but are proposed by the contentiousness of an unprofitable vacancy from business although they may be framed to exercise and imploy our natural parts about yet we ought to confine within our own breasts and not inconsiderately divulge them in publick assemblies nor unadvisedly commit them to the ears of the vulgar For what person amongst a thousand is sufficiently qualifi'd either accurately to comprehend the full efficacy and nature of things so sublime and profound or to explicate them according to their worth and dignity Or should any man look upon this to be an easie performance how small a part of the Vulgar will he induce to be fully perswaded hereof Or what man can without danger of falling into gross errours insist upon the accurate discussions of such nice controversies In questions therefore of this nature loquacity must be bridled and restrained least either through the frailty of our nature we being not able to explicate what we proposed or through the slowness of our Auditors understanding what they are taught being unable accuratly to apprehend our discourse least we say from one of these causes the people be reduced to a necessity of Blasphemy or Schisme Wherefore let an unwary question and an inconsiderate answer with both of you mutually pardon each other For this contest is not kindled upon an occasion of any principal or chief commandment of our law neither have you introduc'd any new Heresie concerning the worship of God But you both hold one and the same Opinion so that you may easily close in a consent of communion with each other For whilst you thus pertinaciously contend about trifles and things of no importance t is not convenient that so numerous a people of God should be under your care and government because of your dissention with one another nor is it only misbecoming but 't is also judged to be altogether unlawfull Now that I may advertise your prudence by a smaller instance I will tell you you know even the Philosophers themselves how that they are all united in the profession of one Sect whenas notwithstanding they frequently disagree in some part of their assertions but although they do sometimes jarre in the very perfection of knowledge yet because of the agreement and union of their Sect they do again close in a mutual consent Now if it be so amongst them it will certainly be much more reasonable that you who are the Ministers of the most high God should in like manner be unanimous in the profession of the same Religion But let us now with more accuracy and greater attention inspect and deliberate upon what has been said whether it be just and equitable that because of the trivial vain and pertinacious contests between you about words brethren should be set in array as it were against brethren and that that venerable assembly should upon your account who contend with one another about things so slight and in no wise necessary be rent asunder by an impious variance These contests are poor and mean and do become a childish ignorance rather than agree with
the gravity of Presbyters and prudent men Let us of our own accord depart from the tentations of the Devil Our great God the Saviour of all men hath reached forth a light common to all men By the assistance of whose providence give us leave who are his servant that we may successfully finish this our endeavour that by our exhortation diligence and earnest admonitions we may reduce you to an unity of assembly For in regard as we have already said you hold the same faith and have the same sentiments of our Religion and since the commandment of the law doth in all its parts inclose all in general in one consent and purpose of mind Let not this thing which has raised a mutual division between you in as much as it appertaineth not to the power and efficacy of Religion in general by any means make a separation and a faction amongst you These things we speak not to necessitate you to be all of one Opinion concerning this foolish idle controversie of what sort soever it be For the pretious value of the assembly may be preserved entire amongst you and one and the same Communion may be retained although there be interchangeably amongst you a great diversity of sentiments in things of the smallest import For we do not all mean the same in all things neither is there one disposition or opinion in all of us Therefore concerning the Divine Providence let there be amongst you one faith one meaning and one covenant of the Deity But as for these slender and light questions which with so much niceness you dispute of and make researches into amongst your selves although therein you do not all agree in the same opinion yet 't is your duty to confine them to your own thoughts and keep them within the secret repositories of your own minds Let therefore an unutterable and excellent common friendship a belief of the truth the honour of God and a Religious observance of his Law remain amongst you firm and immoveable return ye to a mutual friendship and charity restore to the whole body of the people their usual embraces And be you your selves having as it were purifi'd your own souls acquainted again and renew your familiarity with one another For friendship is frequently more sweet and pleasing after the occasion of the enmity is laid aside return to a reconciliation again Restore therefore to us peaceable and serene days and nights void of sollicitude that during the residue of our Life we may have the pleasure of the pure light and the joy of a quiet life reserved for us Which if we shall not obtain we must necessarily groan and be wholly surrounded with tears nor shall we finish the residue of our Life without great disquietude For whilst the people of God we mean our fellow servants are rent asunder by this pernitious and indiscreet dissention which they are now involved in how is it possible for us in future to continue in a sedate temper of mind And that you may be sensible of our excessive sorrow for this thing be attentive to what we shall tell you When we lately came to the City of Nicomedia we had resolv'd forthwith to have made a journey into the East But while we were hastning towards you and had performed above half our journey the news of this affair quite altered our resolution least we should be necessitated to be a spectator of these things which we could not endure even to hear Do you therefore by your unanimity for the time to come open the way for us into the East which by your mutual discord you have stopped up Give us leave with joy speedily to see you and all the rest of the people and that with an unanimous consent of praises we may offer up to God due thanks for the publick agreement and liberty CHAP. VIII Concerning the Council held at Nicaea a City of Bithynia and concerning the Faith there published SUch admirable and prudent advice did the Emperours Letter give them But the mischievous difference was grown so strong and potent that neither the Emperours industry nor the authority of the Person who brought the Letters was able to do any good For neither Alexander nor Arius were in the least mollifi'd by the Letter amongst the populace also there was an irreconcileable discord and a great disturbance Moreover before this broke out there was another distemper in that place which had caus'd disturbance in the Church to wit a disagreement concerning the Feast of Easter but this was only in the Eastern parts where some made it their business to celebrate that Festival after the Jewish manner others in their solemnization thereof imitated the rest of the Christians throughout the whole world But though they differ'd thus concerning the Feast yet they did not refrain from a mutual Communion However they clouded the joy of the Feast by this their dissention The Emperour therefore seeing the Church disturbed by these two evils convened a General Council by his Letters requesting the Bishops from all parts to meet together at Nice a City of Bithynia Accordingly the Bishops out of divers Provinces and Cities assembled concerning whom Eusebius Pamphilus in his third book of Constantin's Life writeth thus word for word The most eminent therefore amongst Gods Ministers of all those Churches which filled all Europe Libya and Asia were conven'd And one sacred Oratory enlarged as it were by God himself included at the same time within its walls both Syrians and Cilicians Phoenicians and Arabians Palestinians and Aegyptians also Thebaeans Libyans and those that came out of Mesopotamia There was also at this Synod a Persian Bishop neither was the Scythian absent from this Quire Pontus also and Galatia Pamphilia and Cappadocia Asia and Phrygia afforded their most select Divines Moreover there appeared here Thracians and Macedonians Achaians and Epirots and such as dwelt far beyond these were nevertheless present Hosius also that most fam'd Spaniard together with many of his Countreymen was one that sate in this Council The Prelate of the Imperial City was absent by reason of his age But his Presbyters were there and supplied his place The Emperour Constantine was the only person of all the Princes since the foundation of the world who after he had platted such a Crown as this by the Bond of Peace dedicated it to Christ his Saviour as a divine present and acknowledgment for the Victories he had obtained over his Enemies and Adversaries having constituted this Synod convened in our days to be a lively representation of that Apostolick Quire For it is Written that in the Apostles days there were gathered together devout men out of every nation under heaven amongst whom were Parthians Medes and Elamites and the inhabitants of Mesopotamia Judaea and Cappadocia of Pontus and of Asia of Phrygia and Pamphilia of Aegypt and of the parts of Libya adjacent to Cyrene strangers also of Rome Jews and
these goods along with him and travelling into Persia changes his name calling himself Manes Where he distributed Buddas's or Terebinthus's books as his own genuine works amongst his seduced followers Now these are the Subjects of those books in the words they seemingly assert the Christian Religion but if the opinions contained in them be attentively considered they are neer a kin to Gentilism For Manichaeus being an impious person does incite his disciples to worship a plurality of Gods He also teaches that the Sun is to be adored Besides he introduces Fate and destroys mans free-will He apparently asserts a transmutation of Bodies following herein the opinions of Empedocles Pythagoras and the Aegyptians He denies that Christ existed in the flesh saying that he was a meer Phantasm He does also reject the Law and the Prophets and calls himself the Paraclete All which Tenets t is manifest are wholly disagreeable to the orthodox doctrine of the Church Moreover in his Letters he has been so audacious as to stile himself an Apostle But he met with a condign punishment for this impudent lie of his which befell him upon this occasion The son of the King of Persia happened to fall sick his Father desirous to save the life of his son left no stone unturn'd as the common saying is Having heard of Manichaeus and supposing the wonders he did to be real and true he sends for him as if he had been an Apostle hoping that he might preserve his Sons life When he was come in a fictitious and pretended manner he takes in hand to cure the Kings son But the King seeing that his son died under his hands clap't him in Prison with a designe forthwith to put him to death He made his escape out of Prison into Mesopotamia and saved himself But when the King of Persia had intelligence of his abode in those parts he caused him to be brought from thence by force and flead him alive and having stuffed his skin with chaff he hanged it up before the City gates These things which we relate are no forgeries of our own but we collected them out of a book we read over intitled the disputation of Archelaus Bishop of Cascharum one of the Cities of Mesopotamia For this Archelaus says that he disputed with Manichaeus face to face and what we have written above concerning Manichaeus's Life Archelaus himself does relate Thus therefore does the envy of the Devil as we said before delight to entrap good affairs when in their most flourishing posture But for what reason the goodness of God should permit this to be done whether it be that he is desirous to have the true opinion of the Church brought to the test and examined and wholly to extirpate arrogancy which usually grows up together with faith or for what other reason is a question that cannot be solved without great difficulty and tediousness nor can it now be opportunely discust by us For it is not our design to examin the truth of opinions or to make researches into the abstruse accounts of providence and the judgment of God but according to our ability to compose a narrative of the affairs that have been transacted in the Churches After what manner therefore the superstition of the Manichaeans sprang up a little before the times of Constantine it has been sufficiently declared Let us now return to the series of those times that are the proper subject of the History we designe CHAP. XXIII How Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia and Theognis Bishop of Nice taking courage again endeavoured to subvert the Nicene Creed by plotting against Athanasius EUsebius and Theognis being returned from exile recovered their own Churches having as we said before extruded those that had been ordained Bishops in their places Moreover they acquired great interest and favour with the Emperour who had an high esteem for them looking upon them as converts from an Heretical to the orthodox Doctrine But they abused this favour and liberty granted them and made more disturbance in the world then formerly they had done incited thereto by two motives the one proceeded from the Arian Heresie with which they had been formerly infected the other from their inveterate hatred against Athanasius because he had so vigorously opposed them in the Synod when the Articles of faith were discussed First of all therefore they began to find fault with Athanasius's ordination as if he were unworthy of a Bishoprick and as if his ordination had been performed by unfitting persons But it was afterwards demonstrated that he was superiour to all manner of calumny for being seated in the Bishoprick of Alexandria he stifly and vigorously contended for the Nicene Creed then Eusebius set all his wits at work to lay a plot for Athanasius and to bring Arius again into Alexandria For he supposed this to be the only way to eradicate the Doctrine of Consubstantiality and introduce Arianism Eusebius therefore wrote to Athanasius that he would readmit Arius and his companions into the Church And in his Letter he intreated him but openly and in publick he threatned him But when Athanasius could by no means be prevailed with he attempts to perswade the Emperour to grant Arius leave to come into his presence and that he would give him a liberty of returning to Alexandria And by what means he prevailed so far as to effect this I will relate in its due place But before these things were done there was another commotion raised in the Churches For her own sons did again disturb the peace of the Church Eusebius Pamphilus relates that immediately after the Synod Aegypt raised mutual factions within it self but he annexes not the occasion of this division Whence he is thought by many to have been double-tongued because declining to set forth the reasons of the discords he had resolved with himself not to assent to what had been determined at Nice But as we our selves have found from several Letters which the Bishops wrote to one another after the Synod the term Homoousios disturbed some mens minds Whilst they were busying themselves about this word and made too curious inquiries into its import and meaning they raised an intestine war amongst themselves And what was done herein was not unlike a fight in the night For neither side seemed to understand perfectly why they reviled one another For they that had an aversion for the term Homoöusios look'd upon them that approved of it as introducers of Sabellius's and Montanus's opinion And therefore they called them blasphemers as being persons that destroyed the existence of the Son of God On the other hand they that were maintainers of the term Homoöusios supposing the other their adversaries to be introducers of the worship of many Gods abominated them as the bringers in of Gentilism Eustathius Bishop of Antioch reviles Eusebius Pamphilus as one that adulterates the Nicene Faith Eusebius answers that he does in no wise infringe or
a pious woman BUt we must relate what was done at Edessa a City of Mesopotamia In that City there is a stately and splendid Church which bears the name of Thomas the Apostle wherein assemblies in order to the performance of the publick duties of Religion are without intermission convened by reason of that places sanctity The Emperour Valens desirous to view this Church and being informed that the whole congregation met therein were followers of that Heresie which he detested struck the Praefect with his own hand as 't is said because he had not taken care to have them driven from that place When the Praefect after this manner abused made preparations though unwillingly to obey the Emperours rage for he was not willing to be the instrument of the murder of so many persons he gave them notice secretly to the intent that no person might be found within that Church But no body heeded either his advice or his menaces For on the day following all persons flock't to the Church And when the Praefect with a great company of Souldiers hastened to the Oratory in order to his fulfilling the Emperours rage a poor woman leading her own little son by the hand went with great speed towards the Church and broke through the ranks of Souldiers which Guarded the Praefect At which the Praefect being highly displeased orders the woman to be brought to him And speaks to her after this manner Miserable woman Whither runnest thou in this undecent manner She replied To the same place that others run too Have you not heard said he That the Praefect is going to put to death all persons that shall be found there I have heard so answered she and do therefore make hast that I may be found there And whither draggest thou that little child said the Praefect the woman replied that he also may be voutsafed the honour of Martyrdom Upon hearing hereof the Praefect made a conjecture of the constancy aâ—d resolution of the persons assembled in the Church And he went back immediately to the Emperour and informed him that all of them were ready to die for their own faith And declaring withall that it would be absurd to destroy so many persons in so short a time he thereby perswaded the Emperour to desist from being enraged After this manner the Edessens escaped their being destroyed by their own Emperour CHAP. XIX That the Emperour Valens slew many persons the first letter of whose name was Theta upon account of a certain Necromantick divination whereby that was foretold AT the same time a certain destructive Daemon abused the Emperours cruelty For he perswaded some persons to make a strict and over-busie enquiry by a Necromantick divination who should succeed Valens in the Empire To which persons having made use of a certain Magicall inchantment the Daemon gave responses not plain and manifest but as he usually does oblique and ambiguous by shewing only four Letters Theta and Epsilon and Omicron and Delta saying that his name who should Reign after Valens did begin with these Letters and that his name was compounded The report of what had been done came to the Emperours ears But he permitted noâ— God who manages all things in a due and orderly manner to have the knowledge of things future and to do what seemed good to him but slighting the sanctions of Christianity for which he supposed himself to have a zeal and ardency he put many to death of whom he had a suspicion that they would seize upon the Empire Therefore the Theodorus's the Theodotus's the Theodosius's and the Theodulus's and as many as had such like names as these were deprived of their lives Amongst whom one