Alexandria in his seconde booke after he had remembred the reuelation of Sainct Iohn receaued by tradition of olde he reporteth of this man thus Cerinthus vvhiche founde the Cerinthian heresie â–ª gaue his figment a name for the further creditt thereof his kinde of doctrine vvas this â—he dreamed the kingdome of Christ shoulde become earthly and sett vppon those thinges vvhich he lusted after novv being couered vvith his fleshe and compassed in his skinne that is the satisfying of the belly and the thinges vnder the belly vvith meate vvith drinke vvith mariage and that he might the more colerably bring his deuelish deuices to passe he dedicated thereunto holy dayes oblations and slaughter for sacrifices so farre Dionysius but Irenaus in his first booke against the heresies layeth downe certayne more detestable opinions of his And in his thirde booke he reporteth a historye worthy the memorye as receaued by tradition of Polycarpus saying that Iohn the Apostle on a certayne time to bayne him selfe entred into a bathe and vnderstandinge that Cerinthus there vvithin bayned him selfe also started a side and departed forthe not abiding any tariance vvith him vnder the same â—ouffe signifying the same to his company and saying let vs speedely goe hence lest that the bathe come to ruyne vvherein Cerinthus the enemy of the truth baineth him selfe CAP. XXVI Of Nicolas and such as of him are called Nicolaïtes AT the same time the heresie of the Nicolaïtes spronge whiche lasted not longe after wherof the reuelation of S. Iohn made mention they boast that he was one of the Deacons ordayned together with Stephen of the Apostles to minister vnto the poore Clemens Alexandrinus in his thirde booke of stromatôn reporteth thus of him This Nicolas sayth he hauing a beautifull vvoman to his vvife after the ascention of our Sauiour vvas accused of ielousie and to cleare him selfe of that cryme brought forth his vvife and permitted him that lysted to marye her but his follovvers say that their doing is agreable vvith that saying that is the fleshe is to be brydled and so follovving that doing and saying vvithout all discretion they sinne vvithout all shame in silthy fornication but I heare that Nicolas accompanied with none other then his proper wife allotted vnto him by wedlocke and of his children his Daughters to haue endured virginity his sonne to haue remained vncorrupt the case being thus in y â— he brought forth his wife for ielousie ouer the which he was accused into the middest of the Apostles it was to cleare him oâ— the â—â—â—me layde to his charge and to teache the brydling of the fleshe by contayning and refrayning voluptuous lust and pleasure He woulde not as I suppose accordinge vnto the precept serue two masters lust and the Lorde they say that Mathias after this maner commaunded by instruction the fleshe to be ouercome and tamed yelding vnto it not one iote which might tende vnto pleasure and that the soule hereby shoulde take encrease by fayth and knowledge Thus much shall seeme sufficiently spoken toutching them which then depraued the truth and sodainely came to naught CAP. XXVII Of the Apostles which liued in wedlocke CLemens whose wordes lately we alleadged after the premises against them which relece and rebuke mariage reciteth the Apostles which liued in wedlocke saying VVhat doe they condemne the Apostles for Peter and Philip employed their industry to the bringing vp of their children Philip also gaue his Daughters to mariage And Paul in a certaine epistle sticked not to salute his vvife vvhiche therefore he ledd not aboute that he might be the redier vnto the ministation In so much then that we haue made mention hereof it will not seeme tedious if we alleadge an other historye worthy the notinge which he wrote in his seuenth booke after this manner they say that Sainct Peter going to his house and seeing his vvife ledd to be executed reioyced greatly because of the calling and cryed out vnto her vehemently exhorting and comforting her calling her by her name and saying O vvoman remember the Lorde such vvas the mariage of the godly and the entire affection of faithfull friendes And thus muche as pertinent to my purpose hereof I thought good here to alleadge CAP. XXVIII Of the death of Iohn and Philip the Apostles OF the deathe of Paule and Peter the tyme eke and the manner their resting place also after their departure hence we haue spoken of before and of Iohn toutchinge his appoynted tyme we haue tolde before but of his resting place or tombe we are enstructed by Polycrates his epistle this Polycrates was Bishop of Ephesus whiche he wrote vnto Victor Bishop of Rome where he remembreth also Philip the Apostle and his Daughters after this maner foâ— in Asiâ— sayth he greate pleadges of Christian religion rested them selues â–ª vvhiche shall rise the laste daye at the comming of the Lorde vvhen he shall come from heauen vvith glorye to seeke out all the Sainctes â–ª Philip one of the tvvelue Apostles â–ª resteth in the dust of the earthe at Hierapolis and tvvo of his Daughters vvhiche ledd their vvhole lyfe in virginitye the thirde vvhose conuersation vvas directed by the holy Ghoste resteth at Ephesus And Iohn vvhiche leaned on the breaste of our Sauiour vvho beinge also a Priest vvore the garment petalum A martyre and a doctor rested at Ephesus thus much of their endes In the Dialogue of Gaius mentioned before Proclus agaynst whom be proposed the question testifieth agreeable vnto that before of the death of Philip and his Daughters saying After this the foure Prophetisses the Daughters of Philip vvere at Hierapolis in Asia their sepulchre is there to be seene and their fathers also â–ª so farre he â–ª Luke in the Actes of the Apostles maketh mention of the Daughters of Philip dwelling at Caesarea in Iudaea with their father which were endued with the gift of prophecye saying VVe came to Caesarea and entred into the house of Philip the Euangelist vvhiche vvas one of the seuen and there made our abode this Philip had iiij Daughters vvhiche vvere virgines and Prophetisses â–ª thus much of the Apostles and apostolicke tymes and the thinges deliuered vnto vs by holy Scriptures of the canonicall and disalowed Scriptures though read of many in many Churches of the forged and farre from the Apostolicall rule as farre forth as we could learne Now to that whiâ—â— followeth â–ª CAP. XXIX The martyrdome of Symeon Bishop of Ierusalem AFter Nero and Domitian vnder that Emperour whereof we minde now to entreate the rumor went euery where throughout the cityes that persecution was raysed agaynst vs Christians through populare seditions in the which we learned that Symeon the sonne of Cleopas the seconde Bishop of Ierusalem ended his life with martyrdome hereof is Aegesippus a witnesse whose wordes we haue oft alleadged for he writing of certayne Hereticks geueth vs to vnderstand how that the afore sayd
for their sage and sober speache some for their grauitie in life and patience in aduersitie some other for their trade of liuing as meane betwene both vvere highly commended There vvere of these not a fevv vvho for their old yeares and auncient dayes vvere greatly honored other some in the flower of their youth for sharpnes of vvitt gaue a glistering shine certaine others vvere late practitioners and nouices in the ministerie vnto all vvhich the Emperour commaunded that all necessaries large and liberall foode for sustenance should dayly be ministred And so farre out of Eusebius toutching that assemblie When the Emperour had finished the triumphe solemnized in remembrance of his victorie against Licinnius he tooke his iorney vnto Nicaea Among the bishops there assembled Paphnutius bishop of the vpper Thebais and Spiridion bishop of Cyprus were recounted famous But the cause that moued vs to rehearse them hereafter shal be shewed There were present also many of the laytie which were skilfull logicians ready to defend ereother part Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia as I haue sayde before Theognis and Maris maintayned the opinion of Arius This Theognis was bishop of Nicaea and Maris bishop of Chalcedon a cytie of Bithynia Againste these Athanasius deacon of the church of Alexandria stroue manfully this Athanasius did Alexander the bishop highly esteeme and therefore there ensued greate enuie against him as hereafter shal be declared Before the bishops mett together in one place the logicians busted them selues propoundinge against diuers others certaine preambles of disputation and when diuers were thus drawen to disputation and allured as it were by bayte a lay man one of the number of confessors of a simple syncere mind sett himselfe against the Logicians and tolde them thus in playne wordes that neyther Christ neither his Apostles had deliuered vnto vs the arte of Logicke neyther vayne fallacies but an open and plaine minde to be preserued of vs with faith and good works The which when he had spoken all that were present had him in admiration and helde with his sentence Then the Logicians after they had heard the pure words of playne trueth quieted and setled them selues aright So that at length by that meanes the sturre raysed by occasion of Logicke was wholly suppressed The day after all the bishops mett in one place after them came the Emperour beinge come he standeth in the middest neither woulde he first sit downe before he had beckened to the bishops to do the same So greate a reuerence of person and shamefastnesse of minde did the Emperour shewe vnto those graue fathers After that all were silent as the opportunitie of the tyme dyd require the Emperour as he sate in his seate made an oration vnto them exhorting them to embrace vnitie of minde concorde and agreement wherein also he counselled them to remoue from their mindes all priuate malice and grudge which they dyd owe onē towardes an other For diuers of them had accused eche other and putt vp the daye before vnto the Emperour libells one against the other But he exhorted them earnesty to applye them selues vnto the purposed busynesse which was the cause of their assemblye and commaunded the libelles to be burned ioyninge withall this onely sayinge that Christ commaunded him that looketh for forgeuenesse to forgeue likewise his brother When that he had largely entreated of concord and peace to be preserued amonge them he referred vnto their discretion to discerne more exquisitely of the principles of Christian religion euen as the selfe same Eusebius reporteth in his thirde booke of the lyfe of Constantine whose allegation may presently seeme very commodious For thus he wryteth VVhen many thinges of eyther syde vvere alleadged and a greate controuersie raysed euen at the entrance into disputation the Emperour gaue pacient and peaceable eare vnto all he receaued theire positions vvith earnest and carefull studie some tymes he holpe in reasoninge ere other parte vvhen that they disputed vvith heate of contention he reconciled them by little and little he conferred vvith euery one louingly and curteously he vttered his minde in Greeke neither was he ignorant of that language his speache was both sweete and pleasaunt perswading with some pacifying some other vvith gentle vvordes praysing others for their sage sentences He ceased not to reduce them all vnto concorde vntill that he had brought them to that passe that they all became of one mind and concluded with one opinion toutching all the thinges that euer toe fore vvere called into question so that not onely there florished among thē one faith but also they agreed all together to celebrate the solempne feast of Easter at one and the same tyme throughout the vvorlde Nowe therfore the canons concluded vpon by common consent of all were ratified by the subscription of euery one and recorded for the posteritie These things hath Eusebius to like purpose rehearsed and left behinde him in writing neither haue we in this place cyted them out of season yea we haue vsed his words for witnesses and knitte them to this our historie to the ende we geue not eare vnto some which haue condemned the counsell assembled at Nice as though it had crred in the fayth againe that we creditt not Sabinus the Macedonian who called the men that mett there idiots and rude persons For