Theodosiolus a person of great Valour and Courage a descendant of a Noble Family in Spain was also put to death And out of a fear of the imminent danger many persons at that time changed their names denying those names their Parents had given them when they were young in regard they were liable to danger But let thus much be said concerning this CHAP. XX. Concerning Athanasius's death and the promotion of Peter to his See FUrther you are to know that as long as Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria lived the Emperour upon account of some over-ruling dispensation of Gods providence forbore disquieting Alexandria and Egypt knowing for certain that there was a numerous multitude of persons there who favoured Athanasius and for this reason he was afraid least a sedition being raised at Alexandria the populace who are naturally hot and violent should endammage the publick state of affairs Moreover Athanasius after those many Conflicts He had undergone upon the Church's account departed this life in the second Consulate of Gratianus which he bore with Probus he governed that Bishoprick amidst many dangers fourty and six years and left Peter a pious and eloquent person to succeed him in his See CHAP. XXI That after Athanasius's death the Arians by the Emperour Valens's Order delivered up the Churches in Alexandria to Lucius who had been Ordained by them before and committed Peter to Prison THe Arians therefore took courage immediately being rendred insolent by the Emperour's Religion and without delay they give an account hereof to the Emperour who then resided at Antioch At the same time also Euzoius who presided over the professours of Arianism at Antioch with greediness catches that opportunity so seasonably offered and makes it his design to procure himself to be sent to Alexandria to the intent that he might deliver possession of the Churches there to Lucius the Arian Which was also approved of by the Emperour And forthwith he went to Alexandria accompanied with the Imperial Forces For Magnus Lord Treasurer to the Emperour went along with him The Imperial Order was directed to Palladius Praefect of Egypt and a command was issued forth that the Military Forces there should give their assistance Wherefore they apprehended Peter and confined him to Prison After they had dispersed the other Ecclesiasticks some into one place some into another they seated Lucius in the Episcopal Chair CHAP. XXII That Sabinus the Macedonian Heretick has made no mention of those many mischiefs which happened at Lucius's installment But they are recorded in a Letter written by Peter who made his escape and fled to Damasus Bishop of Rome But the Arians and Lucius were the Authours of many mischievous practises and cruelties against those holy persons who led a Monastick life in the Solitudes MOreover what mischiefs hapned at Lucius's induction into the Sea of Alexandria or what was done against those persons that were ejected as well in as without the Courts of Judicature and how some were subjected to various Tortures and others were banished even after they had been tortured of any of these particulars there is not the least mention made by Sabinus For in regard he was a Semi-Arian he concealed the enormous villanies of his friends But
exposing the Heathen Mysteries to ignominy and contempt He cleansed Mithra's Temple and destroyed that belonging to Serapis He also exposed to publick view the bloudy Mysteries of the Mithreum And shewed how full of ridiculousness the Mysteries of Serapis and of the other Gods were ordering that the Priapus's should be carried through the midst of the Forum The Heathens at Alexandria more especially those that profest Philosophy upon sight of the doing hereof were unable to repress their discontent but made an addition to the former tragick actions which they had perpetrated For upon a sign given which they had agreed on before-hand they made an unanimous assault upon the Christians and murthered every one they met moreover the Christians defended themselves and thus mischief was attended with mischief This Fight was continued so long till a satiety of slaughter put an end to it Few of the Heathens were destroyed in this Conflict but of the Christians there fell a great many The wounded on both sides were innumerable After the perpetration of this Action a fear seized the Heathens who dreaded the Emperours anger Wherefore having done what they pleased and satiated their minds with slaughters they absconded some in one place others in another Moreover many of them fled from Alexandria and dispersed themselves into several Cities Amongst which number were the two Grammarians Helladius and Ammonius whose Scholar I was at Constantinople when very young Helladius was stiled Jupiters Priest Ammonius was Simius's This mischief being thus composed the Praefect of Alexandria and the Commander in chief of the Milice in Egypt assisted Theophilus in demolishing the Heathen Temples The Temples therefore were ruined but the Images of their Gods were molten into Caldrons and into other utensills necessary for the Alexandrian Church the Emperour having given the Images of the Heathen Gods to that Church for the relief of the poor Wherefore Theophilus brake in pieces all the Images of the Gods save one to wit the Image of the fore-mentioned God which he ordered to be preserved unmelted and caused it to be set up in a publick place least said he the Heathens should in ages to come deny that they had been worshippers of such Gods At which action of Theophilus's Ammonius the Grammarian was to my knowledge highly disgusted for he was wont to say that the Religion of the Gentiles had suffered most horrid abuses because but one Image only was not melted down but was preserved meerly to render Gentilism ridiculous But Helladius made his boasts in some persons hearing that in the Conflict he had slain nine men with his own hand Such were the doings in Alexandria at that time CHAP. XVII Concerning the Hieroglyphical Letters found in the Temple of Serapis MOreover at such time as Serapis's Temple was rifled and demolished there were Letters found in it ingraven on stones which Letters they call Hieroglyphical These Characters had the forms and resemblances of crosses When the Christians and Heathens saw these Characters each party adapted them to their own Religion For the Christians who affirm that the Cross is the signe of Christs salutary Passion thought this Character was properly and peculiarly theirs The Heathens alledged it was some thing that belonged in common both to Christ and to Serapis for a Character said they made in form of a Cross betokens one thing amongst the Christians another amongst the Heathens Whilest these things were controverted amongst them some of the Heathens who were converted to the Christian Religion having skill in these Hieroglyphical Letters gave an interpretation of the Character made in form of a Cross and said it signified Life to come This the Christians took hold of with much earnestness as being more advantageous to their Religion in particular and were not a little proud of it But after it had been manifested by other Hieroglyphicall Letters that Serapis's Temple would have an end when a Character in form of a Cross should appear for thereby was signified Life to come then many more came over to the Christian Religion and after a Confession of their sins were baptized This is a relation of what hapned upon account of the Character that was discovered made in form of a Cross which relation I had from report But I am not of opinion that the Egyptian Priests foreknew what should happen to Christ and therefore caused the figure of a Cross to be ingraven on stones For if the Mystery of our Saviours coming into the world were hid from Ages and from Generations as the Apostle says and if the Devill himself the Prince of wickedness knew nothing of it 't was much more unknown to his Ministers to wit the Egyptian Priests But divine providence designed the same thing should happen at the enquiry made into this Character which he had heretofore demonstrated in the Apostle Paul's Preaching For he inspired with wisedom by the divine Spirit made use of the same method towards the Athenians and brought many of them over to the Faith of Christ at such time as he read the inscription upon one of their altars and adapted it to his own discourse Unless any one should perhaps say that the word of God had the same operation upon the Egyptian Priests that it had on Balaam and Caiaphas For those two persons though they did it contrary to their will and knowledge uttered prophesies concerning good things But let thus much be said concerning these things CHAP. XVIII That the Emperour Theodosius during his stay in Rome did a great deal of good to that City both by demolishing those Receptacles for Thieves in the Bake-houses and also by prohibiting the obscene use of Bells in the Stews MOreover the Emperour Theodosius during his short stay in Italy was in many instances highly beneficiall to the City of Rome partly by his donation of some things and partly by his abrogating others For his donations were many and great and he regulated two villanous and most infamous abuses frequently practised in that City The one whereof was this There were in the great City Rome houses of a vast bigness and largness long since built wherein the bread was made which was distributed amongst the Citizens The Masters of these houses whom the Romans in their language term Mancipes in process of time turned these Edifices into Receptacles for Thieves For in regard the Bake-houses in these buildings were situated under ground at the side of each of these Structures they built Victualling houses wherein they prostituted Whores by which device they trapanned many persons some going in thither to supply themselves with food others to satisfie their libidinous and filthy desires For by a certain Engin purposely made on that account they were conveyed from the Victualling house down into the Bake-house This trick was chiefly put upon strangers that sojourned at Rome Such as were after this manner trapan'd
months and years should in no wise be observed Besides in his Epistle to the Colossians he does loudly affirm that such observations are a shadow Wherefore he says Let no man judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of any holy day or of the new moon or of the sabbath-days which are a shadow of things to come And in the Epistle to the Hebrews this very Apostle does confirm the same things in these words For the priesthood being changed there is made of necessity a change also of the law The Apostle therefore and the Gospels have no where imposed the yoak of servitude on those who have approached the Preaching of the Faith but have left the Feast of Easter and the other Festivals to be honoured by their gratitude and benevolence who have had benefits conferred upon them on those days Wherefore in regard men love Festivals because thereon they have a cessation from their labours each person in every place according to his own pleasure has by a certain custom celebrated the memory of the saving Passion For neither our Saviour nor his Apostles have enjoyned us by any Law to observe this Festival Not have the Gospels or the Apostles threatned us with any mulct punishment or curse as the Mosaick Law does the Jews For 't is meerly for the History's sake in order to a publishing of the reproach of the Jews because they polluted themselves with bloud on their very Festivals that it has been recorded in the Gospells that our Saviour suffered even on the days of unleavened bread Moreover it was not the Apostles design to make Laws concerning Festival days but to introduce good life and piety And it seems to me that as many other things in several places have been established by custom so the Feast of Easter also hath had a peculiar observation amongst all persons from some old usage in regard none of the Apostles as I have said have made any determinate Decree about it Now that the observation of this Festival had its original amongst all men in the Primitive times from custom rather than Law the things themselves do demonstrate For in Asia the Less most people kept the fourteenth day of the Moon disregarding the Sabbath day And though this was their practise yet they never made a separation from those who celebrated the Feast of Easter otherwise till such time as Victor Bishop of Rome over-much heated with anger sent an Excommunicatory Libell to the Quartodecimani in Asia For which fact Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons in France severely reproved Victor by Letter blaming him for his immoderate heat and informing him that although the Ancients differed in their celebration of the Feast of Easter yet they did in no wise separate from a mutual communion Also that Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna who afterwards suffered Martyrdom under Cordianus communicated with Anicetus Bishop of Rome and made no separation from him on account of this Festival although Polycarp himself according to his own country usage practised in the Church of Smyrna kept Easter on the fourteenth day of the Moon as Eusebius says in the Fifth Book of his Ecclesiastick History Some therefore in Asia the Less as I have said kept the fourteenth day of the Moon Others in the Eastern parts celebrated that Feast on the Sunday indeed but they differed concerning the month Those first mentioned were of opinion that the Jews were to be followed although they observed not an exact Rule These celebrated Easter after the Aequinox refusing to keep that Feast with the Jews For they affirm that Easter must always be kept when the Sun is in Aries on that month which the Antiochians term Xanthicus and the Romans April And in their practise hereof they followed as they affirmed not the modern Jews who mistake almost in all things but the Ancients of that Nation and Josephus agreeable whereto are the words of that Authour in his Third Book of the Jewish Antiquities And thus these persons disagreed amongst themselves But all other Christians in the Western parts as far as the Ocean it self are found to have celebrated Easter after the Aequinox from a very ancient tradition For all these persons keep it after this manner and have never disagreed amongst themselves Nor did the Synod under Constantine alter this Festival as some have noysed it abroad For Constantine himself writing to those persons who differed about this Festival advised them in regard they were but few to become followers of those who exceeded them in number You will find the Emperours Letter entire in the Third Book of Eusebius's Life of Constantine But that part of it which treats concerning the Feast of Easter runs thus And since 't is a decent Order which all the Churches in the Western Southern and Northern parts of the world do observe and some places also in the East Upon which account all persons have at present judged it good and right and We Our Self also have engaged it will please Your Prudence to wit that what is observed with one concordant mind in the City of Rome throughout Italy Africa all Egypt Spaine the Gallia's the Britannia's the Libya's all Greece the Asian and Pontick Dicecesis and Cilicia will willingly be embraced by Your Prudence also which will attentively consider not only that the number of Churches in the forenamed places is greater but also that 't is most just and commendable that all persons should chiefly and in common desire that which strict reason seems to require and to have no society with the perjury of the Jews Such is the Emperours Letter Further the Quartodecimani do affirm that the observation of the fourteenth day of the Moon was delivered to them by John the Apostle But the Romans and those in the Western parts say that the usage in force with them was delivered by the Apostles Peter and Paul Notwithstanding neither of these two parties can produce any written testimony in confirmation hereof Moreover that the Feast of Easter is kept in all places from some usage and custom I do from hence conjecture No Sect of Religion observes the same ceremonies although it embraces one and the same opinion concerning God For they that are of the same Faith differ amongst themselves concerning Rites Wherefore it will not be unseasonable to add a few words concerning the different usages of Churches First therefore you may find that the Fasts before Easter are observed one way by some and in a manner different by others For they at Rome fast three continued weeks before Easter excepting Saturdays and Sundays The Inhabitants of Illyricum those throughout all Achaia and they at Alexandria observe a Fast of six weeks before Easter which they term the fourty days Fast. Others in a different manner from them begin their fast from the seventh week before Easter and though they fast three five days only
part of three weeks and that by intervalls yet nevertheless they also call that time the fourty days Fast. And I cannot but wonder how these persons though they disagree about the number of the days yet should in common give it the same name to wit the fourty days fast Of which appellation some assign one reason other another according to their particular fancies and humours You likewise find several persons disagreeing not only about the number of the days but differing also in their abstinency from meats For some abstain wholly from eating of living creatures others of all living creatures feed on fish only Othersome together with fish eat fowl also affirming according to Moses's words that these were made likewise of the waters Some abstain from all manner of fruits of trees and from eggs Others feed upon dry bread only othersome eat not even this Others having fasted till the ninth hour feed upon any sort of food whatever making no distinction Again amongst other Nations there are other usages for which innumerable reasons are assigned And in regard no one can produce a command in writing concerning this thing 't is manifest that the Apostles left every one to his own will and free choice in this case to the end that no person might be compelled through fear or necessity to the performance of what is good Such is the disagreement throughout the Churches about their fastings Nor is the variety amongst them less about their performances in their Religious Assemblies For though almost all Churches over the whole world do celebrate the Sacred Mysteries on the Sabbath day at the period of every week yet the Alexandrians and they at Rome on account of some ancient tradition refuse to practise this The Egyptians who are neighbours to the Alexandrians and the Inhabitants of Thebaïs have their Religious Meetings on the Sabbath notwithstanding they participate not of the Mysteries in such a manner as is usual amongst the Christians For after they have feasted and filled themselves with all manner of victuals in the evening they offer and partake of the Mysteries Again at Alexandria on the fourth Feria and on that termed the Preparation day the Scriptures are read and the Doctours expound them and all things are performed which belong to the Church Assembly except the celebration of the Mysteries And this is an usage of great antiquity at Alexandria For 't is manifest that Origen most commonly taught in the Church on these days Who being a very Learned Doctor and perceiving that the secret of the Mosaick Law was not to be expounded literally reduced his discourse concerning the passover to a Mysticall sense asserting that there had been one only true Passover to wit that which our Saviour celebrated at such time as being fastned to his Cross he vanquished the adverse powers making use of this Trophy against the Devill In the same City Alexandria as well the Catecumens as the Faithfull are without difference or distinction made Readers and Psalm setters whereas in all other Churches the Faithfull only are promoted to this dignity I my self when I was in Thessaly knew another custom also A Clergy-man in that Country if after his taking Orders he does lie with his wife whom he had legally married before his being Ordained is degraded whereas in the East all Clergy-men