this Sabinus bishop of the Macedonians which inhabit Heraclaea a citie of Thracia whilest that he gathereth into one volume those things which diuers councells and assemblies of bishops haue committed to writing he condemneth with opprobrious languages the bishops which mett at Nice for vnlearned and ignorant men not remembring that in so doing he cōdemneth Eusebius for an idiote who published the same faith with the greate tryall and experience he had therein Moreouer some things of sett purpose he ouerskippeth some other he peruerteth those thinges which seemed to make for his purpose which tended to the marke he shott at all those he culled out diligently And though he praiseth Eusebius Pamphilus for a witnesse to whome creditt may worthely begeuen and though he hyghly commende the Emperour as one that preuayled very much in the establishing of Christian religion yet for all that doth he reprehende the faith published in the councell of Nice as deliuered by such as were rude and all together vnlearned And whome he calleth a wise man and counteth a true witnesse the same mans testimonie of sett purpose doth he reiect For Eusebius reporteth that of the ministers of God which then were present some excelled for their sage and sober sentences some for their grauitie of life and that the emperour with his presence reduced them all vnto concorde and linked them together in one mind and in one opinion but of Sabinus if tyme do serue and occasion hereafter be offred we will say more The vniforme doctrine of faith agreed vpon published by open cōsent of all in the
goeth and rife it is in euery mans mouth that this cruell and horrible act was not longe after vnreuenged For immediatly all Phrygia was plagued with a sore and a lamentable famine so that many of the inhabitantes of that countrey were constrayned of necessitie to flie vnto Constantinople and to other prouinces for necessarie food The city of Constantinople though it find and relieue an infinite multitude of meÌ„ yet there is great plentie abundance of all things partly by reason that all necessaries are caried thither by seae and partly also that Euxinus is so nighe and conueyeth thither greate store of grayne CAP. XIIII Howe the Emperour wente to Antioch and persecuted all them that professed the fayth of one substance of his doinges at Edessa and the great constancie of a Christianwoman THe Emperour Valens weyed not at all this grieuous famine went forth on his iorney to Antioch and continewing there pursued with deadly hatred such as detested the Arian opinion He deposed of theyr churches for no other crime then because they were enemies vnto y â— Arians all that embraced the faith of one substance not onely throughout all the Easterne parts of the world but also not satisfied with this punishemente tormented them with diuerse grieuous deuises and executed a farre greater number then we spake of before with sundry kindes of death but specially with drowninge of them in the surginge waues of the sea Furthermore let vs here call to remembraunce the horrible Acte committed by him at Edessa a citie in Mesopotamia There I meane in that citie there is a goodly a gorgeous temple called Sainct Thomas the Apostles where infinite troopes of men for y â— reuerent opinion conceaued of the holy place are wont to frequent Valens being desirous to see it although he knewe full well that all those flockinge assemblies detested his hereticall opinion as the reporte goeth gaue the Liuetenant a blowe with his fist because he had not scattered those conuenticles as he had charged him before When the Liuetenant for all this grieuous contuâ—ely framed himselfe with vnwillinge minde to obeye the Emperours wrath and displeasure gaue notice priuely hereof vnto them it was farre from his mind to fall a murthering of so many godly citizens that none should shewe his face in the temple that none shoulde be founde raysing of any conuenticle but not one made accompt of his aduise nether weyed of his threates for the day followinge all flocked in greate companies to the temple And while the Liuetenant hastened with greate power of armed souldieres vnto the temple to the ende he might delay the boyling heate of the Emperours stomacke which breathed out anger and displeasure a simple woman leadinge a childe in her hande all in hast brake the raye and thrust her selfe in the throng of armed souldiers to passe on her voyage The Liuetenant being moued therewith calleth the woman before him reasoneth with her in this sorte thou fond and vnfortunat woman whether runnest thou so rashly thither sayde she where others doe hasten Hast not thou hearde sayth he that the Liuetenant will execute as many as he finds there I heard it sayd she and therefore I goe thither in all the hast that I may be founde there But whither sayd he leadest thou this childe that he also sayd she may be accompted in the number of Martyrs When the Liuetenant heard this he coniectured thereafter of the rest Thereupon he got him vnto the Emperour and geueth him to vnderstand that all from the highest vnto the lowest prepared them selues to die in the quarell and in defence of their faith he aded moreouer that it was verye rashe and without all reason that so great a multitude in so shorte a space shoulde so soddainely be executed in so saying he fell a perswading of the Emperour so long vntill that his wordes preuayled the Emperour was with reason appeased Thus the Edessaeans auoyded the ouerthrowe pretended of the Emperour towardes them CAP. XV. Howe the Emperour Valens put many to death whose names beganne with TH by reason of certaine Necromancie whereunto he gaue some credit ABout that time a certaine pestilent spirite vsed the tyrannicall crueltye of the Emperour to y t satisfieng of his deuelish lust pleasing mind For he allured certain fond curious kind of people to search and sift out by Necromancie who should succeede Valens in the Empire The deuell after his wonted guise gaue no perfect and plaine but a very darke doubtfull answere vnto the coniurers that his name beganne of foure letters Th E O D which should succeede ValeÌ„s in the Empire that his name was compound The fame thereof was spred so farre that it came to the Emperours eares He as it fell out neither attributed casualties neither referred the knowledge of things to come neither admitted y â— bestowing of scepters to lie in y â— power of God whose prouidence ruleth all things but laying aside the principles of Christian religion the which colorably he pretended executed diuers whome he suspected after him should enioy y â— Emperial scepter So y t he dispatched out of the way as many as were called Theodorus Theodotus Theodosius Theodulus or after any such like names Of which nuÌ„ber was Theodosiolus a noble man y â— sonne of a Senator being brought vnto Valens from Spayne who lost his heade Many for feare chaunged their names which theyr parents had geuen them at theyr comminge into y â— world denied themselues theyr owne names being in great perill daunger of their liues But of this matter thus much shal suffice CAP. XVI After the desease of Athanasius Peter became his successor but the Arians by the commaundement of the Emperour clapte Peter in prison and placed Lucius in the Bishopricke HEre we haue to learne that while Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria liued the Emperour through the prouidence of God tempered himselfe from troubling of Alexandria Aegipt because he vnderstoode y t there was a great multitude which would liue die w t Athanasius therfore he feared if AlexaÌ„dria were set on anvprore for it is a hot a hasty kind of people lest the coÌ„mon weale should therby greatly be annoyed Athanasius in y â— end after many skirmishes endured in the quarel of the church after he had bene bishop six forty years not without great hazard of his life departed out of this world in the Consulship of Probus the second of Gratianus left behind him Peter a godly and a zealous maÌ„ to succeede him Immediatly the Arians set vp themselues they brag boast of the Emperours religion in all the hast they certifie the Emperour who then continewed at Antioch of Athanasius death Euzoius also the Arian beinge then at Antioch determined with himselfe by reason of the opportunitie of the time in all the hast to ride into Alexandria for to coÌ„firme Lucius y
inhabiting Alexandria aboue y â— rest such as professed philosophie beholding the maner of the dealinge could no longer containe neither rule themselues but heaped new also farre more grieuous offences vnto the former acts of theirs being both tragicall exceeding in cruelty For all iointly ranne vpon a head they set vpon the Christians they sought to dispatch them euery kind of way the Christians went about to withstand their violence they defend themselues and so mischiefe was heaped vpon mischiefe the skirmish was so sore and the fraye continewed so longe vntill ether side was wery had their fill of bloodshed manslaughter could nowe kill no longer There died but a fewe of y â— Ethnicks yet a great number of the Christians of either side there was wounded an infinite number When all was ended the Ethnicks were wonderfully affraid of the Emperours displeasure Wherefore hauing committed such lewde acts as their horrible wickednes led them vnto and hauing quenched their boyling rage and fury with running streames of bloode and wounded bowells they runne away and hid themselues some in one place some in an other Many gaue the slip out of Alexandria beinge dispersed led their liues thenceforth in diuerse other cities of which number were Helladius Ammonius both GrammariaÌ„s whose scholer I my selfe was at CoÌ„stantinople in my youthly yeares Helladius was sayde to be the priest of Iupiter Ammonius the priest of the Ape which they worshipped for God Therefore the slaughter beinge thus ended the gouernour of Alexandria the captaine of the host came to ayd Theophilus in the ouerthrow of their temples â–ª the temples went downe the Idols of the Gods were turned into cawdrons and into other necessarie vessell for houshould stuff For the Emperour had geuen the images of the Gods throughout all the Idolatrical temples of Alexandria to the reliefe of the poore Theophilus going about to deface all the pictures of their Gods commaunded that one of some certaine God should be reserued and set vp in some publique place of the citie to the end the Ethnickes in processe of time should not be able to deny but that sometimes they worshipped such Gods I haue knowen Ammonius the grammarian to haue bene very much offended with that act to haue sayd that the religion of the Graecians sustained great iniury reproch because y â— one image was not in like sort traÌ„slated but kept of set purpose to the contumely of their religion Helladius boasted in y â— hearing of many how y â— in y â— skirmishe he slewe nine men with his owne handes These were then the broyles at Alexandria CAP. XVII Of the hieroglyphicall letters found engrauen in the temple of Serapis letters they were which yelded no sense by coniunction of syllable or knitting of sentence but were to be construed by the signification of the beastes which they resembled IN the temple of Serapis nowe ouerthroweÌ„ and rifled throughout there were found ingrauen in the stones certaine letters which they call Hieroglyphicall The maner of their ingrauinge resembled the forme of y â— crosse The which when both Christians Ethnicks beheld before them euery one applied them to his proper religion The Christians affirmed y â— the crosse was a signe or token of the passion of Christ and the proper cognizance of their professioÌ„ the Ethnicks auoutched that therein was contained somthing in coÌ„mon belonging as well to Serapis as to Christ that the signe of the crosse signified one thinge vnto the Ethnicks an other vnto the Christians While they contend thus about the interpretation of the letters many of the Ethnicks became Christians for they perceaued at length the sense and meaninge of the Hieroglyphicall letters that they prognosticated saluation the life to come The Christians perceauing that this made very much for their religion made great accompt thereof were not a litle proud of it When as by other Hieroglyphicall letters it was