of their own accord do abstain from their wives even the Bishops themselves notwithstanding they do this voluntarily not by force or compulsion of a Law For many of them during even the time of their being Bishops have begotten children of a lawfull wife Moreover the Authour of this usage in Thessaly was Heliodorus Bishop of Trica in that Country under whose name there are Love-Books extant which he composed when he was a young man and entitled them Aethiopici This same custom is observed in Thessalonica in Macedonia and in Achaia I have also known another custom in Thessaly They baptize there on the days of Easter only Upon which account all of them except a very few die unbaptized At that Antioch which is in Syria the site of the Church is inverted For the Altar stands not towards the East but towards the West In Achaia at Jerusalem and in Thessaly they go to Prayers when the Candles are lighted in the same manner that the Novatians do at Constantinople Likewise at Caesarea in Cappadocia and in Cyprus on Saturdays and Sundays always in the Evening after the Candles are lighted the Presbyters and Bishops expound the Scriptures Those Novatians in the Hellespont perform not their Prayers wholly after the same manner with them who live at Constantinople but they are in most things conform to the usages of the Catholick Church In summe in all places and amongst all Sects you will scarcely find two Churches exactly agreeing about their prayers At Alexandria a Presbyter does in no wise Preach And this usage had its beginning from such time as Arius raised a disturbance in that Church At Rome they fast every Saturday At Caesarea in Cappadocia they exclude those from Communion who have sinned after Baptism as the Novatians do The same is also practised by the Macedoniani in the Hellespont and by the Quartodecimani in Asia The Novatians in Phrygia admit not of Digamists Those Novatians who inhabit Constantinople neither openly admit nor openly reject them But in the Western parts they are openly received The Bishops who in their severall times Presided over the Churches were in my judgement the Occasioners of this diversity And those who received these Rites and usages transmitted them to posterity in manner of a Law as ' t were To give in a Catalogue of all the Rites and Customs in use throughout all Cities and Countries is a thing difficult or rather impossible But these we have produced are sufficient to demonstrate that the Feast of Easter was by reason of some certain usage celebrated in a different manner in every particular Province Wherefore they are too profuse in their talke who have spread abroad a rumour that the time of celebrating Easter was altered in the Nicene Synod For the Fathers convened in that Synod made it their business to reduce the people who at first dissented from the far greater part of the Church to an agreement Now that there hapned many differences upon this account even in the Apostles times was a thing not unknown even to the Apostles themselves as the Book of the Acts does attest For when the Apostles understood that a disturbance was raised amongst the faithfull by reason of a dissention of the Gentiles being all met together they promulged a Divine Law drawing it up in form of a Letter whereby they freed Believers from a most burthensome servitude and vain contention about these things and taught them a most exact way of living well which would lead them to true piety
mentioning to them only such things as necessarily ought to be observed The Epistle it self is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles yet nothing hinders but we may insert it here The Apostles and Elders and Brethren send Greeting unto the Brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia For as much as we have heard that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words subverting your souls saying ye must be circumcised and keep the Law to whom we gave no such commandment it seemed good unto us being assembled with one accord to send chosen men unto you with our Beloved Barnabas and Paul Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas who shall also tell you the same things by mouth For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater burthen than these necessary things that ye abstain from meats offered to Idols and from bloud and from things strangled and from fornication from which if you keep your selves ye shall do well fare ye well These things pleased God For these are the express words of the Letter it seemed good to the Holy Ghost to lay upon you no greater burthen than these necessaries to be observed Notwithstanding there are some who disregarding these Precepts suppose all Fornication to be a thing indifferent but contend about Holy days as if it were for their lives these persons invert the commands of God and make Laws for themselves not valuing the Decree of the Apostles nor do they consider that they practise the contrary to those things which seemed good to God It were indeed possible to have extended our discourse concerning Easter much farther and to have demonstrated that the Jews observe no exact Rule either in the time or manner of celebrating the Paschal solemnity and that the Samaritans who are a Schism of the Jews do always celebrate this Festivall after the Aequinox But this Subject requires a particular and more copious Treatise I only say this that they who so affectedly imitate the Jews and are so solicitously accurate about Types and Figures ought in no wise to dissent from them in any particular whatever For if they have taken a resolution of observing all things with an accuracy they must not only observe days and months but all other things also which Christ constituted under the Law did after the manner of the Jews or which he suffered unjustly from the Jews or Lastly which he wrought typically whilest he was doing good to all men For instance he entred into a Ship and taught He ordered the passover to be made ready in an upper room he commanded the Ass that was tied to be loosed he proposed him who bore a pitcher of water as a sign to them for hastning their preparations of the passover these things I say they must observe and infinite others of this nature which are recorded in the Gospels And yet they who suppose themselves to be justified by this Festival make it their business to observe none of these things in a bodily manner For no Doctor ever Preach't out of a Ship no person ever went up to an upper room and celebrated the passover there they never tyed and again unloosed an Ass that was tyed in fine no person ever enjoyned another to carry a pitcher of water to the end that the Symbolls might be fulfilled For they thought that these and such like things as these savoured rather of Judaism For the Jews are solicitous about keeping their solemn Rites and Ceremonies in their bodies rather than in their souls Upon which account they are obnoxious to the Curse because they conceive the Law of Moses to consist in Types and Figures but understand it not according to the truth But those persons who are favourers of the Jews do indeed refer these things to an allegoricall sense and meaning but they raise an irreconcilable War about days and months contemning an allegoricall interpretation of them in so much that as to this particular they themselves as well as the Jews are of necessity condemned and bring the sentence of Execration upon themselves But I think this sufficient to have been said concerning these things Let us now return to our Subject whereof we have made mention a little before to wit that the Church once divided rested not in that first division and that those who were divided did again engage one another and taking hold of a small and very frivolous pretence raised mutuall separations and divisions The Novatians as I have said were divided amongst themselves on account of the Feast of Easter Nor was the division among them concerning this Festivall single For some throughout divers Provinces observed it after one manner others after another and they disagreed amongst themselves not only about the month but about the days of the week also and about other matters of a small importance part of them holding separate Assemblies and part joyning in a promiscuous communion CHAP. XXIII Concerning the Arians at Constantinople who were also termed the Psathyriani MOreover there arose dissentions amongst the Arians upon this occasion The contentious questions daily started amongst them had reduced their discourses to some absurdities For whereas it has been always believed in the Church that God is the Father of the Son the Word there hapned this Query amongst them whether or no God could be called Father even before the Son existed And in regard they asserted that the Word of God was not begotten of the Father but existed of nothing being thus mistaken about the first and chiefest Article of Faith they deservedly fell into an absurd contentiousness about a bare word Dorotheus therefore who had been sent for from Antioch by them maintained that God neither was nor could be termed a Father before the Son existed But Marinus whom they had called out of Thracia before Dorotheus having got a fair opportunity for he was vext because Dorotheus had been preferred before him undertook to desend the contrary opinion For this reason there hapned a dissention amongst them and being divided on account of the foresaid Term each party held separate Meetings Those under Dorotheus continued possest of their own Meeting-houses But Marinus's followers built themselves private Oratories wherein they had their Assemblies and asserted that the Father was always the Father even when the Son existed not Moreover the maintainers of this assertion were termed Psathyriani because one Theoctistus by Country a Syrian a Psathyropola by Trade was a zealous defender of this Opinion Selenas Bishop of the Goths became a follower of these persons Tenets He was a man of a mixt descent a Goth by his fathers side by his mothers a Phrygian And upon this account he taught in the Church very readily in both these Languages Further this faction soon after quarrelled amongst themselves
against and reproach't the said Emperour and impudently Anathematizing the Holy and Oecumenicall Synod at Chalcedon he draws after him a multitude of Mercenary and disorderly fellows with whom he has made war contrary to the Divine Canons and to the Ecclesiastick Constitution in opposition to the Republick and to the Laws and has violently thrust himself into the Holy Church of God which at that time had its Pastour and Teacher Our most Holy Father and Arch-Bishop Proterius who then Celebrated the usuall Religious and solemn Assemblies and poured forth his prayers to Christ the Saviour of us all for Your Religious Empire and for Your Christ-loving Palace And after the interposition of a few words Then after the space of one day when as 't was customary the most pious Proterius continued in the Bishops Pallace Timotheus taking with him two Bishops who had been legally deposed and some Ecclesiasticks who as we have said had in like manner been condemned to dwell in Exile as if he could have received Ordination from two Bishops not so much as one of the Orthodox Bishops throughout the Egyptick-Dioecesis being there who are always wont to be present at such Ordinations of the Bishop of the Alexandrians takes possession as he supposed of the Archiepiscopal Chair audaciously attempting manifestly to commit adultery upon that Church which had its own Bridegroome who performed the divine offices therein and canonically administred his own See And after some other words That Blessed person Proterius could do nothing else than as 't is written Give place unto wrath and make his escape to the adorable Baptistery that he might avoid their incursion who ran in upon him to murder him in which place most especially a dread and terrour is usually infused into the minds even of Barbarians and all other Savage and cruell persons who are ignorant of the adorableness of that place and of the Grace flowing therefrom Nevertheless these Ruffians who used their utmost endeavour to bring that designe to effect which from the beginning they had laid with Timotheus these Butchers who would not suffer Proterius to be preserved even within those immaculate Rails who revered neither the sanctity of the place nor the time it self for it was the Festival day of the Salutary Easter who dreaded not the dignity of the Sacerdotall Function to which it appertains to mediate between God and men kill that guiltless person and together with him commit a barbarous murder upon six others And after they had carried about his Body which was wounds all over and likewise barbarously drag'd it almost throughout every place of the City and further in a most lamentable manner insulted over it without any thing of compassion they Scourged the Corps insensible of its stripes cutting it limb from limb Nor did they abstain according to the usage of Savage beasts from tasting of his Entrails whom a little before they were supposed to have as an Intercessour between God and men In fine having cast the remains of his Body into a fire they threw the ashes thereof into the winds by the commission of these Barbarities far exceeding the utmost Savageness of wild-beasts the Occasioner and crafty Contriver of all which Nefarious facts was Timotheus Moreover Zacharias giving a Narrative of these matters in his History is of opinion that most of these things were done in such a manner as I have related them but says they were occasioned by Proterius's fault who had raised most grievous Seditions at Alexandria he affirms likewise that these Facts were audaciously perpetrated not by the people but by some of the Souldiers which affirmation he grounds on the Letter written by Timotheus to the Emperour Leo. Further in order to the punishing these enormities Stilas is sent by the Emperour Leo. CHAP. IX Concerning the Emperour Leo's Circular Letters ALso Leo wrote Circular Letters to the Bishops throughout the whole Roman Empire and to those persons eminent for their leading a Monastick life asking their opinion both concerning the Synod at Chalcedon and also about Timotheus surnamed Aelurus's Ordination he sent to them likewise Copies of the Supplicatory-Libells presented to him as well by Proterius's Party as by that of Timotheus Aelurus The Contents of the Circular Letters of Leo are these A Copy of the most Pious Emperour Leo's Sacred Letter sent to Anatolius Bishop of Constantinople and to the Metropolitanes and other Bishops over the whole world Emperour Caesar Leo Pius Victor Triumphator Maximus always Augustus to Anatolius the Bishop It was the desire and Prayer of Our Piety that the most Holy Orthodox Churches and also all the Cities of the Roman Empire should enjoy the greatest Peace imaginable nor that any thing should happen which might disturb their Constitution and Tranquillity But what disturbances have lately hapned at Alexandria are we are fully perswaded already made known to Your Sanctity Nevertheless that you may have a more perfect account concerning all things what the Causes were of so great a Tumult and Confusion We have transmitted to Your Piety the Copies of the Supplicatory-Libells which the most Pious Bishops and Ecclesiasticks coming from the foresaid City Alexandria and from the Aegyptick Dioecesis to the Imperial City Constantinople have brought to Our Piety against Timotheus and moreover the Copies of the Supplicatory-Libells which some persons coming from Alexandria to Our Divine Court on Timotheus's account have presented to Our Serenity so that Your Sanctity may apparently know what hath been done by the foresaid Timotheus whom the populacy of Alexandria the Honorati the Decuriones and the Navicularii desire to have for their Bishop and that you may have an account concerning other matters contained in The Text of the Supplicatory-Libells and moreover concerning the Chalcedon Synod to which the forementioned persons do in no wise agree as their Supplicatory-Libells here underplaced do demonstrate Let therefore Your Piety cause all the Orthodox and Holy Bishops who at present are resident in this Imperial City as likewise the most Pious Ecclesiasticks forthwith to come together unto You. And having with great care treated of and enquired into all things for as much as the City Alexandria hath already been disturbed the State and repose whereof is our greatest care acquaint us with Your Sentiment concerning the foresaid Timotheus and concerning the Chalcedon Synod without any humane fear and without affection or hatred placing before your eyes the only fear of the Omnipotent God in regard you well know that you shall give an account concerning this affair to the incorrupt Deity That so We having been perfectly informed of all things by Your Letters may be enabled to promulge an accommodate Edict This was the Letter sent to Anatolius The Emperour wrote Letters like this to other Bishops also and to those eminent persons who as I have said at that time lead a life void of the furniture of
consent to these Circular Letters as did likewise Peter Bishop of Antioch surnamed Fullo who together with Timotheus was present at the Imperial City Constantinople These things having been performed in this manner they Vote that Paulus also should recover the Archiepiscopall Chair of Ephesus Further the same Zacharias affirms that Anastasius who had succeeded Juvenalis in the See of Jerusalem subscribed the same Circular Letters as likewise very many others insomuch that they were in number about Five hundred who condemned Leo's Letter and the Chalcedon Synod The same Authour does also some where record the Supplicatory Libell presented by the Bishops of Asia convened at Ephesus to Basiliscus part of the Contents of which Libell run thus To the most Pious in all things and the Lovers of Christ our Lords Basiliscus and Marcus perpetual Victors Augusti And after some words You have always seemed Most pious and Christ-Loving Emperours to be divers ways assaulted together with the Faith which is hated and opposed And after other words A certain terrible expectation of Judgment and an Ardour of Divine Fire and the Just Resentment of Your Serenity will in a short time Seize the Adversaries who with a certain arrogant folly as it were with Darts attempt to make an attack against the powerfull God and your Empire fortified by the true Faith nor do they in any manner spare our Tenuity but continually assault us with reproaches and lies as if by a necessity and a force we had subscribed to your Divine and Apostolick Circular Letters whereas we have set our hands thereto with all imaginable joy and alacrity of mind And after some other words Be pleased therefore to publish nothing contrary to your Divine Circular Letters knowing for certain what we have already said that the whole world will be overturned again and that the mischiefs done by the Synod at Chalcedon will be found small and triviall which yet have effected these innumerable murders and have unjustly and illegally poured forth the bloud of the Orthodox And after other words We protest before our Saviour Jesus Christ We entreat Your piety to be free from that just Canonicall and Ecclesiastick condemnation and deposition inflicted on them and especially from that inflicted on him who by many evidences has been detected not to have governed the Bishoprick of the Imperial City holily Further the same Zacharias writes word for word thus As soon as the Circular and Imperial Letters were published those persons in the Imperial City who were distempered with Eutyches's Opinion and followed a Monastick life supposing they had met with Timotheus as with some unexpected gain and hoping to reap a great advantage to themselves from the Circular Letters in great hast betook themselves to Timotheus And when they had been convinced by him that the Word of God was of the same substance with us according to the flesh but Consubstantiall to the Father in relation to the Deity they went back to their own homes CHAP. VI. That Timotheus Aelurus recovered the Bishoprick of Alexandria and having restored the priviledge of