gathered that the temple of Serapis shoulde go to ruine when the signe of y â— crosse therein ingraueÌ„ came to light by that life to come was foreshewed many more embraced Christian religion confessed their sinnes were baptized Thus muche haue I learned of y â— crosse But verily I am not of the opinion that the Aegyptian priests foreseeing that which should come to passe of Christ should ingraue in stone the signe of the crosse for if the mysterie of Christs incarnation was hid from the begining of the world from many generations as the Apostle wryteth and concealed from the deuell the prince of all impiety howe much more from the Aegyptian priests his ministers but that in sifting out of y â— sense vnderstaÌ„ding of those characters it came to passe by the prouidence of God as in times past with the Apostle Sainct Paul For he being indued from aboue with the spirite of wisedome dealt with the Athenians in like sorte conuerted many of them vnto the faith while he read the senâ—ence that was ingrauen vpon the altare vnto the vnkowen God applied it to his purpose Vnlesse that peraduenture some man will say that the word of God wroughte so forcibly in the Aegyptian priestes as it did in Beldam and Caiphas For they were constrained against their wills to prophecy of good thinges So farre of these thinges CAP. XVIII Howe the Emperour Theodosius duringe the time of his abode at Rome did the citie muche good by remouinge the theeuishe dennes of the bakehouses and the infamous ringing of bells at the deed doing in the stewes THe Emperoure Theodosius althoughe he continewed but a litle while in Italie yet in that space did he much good vnto the Citie of Rome partely by geuinge that which was good and takinge awaye that which was ill For as he shewed himselfe bountifull and liberall towardes her in many thinges so hathe he remoued two thinges whiche were greate blemishes vnto that Citie The one was in this sorte There was at Rome a huge and a greate house of aunciente buyldinge where all the breade that serued the Citie was baked The maysters of this house the Romaynes called in they re owne tongue Mancipes such they were as serued all with breade by Greate who in processe of time turned those large rowmes to dennes of theeues For by reason the bakehouse that belonged vnto that buyldinge was vnder grounde and because that on euery side there were vittailers tauernes and tippling houses full of harlots and naughtypackes many that resorted thither partely for foode and vittails and partly also for the satisfieng of theyr filthye luste were craftely spoyled of all they had and moste commonlye dispatched so that their friendes could neuer heare tidinges of them againe A certaine priuie conueyance there was deuised to throw theÌ„ downe headlong from those bawdy tauernes into the blind bakehouse by this meanes many especially of the strauÌ„gers which inhabited Rome were cast away For aboue
ende it might be vnpossible for any after him to reuiue those olde dregges of Lecherye He fayned him selfe to be in a greate agonye accused him selfe of rashe dealinge and meere madnesse sayinge he was toe vayne glorious and by that meanes weyed not the vtilitye and profitte of the common weale in that he had taken awaye both foolishlye and wythout aduisement so large a tribute begonne so manye yeares agoe and continewed so longe a time not foreseeinge the discommodityes that ensued by reason of the wante thereof the charges for mayntenance of soldiers the strength of the common weale The tribute beinge as a fortresse to defende it the liberalitye risinge thence and turned to vpholde the seruice of God Laste of all makinge no man of his counsell he proclaymed that his will was the tribute shoulde be wholly restored againe therefore he called vnto him the olde receauers he tolde them that he was sorye for the burninge of the recordes that he knewe not what to doe howe to excuse his folly neyther what to deuise seeinge their registeries were consumed to ashes When as they vnfaynedlye and from the very heart bewayled their losse and the want of the ill gotten goods which came thereby into their hands and tolde him playnely that it was in manner vnpossible to restore the tribute againe he requested them to doe all their indeuor and to searche if happely they might finde amonge all the recordes that were in anye place preserued the order of demaundinge the taxe and tribute Wherefore he sent vnto euerye one of them his charges for searchinge the countreys and recordes and commaunded that euerye deede or scrole which made mention thereof where so euer it were founde shoulde be brought vnto him to th ende this taxe might be restored agayne in suche good order that it coulde neuer fall afterwardes into decaye Shortly after when these messengers of trust brought tydings what they had founde Anastasius was wonderfull glad and seemed to tickle at the heart for ioy he reioysed in deede because now he had brought about that which troubled him so muche What sayth he vnto them haue ye founde any recordes where found ye them be they to any purpose doe ye thinke there are any where any more left behinde they aunswered that their trauell had bene greate that they rode about daye and night that they had searched both towne and countrey and swore by the life of the Emperour that there was not left in al the empire of Rome not as much as a patch of any scrole that was not brought vnto him then the Emperour commaunded a pile to be made all the papers registers recordes bills and baudy notes to be set thereon and burned to ashes when the fire had done his part he gaue commaundement they should throwe water vpon the ashes either quite to drowne them or to driue theÌ„ away with the streame purposing fully by this means for euer to tread vnderfoot the scroles of the baudy tribute that neither sparcle neither ashes neither letter neither any memoriall shoulde remaine after the firing of the records But while we commend Anastasius so highly for banishinge this shamefull tribute lest we seeme ignorant what diuers men of old being wedded to their owne affections haue reported of him we thought good here to lay downe their sayinges and conuince them with their owne words CAP. XL. VVhat Zosimus wrote of Chrysargyrum the shamefull tribute and of Constantinus the Emperour ZOsimus one of them that was bewitched wyth the impious rites and abhominable seruice of Paganes beinge incensed against Constantinus because he was the first Emperour whiche forsooke the detestable Idolatrye of the Gentiles and embraced Christian religion reporteth howe that the tribute Chrysargyrum was firste deuised by him and decreed it should be payde euerye fourth yeare With infinite other sclaunders he goeth about to defame the godly and noble Emperour Constantine For sayth he he deuised mischiefes against all sorts of men of what degree or callinge so euer they were that he slewe his sonne Crist us verye lamentablye that he dispatched his wyfe Fausta by shuttinge her vp iâ— a boylinge bathe that when he woulde haue had his priests to purge him by sacrisice of these horrible murthers and coulde not haue his purpose for they had aunswered plainelye it laye not in their power to clense him he lighted by chaunce vpon an Aegyptian whiche came out of Iberia and perswaded him that the Christian fayth was of force to wipe away euerye sinne were it neuer so haynous and that he embraced willingly all what so euer the Aegyptian tolde him Laste of all that he forsakinge his cuntrey religion cleaued vnto impietye as this lewde varlet reporteth but that all these reports be no other then lyes and sclaunders I will immediately declare and so muche in the meane whyle of Chrysargyrum CAP. XII An inuectiue against Zosimus the Ethnick for reuiling of Constantine and rayliage at the Christians THou saist O wicked spirit and fiende of hell that Constantine purposinge to buylde a citie comparable to Rome layde the fundation of an ample and worthye citie firste in the cuntrey of Troie and the pallace of Priamus after the stones were layde and the wall beinge erected on high to haue espyed that Byzantium was a goodlier soyle for his purpose to haue enuironed it with a wall to haue enlarged the olde and auncient citie to haue adorned it with goodly and gorgeous buylding that it seemed not much inferior to Rome which grew by a litle and a litle the space and continuance of many yeares to that perfection she is of Thou saist moreouer that he gaue to the citizens of Byzantium a measure of grame that such as departed this world at Byzantium left him great summes of golde for to build and erect his pallaces Againe thou reportest I will vse thine owne wordes that the Emperiall scepter befell vnto Constantius after the death of Constantine his father and the deceasse of his bretherne that Constantius at what time Magnentius and Bretannio rebelled endeuored to perswade Bretannto to shake of armour that wheÌ„ both armies ioyned together he made an oration and put them in remembrance of the liberality bountifulnes of his father towards them vnder whose banner they had foyled many an host and receaued of him large rewards that the soldiers immediatly after y â— hearing of his oration tooke away the princely robe from Bretannio led him like a priuate man vnto Constantius who for all thou reuilest him with his father did him no hurt at all how it can be that so liberall and so bountifull a prince coulde be so great a karle and pinche peny as to raise of his subiects so wicked a tribute I can not see That he murthered neither Fausta nor Crispus neither was instruâ—â—ed in y â— misteries of our Christian religion by any Aegyptian at all heare I beseeche thee what Eusebius syrnamed Pamphilus who liued the same time both with Constantine and Crispus and had great familiaritye with them wroâ—e of that matter As for thy selfe thou writest suche thinges thou neuer heardest of and are farre from being true for thou wrotest long after to witte in the time of Arcadius and Honorius or after their raigne Eusebius in the eyght booke of his Ecclesiasticall historie writeth in this sort Not longe after Constantius the Emperour passinge all other throughout his life time
for all that he thrust Zeno beside the Emperiall scepter he was ouercome of him againe and lost his head As for Valens that persecuted the Christians I wil yeld take him to thee thou speakest of none other Let no man take this our discourse for impertinent stuffe or bayne digressiō it is both profitable for the reader and agreeable with our purpose because the heathenish historiographers of spite and malice haue endeuored to corrupt the true histories And nowe let vs returne vnto the rest of Anastasius raygne CAP. XLII Of Chrysotelia a kind of tribute deuised by Anastasius EUen as the acts mentioned before were nobly done of Anastasius and agreeable with the maiesty of an Emperour so there ensued immediatly after other doinges of his which darkned the commendation and renowne of the former For he deuised the tribute called Chrysotelia He made marchandise of the souldiers stipend and wages not without greate domage vnto the cōmon weale He tooke away from the courts and places of iudgement their tribute and reuenewes appoynted throughout euery city suche as they call Proctors or Attorneys through the procurment as they say of Marinus Syrus the chiefe Magistrate called Presidente of the haule Thereof it came to passe that the greater part of the tribute and reuenewes was lost the worship and honor of cities decayed For vnto that time y ◠names of the Senatours or Aldermen were matriculated and euery city counted of the benchers as of a Senate CAP. XLIII The rebellion and tyranny of Vitalianus VItalianus a Thracian rebelled against Anastasius ouerranne Thracia Mydia as farre as Odyssus and Anchialus marched towardes Constantinople with a greate multitude of people which had no certaine dwelling but roged about and lay in the fleldes the Emperour sent Hypatius to geue him battail But Hypatius being betrayed of his owne souldiers taken aliue and ransomed with a greate summe of money Cyrillus made expedition agayust him fought a daūgerous and a doubtfull fielde so that many beganne to flee Agayne when Cyrillus by pursuing after the enemy calling agayne