a Patriarchate to the Church of Ephesus Anathematized the Chalcedon-Synod THE same Zacharias says that Timotheus leaving the Imperial City Constantinople arrived at Ephesus and there placed Paulus in the Archi-Episcopall See of the Ephesians This Paulus had long before this been ordained by the Bishops of that Province agreeable to the more ancient usage but had been ejected out of his See Timotheus also restored to the Ephesine Church the Patriarchicall priviledge which the Synod of Chalcedon had deprived it of as I have said Removing from thence he comes to Alexandria and persisted to request those who came to him to Anathematize the Synod of Chalcedon Nevertheless many others of his own Faction receded from him as 't is related by the same Zacharias as did likewise Theodotus one of those that had been ordained at Joppa by Theodosius who was made Bishop of Jerusalem by some persons at such time as Juvenalis went to Constantinople CHAP. VII That the Monks having raised a Sedition by the perswasion of Acacius Basiliscus was put into a fear and wrote and promulged Circular Letters contrary to those he had published before THE same Zacharias relates likewise that Acacius Bishop of Constantinople was extreamly troubled at these things and that he incited the Monks and Populacy of the Imperial City against Basiliscus as being an Heretick And that Basiliscus at length renounced his Circular Letters and wrote a Constitution that what had been surreptitiously and rashly done should be wholly vacated and made null and that he sent abroad Letters contrary to his former Circular Letters wherein he confirmed the Synod at Chalcedon And these Anti-Circular-Letters as he terms them Zacharias has omitted who hath written his whole History with partiality and in favour to his own party But the Contents of them run word for word thus Basiliscus's Anti-Circular-Letter Emperours Caesars Basiliscus and Marcus We Decree that the Apostolick and Orthodox Faith which originally and from the beginning hath flourished in the Catholick Churches which hath obtained even untill our Empire which doth now obtain under our Empire and which ought forever to obtain into which we have been baptized and which we believe shall only continue inviolate and unshaken and shall for ever be prevalent in all the Catholick and Apostolick Churches of the Orthodox and that nothing else shall be required For this reason therefore We command that all things which have been done on account of the Faith or Ecclesiastick Discipline under our Empire whether they be Circular Letters or other Letters or what ever else shall be void and null Nestorius and Eutyches and every other Heresie and all those who embrace the same Sentiments with them being Anathematized And ' t is our will that concerning this Subject neither any Synod should be convened nor any other question started but that these things should continue firm and unshaken Moreover We command that those Provinces the Ordination whereof the Chair of this Imperiall and Glorious City hath had shall be restored to the most pious and most Holy Patriarch and Arch-Bishop Acacius to wit the most pious Bishops that now are continuing in their own Sees yet so that after their deaths no prejudice from this business may arise to the Right of Ordination belonging to the Holy Chair of this Imperial and famous City Now it is dubious to no person that this our Divine Decree has the force of a Divine Constitution And these things proceeded in this manner CHAP. VIII Concerning Zeno's Return BUT Zeno having as 't is reported seen in his sleep the Holy Proto-Martyr Thecla famous for her many Conflicts who incited him and made him a promise that his Empire should be restored to him marched his Army towards Byzantium And having with gifts corrupted
speech concerning Unity But when he could not perswade them to it he sent some of them to the Imperial City Moreover many disputes were held before Zeno concerning the Synod at Chalcedon but nothing was brought to effect because Zeno did not wholly assent to the Synod at Chalcedon CHAP. XXIII Concerning Fravita and Euphemius Bishops of Constantinople and concerning Athanasius and Johannes Bishops of Alexandria also concerning Palladius and Flavianus Prelates of Antioch and concerning some other persons BUT Acacius Bishop of Constantinople having in this interim gone the common way of mankind Fravita succeeded him in his Bishoprick And when this Pravita had sent Synodick Letters to Petrus Bishop of Alexandria Petrus on his part returned him answer in the like Letters wherein he affirmed the same things with what I have mentioned concering the Acts at Chalcedon Moreover after Fravita's departure out of this life for he sate Bishop four months only Euphemius was ordained Bishop in his room He receives the Synodick Letters which Petrus had written to Fravita and having found therein an Anathema against the Acts at Chalcedon was mightily disturbed and severed himself from Petrus's Communion Both these Prelates Letters are extant as well that from Fravita to Petrus as that from Petrus to Fravita which by reason of their prolixity I have omitted When therefore Euphemius and Petrus were about to contend one with another and to convene Synods one against the other Petrus is prevented by death and Athanasius succeeds him in his Chair He attempted to unite the dissenting persons but could not effect it the disagreeing parties being divided into various opinions This Athanasius having after this sent Synodick Letters to Palladius Successour to Petrus in the Bishoprick of Antioch did the same that Petrus had done in relation to the Synod at Chalcedon The very same was likewise performed by Johannes who after Athanasius succeeded in the Alexandrian Chair And after the death of Palladius Prelate of the Church at Antioch when Flavianus had succeeded him in his Chair Solomon a Presbyter of Antioch is sent by him to Alexandria who carried his Synodick Letters and requested Johannes's Letters in answer to Flavianus But after this Johannes another Johannes succeeds in the Chair of Alexandria And these things proceeded in the same manner I have mentioned till the beginning of the Emperour Anastasius's Reign For he ejected Euphemius out of his Bishoprick Which transactions I was necessitated to joyn together in one continued Series both for perspicuitie's sake and also that they might with more celerity be understood CHAP. XXIV Concerning the slaughter of Armatus who was kinsman to the Empress Verina BUT Zeno by the perswasion of Illus slew Armatus also who was the Empress Verina's kinsman whom when sent against him by Basiliscus Zeno had ensnared with gifts and instead of being an Enemy had made him a Friend and an Auxiliary He also creates his Son Basiliscus Caesar at the City Nicaea But when he was come to Byzantium he slays Armatus by Treachery But he makes his Son Basiliscus instead of being a Caesar a Presbyter Who was afterwards promoted to the Episcopall dignity CHAP. XXV Concerning the Rebellion of Theodoricus the Scythian and concerning the same person's death THendoricus by Nation a Scythian made an insurrection also against Zeno and having gathered together his own Forces in the Country of the Thracians undertakes an Expedition against him And when he had ruined all the Countries before him as far as the mouth of Pontus he wanted but little of taking the Imperial City it self and had seized it had not some of his Grea est Confidents induced thereto by gifts entred into a Consult about taking him off Being informed therefore of this ill design of his own friends against him he marched back and not long after this is numbred amongst those departed this life Moreover I will declare the manner of his death which hapned thus A Javelin fitted with a loop of leather to cast it with was hung up before his Tent agreeable to the mode of the Barbarians Having therefore a mind to exercise his body he ordered his horse to be brought to him And it being not customary with him to make use of a Strator he mounted his horse without any help But the horse being a beast unmanaged and fiery before Theodoricus had bestridden him and setled himself rises with his fore-feet and began to go forwards upright on his hinder feet only So that Theodoricus striving with his horse and not daring to curb him with the Bridle least he should fall backwards upon him nor yet being firmly seated in his Saddle was tossed this way and that way and thrown upon the point of his Javelin Which ran obliquely into him and wounded his side Being conveyed from thence therefore to his bed and having continued alive some few days he died of that wound CHAP. XXVI Concerning Marcianus's Insurrection and what hapned in Relation to him AFter these things Marcianus the Son of Anthemius who had been Emperour of Rome a kinsman by mariage to Leo Zeno's predecessour in the Empire for he had married Leontia Leo's younger daughter having disagreed with Zeno made an attempt to set up for a Tyrant And a sharp engagement hapning about the Pallace wherein many fell on either side Marcianus routs his opposers And by that attack had possest himself of the Pallace had he not let that opportunity slip by deferring that action till the morrow For Opportunity is a swift-wing'd Bird and whilst she flies at your feet may peradventure be taken But after she has avoided your hands on a sudden she mounts on high and derides those who pursue her not suffering her self to be catcht by them in future On which account therefore Statuaries and Painters make her hair long before but shave the hinder part of her head to the very skin with great prudence intimating thereby that as long as Opportunity is behind she may be perhaps laid hold on by her long hair but being got before she makes a perfect escape not having any thing whereby she may be taken hold of by the Pursuer Which very thing at that time befell Marcianus who lost that opportunity which was seasonably offered him and was not in future able to recover it For on the morrow he was betrayed by his own party and having been wholly deserted fled to the Church of the Divine Apostles Whence he was drawn out by force and banisht to Caesarea a City of the Cappadocians Where keeping company with some Monks he was afterwards found out to design a private escape On which account he was by the Emperour sent to Tarsus of Cilicia and having had his hair shorn is ordained a Presbyter These Transactions are with great elegancy written by Eustathius the Syrian CHAP. XXVII Concerning the Tyranny of Illus and Leontius THE same Eustathius relates
Christ the first according to Eusebius 139. 2. Z. ZEla a City of Cappadocia 303. 2. Zeno whether Bishop of Majuma 354. 1 2. Zozimus the Historian did not live in the Times of Theodosius Junior 472. 2 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE END Books Printed for and Sould by Hannah Sawbridge at the Bible on Ludgate Hill Folio THE Lives of the Noble Graecians and Romans by that Learned Historiographer Plutarch Translated from the Original with the Addition of the Lives of many Eminent Persons and their Effigies Engraven in Copper Plates A Chronicle of the Kings of England containing all the passages of State and Church by the famous Sir Richard Baker Knight with a continuation of all material Affairs of State to this time Astronomia Britannica Authore Vincentio Wing In qua hi Quinque Tractatus traduntur I. Logistica Astronomica II. Trigonometria III. Doctrina Sphaerica IV. Theoria Planetarum V. Tabulae Novae Astronomicae Riverus Practice of Physick in 17 severall Books Translated into English by Nicholas Culpeper Phys. and Astr. Abadiah Cole Doct. Phys. and William Rowland Physician Anatomy Riolanus Bartholinus Veslingus All three Translated by Nicholas Culpeper Gent. Student in Physick and Astrology The Compleat Surveyor containing the whole Art of Surveying Land by William Leybourne Cambridge Concordance with Additions being the compleatest extant by S. N. A Large Bible Cambridge print fit for Churches Doctor Holiâ—kes Large Dictionary being the best and largest in Print Gallileus's Mathematical System of the World with Cuts Englished by T. Salsbury Esq Learned Cooks Comment on Litletons Tenures Maynards Edward the 2d. Doctor Cowels Interpreter with T. Manlys Additions Corrected from former Errors Now in the Press Morgans Heraldry Epitomized a large sheet Dyers Reports with 2 Tables Townsends Tables C. L. Physick Refined being the Works of that famous and profound Philosopher and Chymical Physician John Baptista Van Helmot The Year Books Compleat J. Rolls Abridgement Rastalls Entries Cooks Reports French Entries Doctor Heylins Life of Bishop Laud. Quarto Gouldman's Dictionary Thesaurus Graecae Linguae c. by W. Robertson A. M. Thesaurus Linguae Sanctae c. by W. Robertson A. M. With many other Quarto Books and Books of lesser Volumes which we have not room here to insert His Epistle Dedicatory to Robert E. of Leicester bears date December the 15 th 1584. He dyed at Dublin of the plague anno 1604. See Fuller's Worthies of Wales Flintshire pag. 39. See Godwiâ— de Prâ—sulibus Angliae pag. 561 and Fuller's Worthies Lancashire a Valesius Dedicated His first Volume which contains Eusebius's Ten Books of History His Life of Constantine Constantine's Oration and His Own to the Arch-Bishops Bishops and the whole Clergy of the Gallican Church b See Origen's Works second part pag. 46. Edit Paris 1619. a He allowed Valesius a yearly pension of 1500 Livers which sum the Cardinal sent him yearly as long as he lived and by his Will continued it till Valesius's death See Valesius's Life written by his Brother Hadrian b See Amm. Marcellinus Book 14. pag. 14. Edit Paris 1636. c Or Cryers a Scholia b He means the distinguishing the Periods one from another and the Clauses and Members of each period by poynts c Full poynt a Chap. 1. Pag. 45. Edit Paris 1590. b A pause c Actuâ— verborum d Comma's e He means the French Clergy f In His Epistle Dedicatory g Chap. 40. h Or Critical Art a These four Dissertations are published at the Latter end of Valesius's first Volume of the Ecclesiastick Historians a Eccles. Hist. Book 2. Chap. 4. b See Chap. 19. c Chap. 43. where see Note a. d See Chap. 2â— at the Beginning e Eusebius's f Book 7. Chap. 26. g Which occurs in Theodoret's Eccles. Hist. Book 1. Chap. 5. Edit Vales. h Chap. 32. a Chap. 4. where see Note â— b The Remembrance of c. c His other Life d Or Right e Chap. 3â— towards the end f Chap. 4. a He should have said his fiâ—th Book where see Chap. 2 and 3. p. 307 c. Ediâ— Thys b Chap. 32. c See Chap. 4. where Eusebius has inserted this his Speech d Valesius after this his account of Eusebius's Life writings adds a Collection which he had made himself of the Testimonies of the Ancients both for and against Eusebius a translation whereof into English was lookt upon as needless e Chap. 6. a Or Wing b Chap. 1. where see Note a. c Chap. 11. d Chap. 19. e Or Form of Faith f See this Letter in Socrates Book 1. Chap. 8. pag. 217 c. of our English Version g See the Story in Theodoret's Eccles. Hist. Book 1. Chap. 21. Edit Vales. h See Life of Constantine Book 3. Chap. 59. note c. i This calumny the Melitians fram'd instigated by Eusebius of Nicomedia as Athanasius tells us in his Apology to Constantius See his Works Tom. 1. p. 778. Ediâ— Paris 1627. k That is sacrifice to Idols a Chap. 46. b Life of Constant. Book 1. Chap. 28 30. c Id. B. 4. Chap. 36. d Book 4. Chap. 34 35. e Eccles. Hist. B. 2. Chap. 20. where see Nese k. f Chap. 4. 5. g In his Preface to his Comments on Daniel h Chap. 19. a Book 1. Chap. 1. b Twentieth year of His Empire c Chap. 8. d Judge or give sentence e Double-Tongue'd See Sâ—crat Book 1. Chap. 23. a In His Martyrology b In Epist. tertiâ ad Eliam Aqueleïensem alios Episcopos Istriae c See his defence of him in Book 2. Chap. 21. d Book 2. De Synod Nicaenâ Chap. 1. d See Scaliger's Elench Trihâ—res chap. 27 and Book 6. De Emend Temp. chap. 1. about the end and his Animadversions on Eusebius's Chronicon pag. 8. a I cannot approve of Christophorsons translat on who renders the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Provinces Neither am I pleased with the amendment of Curterius or whoever it was that translated it Churches Indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a Church amongst Christian Writers and particularly in our Eusebius not in one place The original of which signification came from hence as I judge because the Church is as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Stranger or Sojourner in the earth but its Country and freedom is in heaven Hence we often meet with this phrase in our Eusebius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Book 4. B 4. Chap. 23. And Clemens in His Epist. to the Corinthians writes thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But in this place of Eusebius we must not translate this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Churches For then the same word must be repeated twice in the same clause thus Who have governed and presided over the Church especially in the most famous Churches I should rather translate it Cities or Sees or with Rufinus in celeberrimis locis in the most famous places Sometimes this word is taken for