his owne souldiers seemed to haue the vpper hand Vitalianus turned him vnto Cyrill and as the souldiers recoyled of spite he tooke him in Odyssus Last of all be inuaded the wholl cuntrey vnto Sycae destroying with sword and consuming with fire all that lay in his way purposing fully to take Constantinople and to be crowned Emperour As he pitched his campe in Sycae Marinus Syrus mentioned before went from the Emperour with a great nauy to geue him battaill Wherefore whē theyr armies came nigh together the ones front was towards Sycae the others towards Constantinople First that for a while they sturre not next they skirmish and florish vpon the water no otherwise then daliaunce In the ende they close theyr nauies fought a sore battaill about Bytharia where Vitalianus hauing lost the greater parte of his power was altogether discouraged and tooke his flight Away went his souldiers with all speede so that the day after there coulde not one of the souldiers be seene either passing ouer the seaes or wandering about the city The reporte goeth that Vitalianus abode a while in Anchialus and there liued quietly Furthermore an other sorte of Barbarians who likewise liued abroade cut ouer the seae and inuaded Pylas a city in Cappadocia About the same time Rhodos on a certaine night now the third time was shaken with a wonderfull great earthquake and in manner all ouerthrowen CAP. XLIIII VVhen Anastasius would haue had this clause who was crucified for our sakes added to the hymne called Trisagium the people were on an vprore so that he sent vnto them he would be no longer theyr Emperour the people with that were appeased Not long after Anastasius died ABout that time there was among the citizens of Constantinople a sore tumult and sediciō because the Emperour had added vnto theyr Trisagium who was crucified for our sakes as if the interlacinge of that clause had bene an ouerthrowe vnto Christian religion The captayne and ringeleader of this hurlyburly was Macedonius with the Priests of his diocesse as Seuerus wryting vnto Sotericus doth remember This Seuerus was not then made priest but liued in the Emperours pallace being not expulsed his monastery with the reste as I sayde before I take that Macedonius was banished not onely for the crimes he was falsely charged withall but also for this present sedition And when the people were furiously disposed because of the former clause not onely the nobility were in great daūger of theyr liues but also many goodly buyldings were set on fire The people in theyr rage founde a certaine Monke a rude and simple fellowe in the house of Marinus Syrus firste they strike his heade of his shoulders sayinge that through his procurement the aforesayde clause was interlaced afterwardes they tyed him to a longe poll and lifted him on high with great shoutinge in derision of him here is he that conspired againste the Trinitye The slame of sedition did so flash about and theyr behauiour was so outragious that the Emperour for sorowe wist not what to doe he threwe aside the Emperiall scepter came vnto the theatre sente the bedells about to proclaime that with good will he woulde be Emperour no longer that many in no wise were to be preferred to that rowme for y ◠place allowed but of one which was to succeede him in the Empire The people hearing of this chaunged theyr minds vpō a suddayne requested Anastasius to take the crowne and in so doing they woulde be quiete Anastasius shortely after this sturre departed this life when he had bene Emperour of Rome twentye seuen yeares three moneths and so many dayes The ende of the thirde booke of Euagrius Scholasticus THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORIE OF EVAGRIVS SCHOLASTICVS CAP. I. Of Iustinus the first Emperour of that name WHen Anastasius had chaunged the worse for the better life as I sayd before Iustinus a Thracian the nynth day of the moneth Panemus called of the Romaines Iulie the fiue hundredth threescore and sixte yeare after that the city of Antioch was so called tooke the gouernemēt of the Empire and was proclaimed Emperour by the pretoriā souldiers whose captaine he had bene what time he was maister of the hauliers He came vnlooked for vnto this Emperiall dignity for there liued thē many worthy personages of Anastasius alliance flowing in all welth and felicity and of that great power which accustometh to aduance and preferre men to that great honor and royalty CAP. II. Of Amantius the Eunuch and Theocritus and howe Iustinus put them to death ABout that time Amantius a man of greate power and chiefe of the Emperours chamber seing that no eunuch could be Emperour wished that Theocritus his sworne brother might attayne vnto y ◠Emperiall robe Wherfore he called Iustinus deliuered him a great summe of money bad him distribute it amonge such as he thought coulde doe
cities of whiche number some had bene vtterly destroyed some other for the most parte gone to ruyne that he set them foorthe with such maiestie with such ornamentes and with such workemanship both of publique and priuate buyldinge inuironinge them with stronge walls and other goodly buylding wherewith cities are adorned and the diuine Godheade honored in his throne of maiestye laste of all with so many conduites partely for profitte and partely for showe whereof some were then firste erected and some other repayred that nothinge could posibly be done more excellente Nowe I come to discourse of the affayres in Italie whereof some parte is artificially handeled by Procopius Rhetor. As soone as Theodorichus mentioned before tooke Rome vanquished Odoacer the tyrante gouerned the Romayne Empire for a while and departed this life Amalasuntha his wife gouerned the common weale in steede of Astalarichus her sonne whome Theodorichus begate vpon her and so ruled the Empire with such circumspection that in her doinges she seemed rather a man then a woman She firste of all perswaded Iustinianus to be so willing to warre with the Gotths and sent Embassadours vnto him toutching the conspiracye that was wroughte agaynste her But when Astalarichus being of very tender yeares departed this life Theodatus