amongst the Jews nor yet of the sacerdotal race Polycrates mentions 3 things of John 1. That he was a Priest 2 a Martyr 3 a D r or Evangelist Now as he was a Doctor of Christ and a Martyr for him so also must he be understood to be a Priest of Christ. 'T is probable those first Christian Priests in imitation of the Jewish High-priests did wear a plate of Gold as a badge of honour Epiphanius in Heres Nazaraeor says James the brother of our Lord who was ordained the first Bishop of Jerusalem wore such a plate of Gold on his forehead The same is said of Mark the Evangelist in a M. S. concerning his suffering Vales. b This is Thraseas the Martyr whom Apollonius mentions in his Book against the Cataphrygians whose words our Eusebius quotes chap. 18. of this book Rufinus says he suffered Martyrdom at Smyrna Vales. c Melito Bishop of Sardis makes mention of this Martyr in his Book concerning Easter in those words which our Eusebius quotes B. 4. chap. 26. This Sagaris was Bishop of Laodicea in Asia in whose times the Question concerning Easter was raised at Laodicea Vales. d In the Maz. Med. and Fuk. M. SS this mans name is thus written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Papirus T is a Roman name Polycrates does not say where this Papirius was Bishop But I find in Simeon Metaphrastes in the Life of Polycarp that this Papirius was successour to Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna Vales. e Polycrates does here stile Melito an Eunuch that is in our Saviours explication one of those who make themselves Eunuchs for the Kingdom of heavens sake who are content to deny themselves and to renounce the lawfull pleasures and comforts of the world for the service of Religion Jerom de Scriptor Ecclesiast attests that this Melito was by many accounted a Prophet Vales. f Rufinus thought that seven of Polycrates's Ancestours or Relations were Bishops of Ephesus But Polycrates does not say they were all Bishops of Ephesus we may suppose they were Bishops in several Cities of Asia Vales. g In the Kings and Maz. M. SS this place is plainly written thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. when the people removed the Leaven So Rufinus read this place as appears by his Version viz. Qui omnes ita observarunt hunc diem ut conveniret cum illo quo fermentum Judeorum populus ausert i. e. All which so observed this day that it might agree with that wherein the people of the Jews removed their Leaven I wonder why Robert Stephens read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the people prepared c For on the 14 th day of the first month the people did not prepare but cast away their Leaven See Exod. 12. 18. Vales. * Acts 5. 29. h Hence 't is apparent that Victor Bishop of Rome had written to Polycrates to convene the Bishops of Asia and threatned to excommunicate him unless he obeyed his determination about Easter As to his menaces Polycrates answers I am not at all terrified at what I am threatned with Vales. i Valesius in his note at this place is of opinion that Victor did not excommunicate the Churches of Asia but onely endeavoured and threatned to doe it The reasons he brings for this are these 1 Euseblus says expresly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. he endeavoured to cut off from the communion c. 2 The Epistles written to Victor by Irenaeus and other Bishops doe shew that the sentence of excommunication was not then pronounc't by Victor for thus Eusebius writes concerning Irenaeus's Letters But does in many other words seasonably advise Victor not to cut off whole Churches c. 3 Photius in Biblioth chap. 120. writes that Irenaeus wrote many letters to Victor perswading him not to excommunicate any one for their dissent about the observation of Easter therefore before Irenaeus wrote Victor had excommunicated no body now it cannot be supposed that Victor did it after receipt of Irenaeus's Letters for then Eusebius would have made mention of it but he intimates the contrary to all this calling Irenaeus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Peace-maker because his Letters restored Peace to the Church These are Valesius's reasons On the contrary Socrates B. 5. chap. 22. Halloixius in his life of Irenaeus pag. 668 and D r Cave in the Life of Irenaeus pag. 168 are of opinion that this sentence of excommunication was actually pronounc't by Victor Their main argument for this is grounded on these words of Eusebius which here follow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we have thus rendred And by his Letters be i. e. Victor publickly declares and pronounces all the brethren there to be wholly excommunicate Which whether it does not outweigh all that Valesius has said to the contrary is left to the determination of the Learned Reader k This Epistle therefore of Irenaeus's was a Synodical Epistle because 't was written in the name of the Churches of France the chief City whereof then was Lyons This Epistle is mentioned by Eusebius in the foregoing chapter for I judge it to be one and the same Epistle because 't is unlikely there should be two Synods convened in so short a time to determine of one and the same matter Vales. l Irenaeus says that at that time there was a two fold dissention in the Church the first concerning Easter day the second about the form of the Fast i. e. how many days were to be kept as a Fast for so he explains himself in the followâ—ng words For all as well those who celebrated Easter on the Sunday as those who with the Jews kept that festival on the fourteenth day of the Moons appearance did agree in this to wit that they Fasted before Easter Which Fast as well as the Feast of Easter they had received from Apostolick Tradition See Eusebius book 2. chap. 17. And the notes there Vales. m Amongst the antient Christians there were three kinds of Fasts the first was the Fast on Wednesdays and Frydays which ended at the 9 th hour of the day i. e. at three a clock in the afternoon after the end of the Station or Holy communion The second sort was the Lent-fast which ended about the evening The third sort was the strictest of all and lasted to the cock-crowing which was therefore by the Greeks called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Superpositio Epiphanius in his Expositio fidei Catholic at the end of his books against Heresies does plainly distinguish these 3 sorts of Fasts So does Dionysius Alexandrinus in his Epistle to Basilides But now it may be demanded which of these 3 sorts of Fasts Irenaeus does here speak of 'T is manifest he means not the first sort for he evidently speaks of a whole days Fast some suppose says he they ought to fast one day c. Dionysius Alexandrinus and Epiphanius in the places before mentioned seem to be of opinion that Irenaeus means the 3 d
is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 maturè and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 natus i. e. born in a fit season and for this reason the Med. Maz. and Fuk. M. SS always write it with an Aspirate Vales. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eusebius always uses both for the Gospel and the Christian Religion as in Chap. 3 and 5. of this Book and this Rufinus renders divinae legis studia Christoph. Sacrarum literarum studium and Musculus translates it divinâ—m doctrinam Vales. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the words in the Original the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Liberal Arts which children learn'd but Philosophy by the testimonies of several Authours is not included in that phrase as Diogenes Laertius Clemens Alexan. and Eusebius himself in chap. 18. B. 6. do assert hence is that Ariston Ceus a noble Philosopher says they who place all their studie in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are like Penâ—lopes Woers who when they were repuls'd by the Mistress courted the Maid Oratours also exclude Rhetorick out of this number but some include both who mistake for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies aliquid in triviâ—â— positum vulgare i. e. what is trivial and vulgar now Philosophy and Rhetorick are more noble Sciences hence Demosthenes uses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for mean and base Offices Vales. b The Med. Maz. Fuk. and Savill M. SS read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. no indifferent skill Vales. a Some dispute there is concerning the beginning of this chapter Valesius whom we follow follows the division of Rufinus but Christophorson begins it at these words when Origen was 17 years old the Kings M. S. something lower then Valesius when he was 18 years old Fuk. M. S. at these words his father's estate being consiscate b This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies originally insono to sound this preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 makes it being a verb Neuter to have an Active signification and he is properly said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who tells us any thing which he would teach us by way of instruction hence it signifies to teach the rudiments or first grounds of an Art but peculiarly to teach the principles of Christian Religion which we call Catechising in English fitly made out of the Greek Some say Heathen Authours knew not this use of this word but they mistake for Lucian uses it in this sence to teach the Rudiments of any Art Stephan Lexicon c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. after he had lead a pious secular life this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by Christians used to signifie secularem vitam agere For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is seculum as Chrysostom uses it in his 23 d Homily on the Epistle to the Romans where he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them whom we call Laïcks to distinguish them from the Clergy in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In this sence must the word here be understood one of Origen's disciples liv'd a pious secular life being a Laick the other was a Clergy-man Vales. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. having made a concourse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies an Assembly or Tumultuous crowd met together to Plot mischief or raise Sedition Rufinus and Christophorson will have these words to be referr'd to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Souldiers which is improper and improbable we must without doubt understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Infidells as best agreeing with the propriety of the Greek and sence of the place but Nicephorus worst of all explains the place thus as if Origens disciples fearing the outrages of the tumultuous populace should get a guard of Soldiers for their own safety Vales. e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rufinus translates his Library of Heathen Writers better then Christophorson who takes this phrase of Eusebius's to signifie onely the books of old Oratours as if the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were never us'd for Grammar and Philosophy but for Orations onely or as if Origen parted with his old Oratours onely and not with his Grammarians and Philosophick books also Musculus says they were notes upon Authours gather'd by Origen and compos'd into Volumes but Rufinus's Version is most natural Vales. * Or five â—â—â—ce f This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 primarily signifies any matter of which 4 thing is made but amongst Divines it peculiarly signifies the filth and dregs of this world out of which proceed unlawfull lusts desires and contempt of God g The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have is left out in the Greek but must necessarily be added h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifies the stomach and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Galen and Dioscorides is us'd as here for the spoyling or turning of the stomach to wit when it loaths any thing in Latine 'tis termed subversio stomachi Vales. i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vulgar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bomines ex trivio k The Med. M. S. leaves out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. by his meanes and reads onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by his doctrine which is the better reading for the place seems to be corrupted this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 creeping out of the Margin into the Text or out of the line following into this place The Kings and the Maz. M. SS alter nothing here but the Fuk. M. S. reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. * That is Origen a Christophorson calls him Heronex b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. newly Baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Gregory and Chrysostom and many other divines is pecullarly us'd in this sence to Baptize and rendred by the Translatours Baptizare c I long since conjectured it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in one word not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two words which conjecture I found confirmed by the Kings and Fuk. M. SS Rufinus agrees hereto who translates this place thus Sed mulicres plurimae in quibus Hera quaedam Catechumena 'T is a proper name derived from Juno who is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heraiscus the name of an Egyptian Philosopher concerning whom see Suidas The Greoks celebrate the memory of this Herais on the fourth or rather the fifth day of March as 't is in the Menologie set forth by Canisius I am not certain whether this person be the same with Irais the Alexandrian Virgin who in the Roman Martyrologie is said to have suffered Martyrdom together with some others at the City Antinoe on September 22. In Cardinal Sirletus's Menologie at the fifth of September these words occur Natalis B. Martyris Rhaïdis quae igne consumpta est i. e. the birth-day of the B. Martyr Rhaïs who was burnt This is the same whom Eusebius mentions here Therefore there were three Heraïs's the first is she mentioned in the Menaeum at the fifth day of March the second Heraïs
Dionysius Bishop of Corinth's Epistles to 4 Cities which he calls Catholick The Revelation of Peter which Eusebius mentions here is quoted in Theodotus's excerptions which is printed at the end of Clemens's Stromata hence 't is plain that these Collections of Theodotus are nothing else but fâ—agments of Clemens's Hypotypâ—seωn Vales. f This quotation Clemens has out of Macarius g This reason also S t Hierome confirms upon the first chapter of the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians where he says that S t Paul does not after his accustomed way prefix his name before this Epistle because he was about to speak of Christ and thought it not fit to call himself an Apostle where Christ also must be stil'd an Apostle Vales. h Though this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a far off yet here it must be reâ—dred as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a long time which word Niceph Cal. uses in this place instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. i All Copies read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so also does Niceph but Christophorson boldly alter'd the reading saying that this passage impugned the authority of the Gospel Eusebius relates this story in the 2 d book at the 14 th chapt otherwise saying that Peter was mightily pleas'd with the Gospel which was written by Mark and confirm'd it appointing it should be read in the Churches But if we weigh the words of Euscbius and Clemens carefully these places will appear not in the least contradictory as Christophorson says they are for although S t Peter as Clemens says did neither openly prohibit noâ— further him yet he may be said to have tacitly approv'd of what he had done Rufinus has very well translated the place whom we ought to imitate because by his translation he explains it very well rendring it thus licet fieri ipsum non jusserit tamen factum non prohibuit by which 't is very plain that he did not disallow of it Vales. k This Hieronymus attests speaking of John in his Preface to his Commentaries upon S t Matthew Vales. l Baronius places Origen's coming to Rome on the year of Christ 220 which was the first year of the Reign of Elagahalus the Emperour but we must in no-wise yield to this seeing that Eusebius says he came to Rome in Antoninus Caracalla's Reign Baronius also affirms that he came again to Rome in the Reign of Philip the Emperour that is in the year of Christ 248 but we must not believe Baronius in this for Eusebius who carefully and truely wrote the History of Origen makes no mention of Origen's second coming to Rome but rather seems to confute this of Baronius saying thus that Origen sent Letters concerning the profession of his faith to Fabianus who was Bishop of Rome therefore Origen went not to Rome as Baronius says onely sent Letters to Fabianus the Bishop of Rome But hence arises Baronius's mistake he follows Porphyrius who in his life of Plotinus mentions one Origen who was Plotinus's and Herennius's School-fellow but this is not that Origen Adamantius which we mean here but another Origen therefore we must carefully make a distinction betwixt these two Origens which we will shew hereafter Vales. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Budaeus calls exemplaria Copies by which we doe any thing or make any thing Valesius translates this Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Authentick Scriptures because says he Eusebius's meaning is plainly the same for he implies thus much that these were not the very first Copies which were writ by Esdras but Authentick in respect of the Septuagint and other Translatours and he says this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is commonly rendred in Latine Authenticas but Christophorson translates it the old copies b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies properly curru tero hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 via curru trita the high-way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hence Metaphorically as the Latine word tritum does to which it exactly answers it signifies aliquid vulgare that which is trite or common 't is sometimes written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as here in Eusebius c In the Med. Maz. Fuk. M. SS we find 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 't is not so well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Ludi Actiaci but Nicopolis had not it's name from those Games but from the Promontory near which it was scituate 't was called Nicopolis near Actium Vales. d Instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sixth and seventh I read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely a fifth and sixth but also a seventh and judge this emendation to be altogether necessary For Eusebius having before spoken of a fifth and sixth Edition found by Origen here adds this further that Origen put a seventh into the Copies of his Hexapla of the Psalms Therefore his Edition of the Psalms was seven-fold But because this seventh Edition had onely the Psalms Origen altered not the Title of his Edition to wit Hexapla This amendment and exposition of ours is evidently confirmed by Johannes Zonaras in his History of the Emperour Severus See the Authour's words But that which Zonaras there adds to wit that the seventh Edition was found at Jericho is not expresly said by Eusebius here Epiphanius in his Book De ponderib and Athanasius in Synopsi affirm that the fifth Edition was found at Jericho in an Hogs-head But Nicephorus thought that both the sixth and seventh were found there Although the particular Authours of this fifth and sixth Edition are unknown yet 't is manifest they were Jews which is asserted by Hierom in his B. 2. Advers Rufinum Vales. e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the term here signifies verses or such parts of the Text as contain an entire sense Hierom was the first amongst the Latins who divided his translation into verses See his Preface to Isaiah This he did in imitation of Origen who had done the same in his Hexapla Origen herein had a regard to the profit of the Readers For what is thus distinguisht by verses is both more easily understood and also more readily gotten by heart Besides this distinction was altogether necessary in order to a comparing of the Greek Editions Origen's example was afterwards followed by many who did the same in the New-Testament which Origen had done in the old Vales. f This was another of Origen's inventions to wit the placing of the translations one against the other that so if one differed from another it might be presently discerned by one view See Hierom in his Preface to Chromatius upon the Chronicles Vales. See a Scheme of Origen's contrivance herein in D r Cave's life of Origen pag. 228. g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the term which occurs here signifies properly Annotation See B. 5. Chap. 20. note d. but Eusebius does here call the Hebrew Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because 't was prefixt before the six Greek Translations in like manner as in Comments the
same sense Sozomen took this word in his fore-cited 24 chapt Moreover we must note that Melitius was more severely dealt with as being the authour of a Schism than the Melitiani For the Nicene Fathers deprived Melitius of all Episcopal jurisdiction and left him only the name of a Bishop But they permitted the Melitians to exercise their Functions in the Church That is that the Deacons should Minister in the Order of Deacons and that the Presbyters should Consecrate and Baptize as should also the Bishops They only took from them their power of Voting in Elections which was prudently done of the Nicene Fathers least the Melitians should clandestinely promote some men of their own party to the Ecclesiastick preferments Vales. g It should rather be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishops as it is in Theodoret and in the Allat M. S. Vales. h These words do plainly confirm what we said before to wit that not only the Presbyters and Deacons but the Bishops also who had been Ordained by Melitius are here spoken of For if they here treated concerning the Presbyters only that were to succeed in the places of other Presbyters why should the Nicene Fathers use so great caution require so many and great things for this reason that one of the Melitian Presbyters should be put into the place of a defunct Presbyter of the Catholick Church For the holy Fathers expresly prohibit that any of the Melitians shall succeed in the place and dignity of the defunct unless he seem worthy of that honour unless the people Elect him and unless his Election be confirmed by the Bishop of Alexandria What need of so great caution and diligence in the promotion of a Presbyter 'T is therefore apparent that these words do rather belong to the Bishops In the Elections of whom most especially the peoples suffrages were necessary and whose Election must besides be confirmed by the Bishop of Alexandria in regard he was the Metropolitane of all Egypt Vales. i Socrates does undeservedly stile Melitius an Arch-Heretick For neither do the Nicene Fathers nor Athanasius in his 2 Apology nor Epiphanius accuse Melitius of any Heresie they only affirm he was the Authour of a Schism But when the Melitians had afterwards joyned themselves to the Arians which as I remarkâ— before hapned after the Nicene Synod and Melitius's death they turned their Schism into an Heresie as Augustine writes concerning the Donatists In this sense therefore Melitius may be termed an Arch-Heretick Vales. k The Sfortian Florentine M. SS add these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Verses which Christophorson found in his Copy as appears from his Version Concerning Arius's Thalia see Athanasius in his second Oration against the Arians When Socrates says that this book of Arius's was condemned by the Synod we must not so understand him as if the Poem it self were particularly condemned but the Doctrine only contained in that Poem Vales. * He was a Maronite a most obscene Greek Poet. * In the Allat M. S. the reading is concerning our Saviour which I like better than this concerning our Great Saviour Vales. l This Epistle of Constantine the Emperour is not rightly placed by our Author It should rather be placed immediately after Constantin's Letter to the Churches which is the next in this chapter For certainly those Letters which concern the Council of Nice should regularly be placed first But this Letter does not concern that Council nor does it in the least mention the Council Athanasius in his Epistle ad Solitar alludes to this Letter of Constantin's where he speaks thus concerning the Emperour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Why does he to wit Constantine endeavour to reduce the Arians into the Church whom he himself calls Porphyrians Vales. * In book 3 chap. 18. of Eusebius's Life of Constantine where we have this Epistle of the Emperour the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Valesius at that place and here renders thus ab illâ turpissimâ societate conscientiâ from that most abominable society and their consciousness Of this his Version he gives this reason they who celebrate Easter with the Jews seem to be conscious of that wickedness which they committed against our Lord. See his Annotat. at the book and chapter now cited * Violence m Instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Florent and Sfortian M. SS the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 always which reading Theodoret confirms In book 3. chap. 18. of Eusebius's Life of Constantine it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereas the Jewish Paschal Neomenia or new Moon began from the fifth day of March and was concluded at the third of April hence it sometimes hapned that their Passover began before the Aequinox So that they celebrated two Passovers in one year suppossing you mean the Solar and Julian year that is accounting from the Vernal Aequinox of this year to the Vernal Aequinox of the year following Ambrosius asserts the same in his Epistle to the Bishops of Aemilia where he relates that the Jews sometimes celebrated their Passover in the twelfth month that is according to the Latines and Eastern men For the Jews never kept their Passover on their own twelfth month but on the fourteenth day of their first month Moreover this celebrating of their Pasover twice in one year which Constantine objects against the Jews seems to me not at all momentous For the Jews might have returned the objection upon the Christians to wit that they celebrated Easter twice in the same year For suppose Easter is this year kept on the tenth of the Calends of May that is on the 22 d of April next year it must necessarily be kept sooner And so there will occur two Easters amongst the Christians within the space of one year current But this will not happen if you reckon the year from the Aequinoctial Cardo to the Vernal Aequinox of the year following See Epiphan pag. 824. Edit Petav. and Petav. Animadvers pag. 294 295. See also Aegidius Bucherius de Paschali Judaeorum Cyclo chap. 3. n This Letter of the Emperour to Eusebius and also the two next are misplaced For they have no relation to the Council of Nice neither do they make the lest mention of Arius or the Arians Yea the first of Constantin's Letters to Eusebius was written before the Council of Nice as Eusebius himself testifies in his 2 d Book of Constantin's Life Chap. 46. Vales. o We meet with this Letter of the Emperours to Eusebius at book 2. chap. 46. of Eusebius's Life of Constantine where these three words that Persecutor Licinius are wanting being added here instead of a Scholion by Socrates or some other Scholiast He â—erms Licinius a serpent by reason of his craftiness and age Hence we may conjecture that this Letter was written soon after Licinius's deposition See Valesius's notes on book 2. chap. 46. of Eusebius's Life of Constantine p Here we made choice
of this reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. having now acknowledged c. By the term fear in the foregoing clause he means the Christians who through fear of persecution had neglected the Churches or renounced the faith The term Unbelief belongs to the Heathens who had demolished the Churches and divers ways vexed the Christians See Valesius's notes at the Book and Chapter before cited q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the term here used signifies an Office or company of Apparitours attending on a Magistrate i. e. a certain number of Souldiers waiting on the Judges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the Praesects of the Praetorium so termed because they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over the Presidents and Rectours of Provinces Therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the phrase here used imports the Office of the Praetorian Praesecture concerning which consult the Notitia Imperii Romani Further the Office or Attendants of the Prefect of the Praetorium was more honourable than the Offices of all the other Magistrates For as the Prefect of the Praetorium excelled all the other judges as well Military as Civil in dignity so his Officials or attendants were lookt upon to be more honourable then the other officials Hence in the Chalcedon Council Action 3 the Office of the Praefects of the Praetorium is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Valesius's notes at the before cited book and Chapter * He means the City of Constantinople r In Eusebius's Life of Constantine book 4. chap. 36. where this Letter occurs this place is far otherwise read and pointed than it is here so aâ—so it is in Theodoret book 1. chap. 16. Vales. s Concerning the Rationalist and his Office we have spoken before in our notes on Eusebius By Dioecesis is meant here the Diocess of the East The old Romans called a certain number of Provinces which taken together were under a Deputy of the Praetorian Praefecture by this name Dioecesis For the Prefect of the Praetorium had under his jurisdiction many Dioeceses but the Deputies had each but one Dioecesis This term began to be used in this sense about Constantin's time as appears from his Letters and from some Laws in the Cod. Theod. See Valesius's Annotations on Eusebius's Life of Constant. B. 4. chap. 36. * He means our Blessed Saviours Sepulchre t Constantine here terms Licinius the publick enemy after whose destruction he says the sacred Sepulchre of our Lord which had been before concealed was discovered Licinius was slain in the year of Christ 326 as 't is recorded in Fast. Idat. And on that very year when Helena came to Jerusalem the Sepulchre of our Lord was found By the name of the publick Enemy the Devil might here be meant were not this contradicted by the expressions here used For the Devil was not then vanquished and overcome when the Sepulchre of our Lord was cleared from the rubbish that covered it Besides the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 slaughter is more expressive being meant of Licinius than of the Devil See Valesius's notes on Euscbius's Life of Constant. book 3. chap. 30. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the faith autority or estimation of this miracle c. u He means the Temple built by Adrian the Emperour on Mount Calvary in honour of Venus which receptacle of Paganism was demolished by Helena Constantines mother and in the room thereof was built a magnificent Temple at this day called The Temple of the Sepulchre the description whereof you may see in Sandys Travels book 3. pag. 125. c. Edit Lond. 1673. †There are two Laws made by Constantine extant in the Cod. Theod. the one in Tit. de usuris the other in Tit. de Haereticis written to this Dracilianus The former of these Laws bears this Inscription Imp. Constantinus Aug. ad Dracilianum agentem vices Praefectorum praet that is Emperour Constantinus Augustus to Dracilianus Deputy to the Praefects of the Praetorium This Law was published at Caesarea in Palestine on the 15 th of the Calends of May when Paulinus and Julianus were Consuls The other is said to have been published on the Calends of September Constantinus Aug. being the seventh time and Constantius Caesar Coff that is in the year of Christ 326. In which year Constantine wrote this Epistle to Macarius Bishop of Jerusalem Further we must remarke that the Praefects of the Praetorium are here stiled clarissimi most excellent For as yet they had not received the title of Most Illustrious Moreover in other of Constantin's Laws the Praefects of the Praetorium are stiled Most Excellent Now as the Praefects of the Praetorium were in Conctantin's time allowed only the title of Most Excellent so the Deputies of the Praetorian Praefecture had in the said Constantin's times only the title of Most Perfect given them as the Epistle to Probianus Proconsul of Africa shews which we meet with in Athanasius's Apology to Constantius pag. 794. See Valesius's notes on book 3. chap. 31. of Eusebius's Life of Constantine x At this place the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the Model or Delineation of the Fabrick that was to be erected It is taken in the same sense in the Epistle of Himerius Rationalist of Alexandria to the Praefect of Mareotis which Athanasius has recorded in his Apology pag. 803. For after he had said that Augustus and the Caesars had permitted Ischyras to build a Church in his Town he orders the Governour of that Town that he should forthwith draw a Model of the future building and transmit it to his Office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 says he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Valesius's notes at the book and chapter before cited y The inner roofs of Churches were commonly framed two ways For they were either beautified with arched or embowed roofs or else painted with Mosaick-work Concerning the arched or embowed roofs this place of Constantin's Letter is an evidence Procopius evidences the use of the Mosaick-work in his first book De Fabricis Justiniani where he describes the Temple of Sancta Sophia Now the arched roofs were usually adorned two ways For they were either guilded with gold or painted which latter way was first invented by Pausias as Pliny attests book 35 chap. 11. Hist. Natural See Valesius's notes at the book and chapter before cited z Instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He added the reading must necessarily be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He published For the Roman Emperours did usually propose to publick view those Rescripts they wrote to the Cities Therefore at the close of the Rescript they added this word Proponatur let it be published as we have observed in our notes on Eusebius So Constantine when he had wrote many Letters against Arius and his followers commanded they should be proposed to publick view in the Forum Of this sort was Constantin's Epistle to Arius and the Arians which Gelasius Cyzicenus has recorded in his 3 d book De Gestis Synod Nicaenae which Epistle
a In our Annotations on the twenty first book of Amm. Marcellinus we have long since remarked that this mountains name should be Soucis and that hereby is meant the streights of the Succi which Amm. Marcellinus describes in his twenty first book pag. 189. Edit Paris 1635. Philostorgius mentions the same streights in book 3. Eccles. Hist. and calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Succi being scituated between Dacia and Thracia He describes them thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e. They are streight passages of vast mountains which are crouded together on each side into one place in such a manner that they seem to embrace one another He means the two mountains Haemus and Rhodope which arising from different places make an angle in that place and do as it were kiss one another Which gave the Ancients an occasion of seigning Haemus to be a young man and Rhodope a maid and that heretofore they fell in love with one another You may meet with the story in Ovid. Metamorph. book 6. at the beginning Busbequius in 1 Epist Legat. Turci says that the Turks do now call this narrow passage Capi deruent i. e. the Gate of narrownesses Vales. b These words must have a favourable sense put upon them and are not so to be understood as if Socrates should have said that after the Synod of Serdica the Western Bishops held no communion with the Eastern For in the Synod of Sirmium which was convened by the Western Bishops against Photinus two years after the Synod at Serdica the Western Bishops sent their determinations to the Eastern upon account of preserving a communion And the Eastern Bishops wrote back to them as Hilarius informs us in his Fragments Thus therefore Socrates's words here must be understood to wit after the Synod of Serdica the Western Bishops did not readily and rashly but with a great deal of cautiousness communicate with the Eastern Vales. c Constans Augustus's Letter to his brother Constantius which is here recorded by Socrates is in my judgment not to be lookt upon as genuine For Athanasius makes no mention of this Letter and Paulus's name which is extant in it doth upon good grounds render it suspicious For at that time Paulus enjoyed his Bishoprick neither was he present at the Synod of Serdica nor restored by the determination thereof as we shewed before Wherefore if this Letter of Constans's be genuine it must necessarily have been written before the Council of Serdica Lastly Constantius's first Letter to Athanasius which Socrates has inserted in the following chapter evidently shews this to be a forged Letter For Constantius in that Epistle saith that by a Letter written to his brother he hath requested him to give Athanasius leave to return to his See Vales. a This and the two following Letters are in Athanasius's second defence pag. 769. Edit Paris Vales. a In Athanasius instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 determined the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desired Vales. b In Athanasius it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sent not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manifested Vales. c After the Synod of Serdica Athanasius made his abode first at Naïsis in Dacia In which City he received the Letters written to him by Constans Augustus Afterwards he left Naïsis and went to Aquileia as he himself attests in his Apologetick to Constantius pag. 676. Vales. d Athanasius relates the reason of this journey of his to Rome in his Second defence against the Arians to wit that he might take his leave of Julius the Bishop and the Roman Church by whom he had been so kindly entertained For that is the meaning of these words of Athanasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. But I upon receipt of these Letters went to Rome to bid the Roman Church and the Bishop farwell For the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies valedicere to take leave of or to bid farewell as we have observed and proved in our Annot. on Eusebius's Life of Constantine book 3. chap. 21. Vales. e In the Allat M. S. and in Athanasius in his second Apology against the Arians these words the Bishops and are wanting Instead hereof Epiphanius Scholasticus seems to have read Julius the Bishop to the Presbyters c. which reading Christophorson hath followed Vales. f In Athanasius the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I like not For it must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the course of life tâ—nding to them that is to the promises Or else the reading may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of your mutual love which reading Epiphan Scholastic followed Vales. g Instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 received in the Allaâ— M. S. and in Athanasius the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 declared which I account the better reading Vales. h In the Allat M. S. the reading of this place is thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and together with him as many as have been partakers of so great labours with him The reading in Athanasius is almost the same But our Copies and Epiphanius Scholasticus do confirm the common reading Vales. * 1 Cor. 2. 9. i This passage Socrates had from Râ—sinus There is no mention of it in Athanasius Vales. k The reading must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incommode which emendation Rufinus confirmes book 1. chap. 19. Eccles. Hist. and so doth Epiphanius in his Version Vales. * Likeness l Epiphan Scholasticus reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Our good Government c. Vales. m I doubt not but instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prayers it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ears oâ— hearing and so we have rendred it Vales. * Or eminently addicted to n In the Allâ—â— M. S. and in â—thanaâ—ius the reading here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with your whole souls minds Vales. o Instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all manner of conâ—utation the reading in the Allat and Sfortian M. SS is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all manner of disturbance Vales. * Athanasius p In the Allat M. S. it is Augustonica in Athanasius it is called Augustamnica The name of this Province is usually written divers ways For some term it Augustamnica others Augustanica so I found it written in many both Greek and Latine M. SS Others called it Augustonica to wit from Augustus's Victory In the subscriptions of the Bishops who approved of Acacius's draught of the Creed which the Reader will meet with at the fortieth chapter of this second book whose names Epiphanius has recorded in Heres Semiarian we read amongst others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Ptolemaeus Bishop of Thmuis a City of Augustonica Vales. a This Epistle of the Jerusalem Synod is extant in Athanasius's second defence against the Arians together with the names of those Bishops who subscribed to that Synod But we may here by the by take notice of the Bishop of Jerusalems authority who although he was no Metropolitane yet summoned
a Some excerptions of this Helladius the Grammarian are extant in Photius's Bibliotheca Vales. †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The Ape 's Priest For the Egyptians worship an Ape as Lucian tells us in his piece 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b Sozomen book 7. chap. 15. calls this Praefects name Evagrius and the Commander in chief of the Milice in Egypt he names Romanus Eunapius likewise in the Life of Aedesius names both these persons and attests that they gave a great assistance to Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria in destroying the Temple of Serapis I will insert Eunapius's own words here because they want correcting See Eunap in vità Aedesâ—i pag. 63. Edit Colon. Allobrog 1616 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is the Temples about the City Canobus underwent the same thing Theodosius being at that time Emperour and Theophilus Presiding over those execrable persons he was a certain Eurymidon that reigned over the haughty Gyants Evetius being then Governour of the Civill affairs and Romanus intrusted with the Command of the Milice throughout Egypt On my perill correct it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evagrius being then Governour of the Civill affairs In the Theodosian Code title De Paganis there is a Law extant of Theodosius's directed to this Evagrius Praefect of Egypt and to Romanus Comes of the Milite throughout Egypt which Law was dated at Aquilcia in the Consulate of Tatianus and Symmachus From which Law it may be concluded that Serapiâ—'s Temple was demollished at Alexandria in the year of Christ 391. But Marcellinus in his Chronicon contradicts this and says this Temple was destroyed when Timasius and Promotus were Consuls which was the year of Christ 389. And this in my judgment is the truer For Cynegius Praefect of the Praetorium at his being sent into Egypt had a command from Theodosius that he should pull down the Heathen Temples as Zosimus relates in his first book And he had executed that command as Idatius attests in his Fasti. Now Cynegius died in his own Consulate on the year of Christ 388. Vales. c Instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because but c. Socrates means the Image of their God Simius which Theophilus had ordered to be reserved on purpose And thus Epiphan Scholasticus has explained this place in Socrates much better then Christophorson who understood those words of Socrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as spoken concerning a certain or rather uncertain God Vales. a Instead-of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called an Hieroglyphick it ought rather to be thus written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Letters they call Hieroglyphical so Epiphanius Scholasticus seems to have read Indeed Socrates and Sozomen do relate that these Hieroglyphical Letters were found in the Temple of Serapis cut upon the walls thereof But Rufinus does not say they were found there he tells us rather that they were kept and expounded at Canopus At his 2 d book Eccles. Histor. chap. 26 these are his words Jam vero Canopi quis enumereâ— superstitiosa flagitia c. But now who can enumerate the superstitious impieties at Canopus Where under a praetext of their sacerdotal Letters for so they call the ancient Letters of the Egyptians there was in a manner a publick School of Magick Art Vales. * Fitted or applied b Socrates borrowed this out of Rufinus's 2 d book Eccles. Histor chap. 29. He apprehended not Rufinus's meaning For Rufinus says not that it was predicted to the Pagans by other Sacerdotal Letters that Serapis's Temple would then be destroyed when that sign of the Cross should appear he only says that the Egyptians received this as a tradition from their Ancestours to wit that the Temples wherein they then worshipped should stand so long till that sign should come wherein there was Life But because mention is here made of Serapis's worship and of the Letters found in his Temple nothing hinders but we may here explain in favour of the studious an Old Epigram concerning Scrapis which is recorded by Eusebius in his books de Demonstratione Evangelicâ For it contains both the manner how this God was worshipped by the Egyptians and besides Scaliger understood it not in his Animadversions on Eusebius Number 1730. The Epigram therefore runs thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is The seven Vowells do my praise resound Who am the Great Immortal Deity Th' unwearied Father of the Universe You must know that the Egyptian Priests were wont to praise their God Serapis in no other manner than by a recitation now and then of the seven Greek Vowells Therefore instead of Hymns and Songs the Pipe and Harp the sound of the seven Vowells was heard in Serapis's Temple Dionysius Halicarnassensis does attest this in his book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the chapter de Collisione Vocalium Where after he has informed us that the Collision of the Vowells is not so much to be avoided in regard it sometimes produces a pleasant noise he adds these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Moreover in Egypt the Priests sing praises to the Gods by repeating the seven Vowells sounding them out one after the other And instead of the Pipe and Harp the sound of these Letters is heard Elias Vinetus in his notes at Ausonius ' s eighteenth Epistle does declare that he had seen an old inscription which was found upon a golden plate fixt on the breast of a dead body This plate contained the seven Greek Vowells repeated in seven Verses in such order as you may see there But I doubt not but there were seven other Verses on the reverse of the said plate in the same order with those on the foreside To wit in such a manner that the second Verse of the reverse side began with Omicron the fourth with Ypsilon the sixth with Omega Vinetus could not explain this Riddle In my judgment Serapis's name is denoted by these Letters which God as Hesychius attests was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only because there are seven Letters contained in his name but in regard he was usually praised by the seven Vowells Now it was an usage amongst the superstitious Heathens to engrave Serapis's name upon a brazen plate and wear it hung about their necks in form of a Buckler Artemidorus book 4. gives us an account of this usage in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. In what order the seven Greek Vowells were placed on the foreside of this golden plate the Learned Reader may see in Vinetus's notes on the 18 th Epistle of Ausonius written to Tetradius Edit Burdigal 1590. * Colos. 1. 26. * Acts 17. 22 c. †See Numb 24. John 11. 51. * Or rendred ineffectuall †Or in the Greatest Rome a Amongst the Romans Bakers were called Mancipes because they were Mancipati bound to the Colledge of Bakers and to the Trade of making Bread and their goods and families were obnoxious to this Function
c. For Petrus Mongus condemned not the Chalcedon Synod together with Leo's Epistle once but oftner Vales. b Liberatus makes mention of this Abbot Nephalius in his Breviarium chap. 18. Vales. * Or Fully a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I had rather make it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this interim Further 't is to be observed that Evagrius does in the first place relate Acacius's death For of those three Schifmaticks who rent in sunder the Orientall Church to wit Acacius Bishop of Constantinople Petrus of Alexandria and Petrus of Antioch the first that departed out of this life says Evagrius was Acacius then Petrus Bishop of Alexandria who was termed Mongus and last of all died Petrus Fullo But Victor Thunonensis in his Chronicon relates that the first that died of those three I have mentioned was Petrus Bishop of Antioch For his words are these Post Consuletum secundum Longini c. After Longinus's second Consulate Petrus Bishop of Antioch dies under condemnation and in his place Calendion is ordained But the Eastern Bishops as persons ignorant consecrate Johannes surnamed Codonatus Bishop over the said Antiochian Church to whom succeeded Petrus the Heretick This was the year of Christ 488 Dynamius and Sifidius being Consuls But on the year following wherein Probinus and Eusebius were Consuls the same Victor Thunonensis records Acacius's death in these words Eusebio V. C. Cos. Acacius Constantinopolitanus Episcopus sub damnatione moritur c. The most famous personage Eusebius being Consul Acacius Bishop of Constantinople dies under Condemnation and in his room Flavita is ordained Bishop to whom he dying in the third month of his Promotion Euphemius Keeper of the Decrees of the Chalcedon Synod was successour in the Bishoprick And on the next year Longinus and Faustus being the second time Consuls the same Victor relates that Petrus Bishop of Alexandria died under Condemnation But Baronius in his Ecclefiastick Annalls relates indeed the death of these three Schismaticks in the same Order with Victor Thunonensis but not on the same year For he says that Petrus Fullo died on the year of our Lord's Nativity 486. And that Acacius died two years after that is on the year of Christ 488 But in Mongus's death he agrees exactly with Victor But I had rather follow Victor's opinion who places Fullo's death on the year of Christ 488. For Calendion was created Bishop of Antioch on the year of our Lord's Nativity 482 as 't is manifest from Pope Simplicius's Epistle and in regard he held that Bishoprick four years as Theophanes does attest it must necessarily be said that Petrus Fullo who on Calendion's being ejected was put into his place had possession of the See of Antioch on the year of Christ 486. But who can believe that Petrus Fullo who committed so many and such notorious Facts during the time of his Episcopate should have died a few months after his promotion Petrus Fullo therefore died not on the year of Christ 486 as Baronius thought But this argument is with ease refuted for 't is grounded barely on Theophanes's authority who attributes four years to Calendion's sitting Bishop But Calendion sate Bishop during the space of one year only For he was ejected by the treachery of his Ordainer Acacius a little after the Roman Synod on the year of Christ 483 as we are informed from Pope Felix's Letter to all the Presbyters and Archimandrites at Constantinople and throughout Bithynia and from the Authour of the Gesta de nomine Acacii But Theophanes and Cedrenus are notoriously mistaken who relate that Petrus Fullo departed this life after Petrus Mongus Whom Pope Gelasius has refuted in his Epistle to the Orientalls who does attest that of those two Petrus Fullo died first Vales. b Theophanes relates that Fravita wrote Synodick Letters to Petrus Bishop of Alexandria wherein he denyed that he communicated with Felix Bishop of Rome And on the other hand that he sent Synodick Letters to Felix wherein he declared to him that he had no society of communion with Petrus Bishop of Alexandria Theophanes assignes only three months continuance in his Bishoprick to the same Fravita as does likewise Victor Thunonensis and not four as Evagrius affirms in this chapter Vales. c There were at Alexandria two sorts of Hereticks to wit the Dioscoritae and the Esaiani concerning whom Liberatus speaks in his Breviary The Dioscoritae wholly condemned and anathematized the Chalcedon Synod But the Esaiani following Zeno's Edict that is His Henoticon did not indeed in any wise admit that Synod yet they pronounc't not an Anathema against it Vales. d Evagrius says not expresly on what year Petrus Bishop of Antioch died nor can it be gathered from his words that he died after Petrus Bishop of Alexandria Yea rather the contrary may be extracted from Evagrius's words For if Petrus Bishop of Antioch had survived Petrus Alexandrinus doubtless Athanasius who succeeded Petrus Bishop of Alexandria would have sent his Synodick Letters to Petrus Bishop of Antioch For these Synodick Letters were wont to be sent by the Patriarchs at the very beginning of their Patriarchate In regard therefore Athanasius sent his Synodick Letters to Palladius Bishop of Antioch it appears from thence that Petrus Antiochenus died long before Petrus Alexandrinus Further concerning Athanasius's Synodick Letters Liberatus in his Breviarium says these words Non post multum tempus c. No long time after dies also Petrus Mongus at Alexandria and after him Athanasius is ordained in that See who himself also communicated with the Constantinopolitan Antiochian and Hierosolymitane Church in the Edict Vales. * Flavianus's †Or Till some times of Anastasius a Zeno brought over Armatus to his own side not only by gifts and presents but by promises also For he promised that as soon as he had recovered the Empire he would make Armatus perpetuall Magister or Master of the present Militia and his Son Basiliscus Caesar and his own Assessour as Theophanes tells us in his Chronicon pag 107. Whose words because they are corrupted nor could be understood by the Translatour I will annex here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is But he also as it frequently happens being blinded with gifts sent from Zeno and with a promise of the perpetuall Mastership of the Milice and that Zeno would make his Son Basiliscus Gaesar and his Assessour returned with Zeno against Basiliscus I write therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and with a promise of the perpotuall Mastership of the Milice Theophanes terms the perpetuall power of Master of the Milice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Author of the Alexandrian Chronicle does fully confirm our Emendation For he writes that Zeno had made a promise to Armatus that be would grant to him the Magisteriall power of the present Milice as long as he should live Suidas relates much concerning this Armatus in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which seem to have been taken out of
Daemons which heretofore prey'd upon the whole Body of mankind and by the motion and impulse of images shewed many Impostures and delusions amongst men by an invisible and potent hand being as 't were fierce and raging wild-beasts from the Flock of men What other person besides Our Saviour by an invocation of Himself and by the purest prayers in His Name put up to the Supream God hath given a power of driving away the Remains of evil Spirits from among men to those who with purity and sincerity would follow that Rule of Living and discipline delivered by Him What other person save onely our Saviour hath taught his followers to offer unbloudy and rational sacrifices which are performed by prayers and a mysterious naming of God On which account Altars have been erected thorowout the whole world and Churches Consecrated and Divine Ministrations of intellectual and rational sacrifices are offered up by all Nations to the Only God the Supream King Who by a secret and invisible power hath caused those sacrifices which were usually performed by Bloud and Gore smoak and fire as likewise those cruel and furious slaughters of men and humane Victims to be abolished and wholly extinguished In so much that this thing is attested even by the very Histories of the Heathens themselves For all those sacrifices of men in all places of the Earth were not abolished till after the publication of Our Saviour's Divine Doctrine namely about the Times of the Emperour Hadrim Whereas therefore so many cogent arguments and evident demonstrations do give confirmation to Our Saviour's Might and Power after His death who is so iron-minded as not together with others to give evidence to the Truth and not to acknowledge His life to be divine For great Atchievements are the performances of the Living not of the dead and those things which we see do furnish us with a knowledge of things hidden Not long since indeed yesterday as 't were a Race of men who fought against God disturbed the Life of men turned all things upside down and were possest of great power and strength But when they were departed from among men thenceforward they lay upon the earth more contemptible than dung without breath without motion without voice Nor is there now any account or any mention made of them For this is the allotment of the dead And He that is no longer is no Body But what can He do who is no Body But on the contrary He who acts and works and who is more powerfull than those that are alive how can He be supposed not to be And although He be invisible to eyes of flesh nevertheless the faculty of judging consists not in sense nor do we by the senses of the Body perceive the reasons and Rules of Arts or Speculations of Sciences Neither did ever any with His eyes see the mind that is in men much less the strength and power of God but things of this nature are wont to be known and perceived by the works themselves Wherefore in our Saviour also 't is fit we should inspect and discern His invisible Power and Strength from His Works namely whether those many illustrious Acts which even till this present time are done by Him must be acknowledged the performances of a person living or whether 't is to be said that they are the works of One who is not or rather whether this question be not altogether foolish and incoherent For how can any one with reason affirm Him to be who is not In regard 't is manifest by the consent and suffrages of all that that which is not neither has any strength nor can it act or operate For this is the Nature of the Living but the Nature of the dead is contrary BUT 't is here seasonable that we should inspect the Performances of our Saviour in this our age and should contemplate the living works of the living God For how should such Glorious Atchievements as these not be the living Works of a living person and of One who truly lives the Life of God But do You enquire what those are Hear them Not long since some persons who had proclaimed war against God with great obstinacy and no less Power and Military Force ruined and dug up from their very foundations the Edifices of his Oratories and resolved upon rendring His Churches wholly invisible and with all imaginable Engines and Stratagems fought against Him who is not to be seen with eyes casting and throwing aginst Him the darts of impious Expressions But the invisible God was avenged on them in an invisible manner Immediately therefore by one only Nod of the Deity they became extinct those persons I mean who a little before lived delicious and pleasant lives and were thrice-happy who were celebrated amongst all men as equal with the Gods who during many periods of years had Governed the Empire gloriously and happily as long namely as there was peace and friendship between them and Him whom they afterwards opposed But when they changed their minds and were so audacious as to engage in an actuall war with God and set their Gods in array against Ours as their Leaders and Defenders immediately in one moment of time and by the Beck and Power of that God whom they opposed they all underwent the deserved punishments of their audacious attempts In so much that giving ground to Him with whom they were engaged in war and turning their Backs upon Him they acknowledged His divinity as others had done and hastned to grant and permit the clean contrary to those things which a little before they had attempted But our Saviour forthwith erected Victorious Trophies in all parts of the Earth and did again adorn the whole world afresh with holy Temples and Consecrated Oratories and in every City and Villâ—ge in all Countries and in the desart places of the Barbarians He dedicated Churches and Temples to one God the supream King and Lord of all Hence also 't is that these consecrated places are vouchsafed the name of the Lord and take their appellation not from men but from the supream Lord Himself For from Him they have the name of Churches Let Him therefore that has a mind to it come forth and inform us who after so great a Ruine and Devastation hath raised the sacred Houses from their foundations to so vast an height Who hath bestowed a Resurrection upon those Structures wholly despair'd of as to their being rebuilt and has vouchsafed them a Re-edification whereby they are become far more splendid and stately than they had been before and which is most to be admired hath not new-built them after the death of those Enemies of God but whilst those very persons were yet alive who had demolished them in so much that they themselves with their own mouthes and by their own Letters recanted
their bold attempts and this they did not whilst they were surrounded with the delights and pleasures of Life for thus any one might perhaps suppose that they performed this with a regard to kindness and clemency but at such time as they were pursued with stripes inflicted on them from Heaven Who after so many and such impetuous storms of Persecution and in the very heat and extremity of dangers thorowout the whole world kept fixt to the Precepts of His Divine Doctrine infinite numbers of men that were zealous followers of a Philosophick Life and strict worshippers of the Deity also women that were in Holy Orders and Quires of Virgins which Dedicated the whole time of their Lives to a perpetual chastity of body and mind and taught them abstinence from food and most willingly to continue without meat and wine during the space of many days and to lead a hard and austere oourse of life with a singular modesty and temperance Who hath so far prevailed upon women and numerous multitudes of men that they should exchange the food of their Bodies for that rational food that agrees with their rational souls which food is gotten by a perusal of Divine Lessons Who hath taught Barbarians and Peasants women children and servants and innumerable multitudes of all Nations to despise Death and to perswade themselves that their Souls are immortal and that there is an Eye of justice which inspects humane affairs and that they should expect a future judgment from God to pass upon the pious and the impious and that for that reason they ought to lead just holy and sober lives For 't is in no wise possible that those who are not thus disposed should submit themselves to the yoke of piety All which egregious performances are even at this present accomplished only by Our Saviour But let us omit these things Come on we will now apply our selves to a conviction of Him whose mind is as hard as flint by such interrogatories as these Tell me Friend and utter words that are rational Let your expressions be the products not of a foolish and stupid heart but of a soul endued with reason and understanding Tell me I say after you have often and duely weighed the matter with your self Which of all the Sages who in times past have been famous was known in the same manner with Our Saviour and proclaimed so infinite a number of ages since by the Oracles of the Prophets amongst the children of the Hebrews anciently God's beloved people Who in their minds had a fore-knowledge of the place of His Birth and of the times of His Coming and of His manner of Life of His Miracles likewise of His Discourses and of His famous actions and left them on record in the sacred Volumns Who hath shown Himself so swift a Revenger of those audacious Attempts against Himself that immediately after that impious fact committed against Himself the whole Nation of the Jews should be pursued and punished by an invisible Power and their Royal Seat utterly demolished and overthrown from its very foundations and the Temple together with all the Ornaments and rich furniture therein levell'd with the Ground Who hath uttered predictions both concerning those impious men and also in reference to the Church founded by Him over the whole world exactly correspondent to the affairs themselves and hath actually demonstrated and confirm'd the truth of those Predictions in such a manner as Our Saviour hath done Concerning the Temple of the Impious He had said Behold your house is left to you desolate and there shall not remain a stone upon a stone in this place which shall not be thrown down But concerning His own Church He spake in this manner I will build my Church upon a rock and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it To have brought at first from fishing men that were contemptible and illiterate and afterwards to have constituted them Law-givers and Teachers to the whole world what and how mighty a thing does this seem to You As for His promise to them that He would make them Fishers of men He not only uttered it in words but performed it actually and abundantly and conferr'd on them so great a degree of strength and power that they composed writings and published Books and the authority of all those Books was so great that being rendred into all Languages as well of Greeks as Barbarians thorowout the whole world they are studiously read by all Nations and the Contents of them are believed to be divine Oracles of how mighty a prevalency is this in order to a clear demonstration of His Divinity How considerable likewise is that namely that He foretold things future and long before it hapned assured His disciples that they should be brought before Kings and Princes and should be punished and undergo the extreamest of Torments not for any foul act of their own but only on account of their confession of His Name Moreover that He fitted and prepared them chearfully to endure these things and so fortified them with the Arms of Piety that in their Conflicts with their adversaries their minds appeared firmer than an Adamant what powerfulness of expression is it which that matter does not exceed Likewise that not only those who had followed Him but their successours also and again they who immediately succeeded them and at length such as have lived in this our present age should with so undaunted a resolution unite the Forces of their minds that although they had done nothing worthy of death yet with pleasure would endure all manner of punishments and every sort of Torture on account of their eximious Piety towards the supream God what degree of admiration does not this surpass What King did ever continue His Reign during so vast a number of Ages Who does thus wage war after death and does erect Trophies over His Enemies and does subdue every place Country and City as well Grecian as Barbarian and does vanquish His Opposers by an invisible and latent Hand And which is the chiefest thing of all that hath been hitherto rehearsed that Peace by His Power procured for the whole world concerning which we have already spoken what we judged agreeable how should it not stop the mouthes of all slanderers In as much as the Unity and Concord of all Nations did really concur in time with the Preaching of Our Saviour and with the Doctrine by Him disseminated over the whole world and in regard both of them had long before been foretold by the Prophets of God I mean the Universal Peace of the Nations and the Doctrine delivered by Christ to the Nations The whole length of the day would be insufficient for me Dread Sir should I attempt to sum up in one those most clear and cogent arguments of Our Saviour's Divine Power drawn from the things which are
Contents of this Chapter and in Sozomen He bore the same dignity under Constantius as Athanasius attests in his Book de Synodis Arimini Seleuciae Vales. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It must be written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is the same errour in the foregoing Chapter where the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which manner 't is written at both places in the Fuketian Copy Vales. a This whole passage as far as those words Others interpreted c was wanting in the Kings Copy and in Robert Stephens Edition which words Learned men have inserted from some Manuscript Copy as I judge For they seem to me to be genuine and to proceed from Eusebius's own stile They do indeed occur in the excellent Fuketian Copy but in S r Henry Savil's they are wanting For at this place S r Henry hath made this Remark Christophorsonus hoc loco c. At this place Christophorson has from his own Copies inserted these following words which to me seem scarce agreeable to this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Vales. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eusebius does not without reason term that kindness and benignity which the Emperour Constantine made use of towards the Priests of God a benignity towards Christ himself For kindness towards his Ministers redounds to the honour of the Lord himself Therefore says Christ in the Gospel He that receiveth you receiveth me and that which you have done to one of them you have done to me Vales. * Or Delivered to their hearers Theologick c. †Or Made interpretations of the divine readings ‖ Or Goods c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here the words seem to be transposed a thing which as we have told you is frequently done in these Books Above therefore is must be written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 making descriptions and here the reading must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 explaining the meanings c. But some body will perhaps aske what those Prophetick Visions are which Eusebius means here He means if I mistake not that place which occurs in the third chapter of Zephaniah verse 8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For Cyril of Jerusalem also in his fourth Homily explains this passage of Zephaniah concerning the Martyrium or Church which Constantine erected in the place of our Lord's Resurrection Vales. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He terms the Jerusalem Church and all its Members and Edifices Symbols See Eusebius's Oration in the dedication of the Church at Tyre which is recorded in the tenth book of his Eccles. History where he asserts that every member of the Church imported some thing that was mystical In the Fuketian Copy the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. e ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Translatour has rendred it right tricesimo imperii anno in the thirtieth year of his Empire For the Dedication-Feast of the Jerusalem Church was celebrated in the year of Christ 335 on the Ides of September Constantius and Albinus being Consuls in Constantine's Tricennalia At which time Constantine was in the thirtieth year of his Empire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does properly signifie Tricennalia that is a festivity of sports which were performed on account of the thirtieth year of an Emperours Reign The Authour of the Alexandrian Chronicle in the Consulate of Constantius and Albinus has these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in Idatius's Fasti occur rendâ—ed into Latine in this manner His Coss. Tricennalia Edidit Constantinus Augustus die 8. Cal. August in the Consulate of these persons Constantinus Augustus published his Tricennalia on the eight of the Calends of August Yet sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Tricennalia are taken for the thirtieth year So Jerome relates that Dalmatius was created Caesar in Constantine's Tricennalia that is on the thirtieth year of his Empire But whereas I have said that the Dedication Feast of the Jerusalem Church was celebrated on the Ides of September of this matter I have Nicephorus my Authour in his eight book chap. 30. Indeed in Saint Saba's Typicon and in the Greek Menology on the thirteenth day of September are placed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So also Sophronius in his Oration de Exaltatione Sanctae Crucis and this Festivity was observed every year for the space of eight days From these Authours the Alexandrian Chronicle must be corrected wherein there is a mistake as well in the day as the Consulate in which these things were done Vales. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and how great the Emperours attempts of Elegancy a Amongst the other Donaria Sacred Gifts which Constantine gave to the Jerusalem Church there was a Sacerdotal pall woven with threads of gold which the Bishop made use of in his performing the solemn prayers as Theodoret relates Eccles. Hist. book 2. chap. 27. Vales. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after this present Subject That is at the close of this work The Translatour rendred it ill Quod etiam cum videbitur absoluto opere edemus But our Rendition is confirmed by Eusebius himself in chap. 32. of this book Vales. c For Eusebius had before made a speech in the Palace as he himself attests above at chap. 33 where see what we have noted Vales. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I had rather write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which reading I have followed in my Version nor do I doubt but Eusebius wrote so Further in this place there is an ambiguity For the words may be construed thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c This Second Synod which we know to be the greatest after that First Synod which he had assembled at the most eminent City of Bithynia the Emperour convenâ—d at Jerusalem Which sense Christophorson has followed Vales. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I embrace the emendation of Learned men which I found written in Moraeus's Copy also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neveâ—â—heless I would willingly add another word also in this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and have rendred it accordingly Further the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be rendred vota vowes For Eusebius alludes to the usage of the Romans who in such Solemnities made Vowes for the safety and felicity of the Prince as 't is apparent from Plinius's Epistle to Trajan Moreover in old Coyns we reade such Vows as these thus exprest VOTIS XX. MULTIS XXX But in other Coyns 't is thus SIC X. SIC XX. That is So His Decennalia So His Vicennalia In the Fuketian Copy 't is plainly written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Letter of the Bishops of the Jerusalem Synod who by Constantine's Order met in order to the Dedication of this Church which Letter Athanasius records in his Apologetick pag. 801 't is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Salutary Martyrium Jerome also in his Chronicon terms it the Martyrium
as does likewise Sozomen book 2 chap. 26 Marcus in the Life of Porphyrius Bishop of Gaza and Eucherius in his Book de Situ urbis Hierosolymitan◠See Our Letter de Anastasi c wherein we have at large proved against Jacobus Gretserus and Jacobus Sirmondus that there was only one Church erected by Constantine which was termed the Martyrium and Anastasis Which Letter we thought good to make a second publication of at the close of our Notes pag. 304 c. Vales. a This whole clause as far as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek or His very face in the English was wanting in the Kings Copy and in Robert Stephens's Edition Learned men had inserted it whether from some Manuscript Copies or from conjecture I know not But at length the Fuketian Copy has informed us that these words were on a good account inserted from the Manuscripts Vales. * Constantine a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Questionless it must be written thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having long before performed c. Vales. * Or Rich distributions of gifts a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the very ocean it self It must I think be written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to their that is the Indian Ocean it self Further Metrodorus the Philosopher seems to have been the chiefest person of this Indian Embassie who from the King of the Indians brought to Constantine very many Gems and Pearls and pretended that he had brought many more had not the Persian King taken them from him in his passage thorow Persia. By which lie Constantine being prevailed upon whilst with too much eagerness he pursues what had been taken from Metrodorus raises the Persian War as 't is recorded by Cedrenus and Amm. Marcellinus But Cedrenus relates that in a place wholly foreign and disagreeable namely in Constantine's twenty first year whereas he ought to have placed it on the thirty first year of Constantine For in this year the peace between the Romans and Persians was broken Vales. * Leaders or Princes b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Fuketian Copy 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But in the Old Sheets the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I like better Vales. * Or With Piety a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instructing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 furnishing them with Eusebius makes use of this word in the same sense again in the next chapter Vales. * Or Furniture †Or Souldiers armed with Shields Spear-men Guards of their Bodies ‖ Or Captaines a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Any body may of himself perceive that it should be written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But when c which I should not have taken notice of had I not fear'd least any one should think that it had escap't me A little after the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to be superfluous Vales. * That is Christian◠b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So in the foregoing chapter Eusebius makes use of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie Military Companies and in many other places So Sozomen book 1. chap. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from that time the Roman Legions which they now term Companies provided each of them a Tabernacle proper to themselves Further this place seems to me to be imperfect and must be made good in this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we have rendred it accordingly For Eusebius says that both the Commanders of the first Companies and those also to whom the Care of the Republick was committed by Constantine were Favourers of the Christian Religion By those former persons he means the Tribunes and Comites of the Scholae but the latter are the praefecti Praetorio the Quaestors of the sacred Palace the Masters of the Offices and the others who transacted Civil affairs Vales. * Viz. Christians †Or Fortified himself with c. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I like not the conjecture of the Learned who after the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus well constituted which addition I found written in Moraeus's Copy also But if any thing was to have been added I would rather have put in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can have no place here in regard in the following clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 occurs Otherwise it would be an idle repetition nor would there be more said in the second member of the period than in the first Nevertheless in the Fuketian Copy the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. a This passage of Eusebius hath led many persons into a mistake Amongst whom was Dionysius Petavius who both in his Annotations on Epiphanius's Book de Ponderibus and also in his eleventh Book de Doctrinâ Temporum confiding in the authority of Eusebius was of opinion that Constantine died in the thirty second year of his Reign Most of the Ancients have likewise written the same thing viz. Philostorgius Book 2. Theodorus Lector in his Collectanea Epiphanius and the Authour of the Alexandrian Chronicle and amongst the Latines Aurellus Victor But this opinion seems to me wholly absurd For they who think thus must of necessity affirm also that the same Constantine began his Empire on the year of Christ 305 Constantius the fifth time and Maximianus being Consuls And that on the same year Constantius Augustus the Father of Constantine departed this Life But on the year following which is the year of Christ 306 Constantius Augustus was Consul the sixth time with his Colleague Maximianus as all the Fasti do constantly affirm Wherefore Constantine's Reign can be brought but from the year of Christ 306. Now therefore whereas he died in the Consulate of Felicianus and Titianus that is on the year of Christ 337 on the twenty second of the month May as 't is agreed on amongst all Writers it is plainly made out that Constantine Reigned thirty years and ten months three days only excepted For he had been created Caesar on the eighth of the Calends of August as Idatius writes in his Fasti. Eutropius therefore and Rufinus are right in their affirming that Constantine ended his Life in the thirty first year of his Empire Our Eusebius also says true in his Chronicon that Constantine Reigned thirty years and ten months Further whence it has hapned that our Eusebius here and most of the Ancients have attributed two and thirty years Reign to Constantine this as I think was the reason Two years before his death Constantine had celebrated his Tricennalia in the Consulate of Constantius and Albinus as Eusebius has related above They thought therefore that the thirtieth year of Constantine's Reign had been compleated when those men were Consuls which nevertheless is false as I have noted above Besides from the beginning of Constantine's Reign unto his death two and thirty Pair of Consuls are reckoned Whence it might have hapned that they should believe