the kinsman of Theodorichus obtayned the Westerne Empire He at the comminge of Belissarius into the Weste deliuered vp the crowne for he had more minde to studye then skill to wage battaill At that time also Vittiges a valiaunte man was captayne of the Romayne power in the Weste dominions Yet we haue to learne by the historye of Procopius that when Belissarius came to Italye Vittiges lefte Rome that Belissarius came with his armye into the citye of Rome that the Romaynes opened theyr gates and receaued him moste willingelye for Siluerius the Byshop had broughte this to passe and had sente as toutching that matter Fidelius the Surueior of Astalarichus vnto Belissarius Wherefore the citie was yelded vnto Belissarius without shedinge one drope of bloode and Rome agayne was subdued by the Romaynes threescore yeares after the Gotths had taken it the nynth of Apellaeus after the Romaynes December and the eleuenth yeare of Iustinianus raygne Procopius wryteth moreouer howe that after all this when the Gotths besieged Rome a freshe Belissarius suspectinge Siluerius the Byshop of treason banished him into Greece and placed Vigilius in his rowme CAP. XIX Of the people Eruli how they receaued the Christian fayth in the time of Iustinian ABout the same time sayth Procopius Eruli who in the tyme of Anastasius the Emperour passed ouer the riuer Danubius beinge curteouslye entreated of Iustinian and rewarded with greate summes of moneye receaued euerye one from the highest to the lowest the Christian religion and chaunged theyr brutishe and barbarous trade of life for modeste and ciuill behauiour CAP. XX. Howe the Gotthes wonne Rome and Belissarius the seconde time recouered it VHe aforesayde author declareth that after the returne of Belissarius into Constantinople w t Vittiges the spoyle he caried out of Rome Totilas became Emperour and the city againe was subdued of the Gotths that Belissarius the second time came to Italy recouered Rome gaue the Medes battaill and was sent for by the Emperour to Constantinople CAP. XXI Howe the people Abasgi about that time receaued the faith IT is recorded moreouer by the same writer that the people Abasgi being brought vnto a more ciuill kinde of life receaued about that very time the Christian faith that Iustinianus the Emperour sente vnto them one Euphrata an Abasgian borne and of the courte Eunuches for to charge them that none of all that nation should offer violence to nature and gelde him selfe For the Emperours chamberlaines whome commonlye we call Eunuches were oftentimes taken of that nation Then also Iustinianus the Emperour erected a Temple vnto the Mother of God amonge the people Abasgi and ordayned them Priestes of whome they were throughly instructed in the principles of Christian religion CAP. XXII Of the people which inhabite Tanais howe then they became Christians and of the earthquakes in Greece Boetia and Achaia THe aforesayd historiographer hath wrytten y ◠the nation dwelling about Tanais the inhabitants of that region doe call the riuer that rumeth out of the fenne of Maeotis into Pontus Euxinus Tanais requested Iustinianus to sende them a Byshop that Iustinianus was very carefull of theyr sute and sente them a Bishop with harte and good will He declareth moreouer and that in good order howe the Gotths in the time of Iustinian brake out of the fenne of Maeotis into the Romayne dominions that there happened straunge earthquakes in Greece Boetia Achaia and the cuntreys about Crisaeus hauen that many regions were destroyed cities ouerthrowen chinkinge and gapinge of the earth whiche gulphes in some places closed together and in some other places continewed so still CAP. XXIII The expedition captaine Narsis made into Italie and his piety Godwardes PRocopius discourseth howe Iustinian sent captaine Narsis into Italy howe he ouercame Totilas afterwards Teias and howe Rome was now taken the fift time It was reported moreouer by suche as accompanied Narsis in that voyage howe that when he prayed vnto God and offered vnto him his bounden duetye and seruice the virgine Marie the Mother of God appeared vnto him prescribed the tyme when he shoulde deale with the enemye and that he should not girde him selfe to battaill before he had a signe geuen him from heauen Many other actes worthy of memory were done by this Narsis For he wonne Buselinus and Syndualdus and subdued many other cuntreys reaching vnto the Ocean sea Which things Agathius Rhetor hath wrytten of and be not as yet come into our handes CAP. XXIIII Howe Chosroes fretting with enuie at the prosperous affaires of Iustinianus tooke armour against the Romaynes destroyed many cities and among others great Antioch IT is layde downe in wrytinge by the same Procopius that Chosroes hearinge of the prosperous successes which befell vnto the Empire of Rome bothe in Libya and Italie fretted within him selfe for enuye and charged the Emperour that he had done certaine thinges contrary vnto the couenantes agreed vpon betwene them and therefore that theyr 〈◊〉 was broken that Iustinianus at the firste sente Embassadours vnto Chosroes entreatinge him not to breake the perpetuall league that was concluded neyther to dissolue that linke of loue and peace that was knit betwene bothe cuntreys but if there were any rashe enterprise committed or any quarelous occasion geuen it mighte friendely and louingely be put vp That Chosroes of spite and malice whiche boyled within his breste woulde by no meanes be broughte to any good order but gathered a greate armye and assaulted the marches of the Romayne dominions in the thirteenth yeare of Iustinianus raygne He wryteth moreouer howe that Chosroes tooke Surus a citye vpon the shore of Euphrates who couenantinge with them one way dealte with them an
vvere furiously prouoked prosecuting vs vvith like hatred that the Scripture might be fulfilled vvhich saith â–ª he that is vvicked let him be vvicked still and he that is iust let him vvorke righteousnes still for as many as vvere choked vp vvith the noysome stinche of the prison vvere throvvne to be deuoured of dogges charging a continual vvatch day and night that none of them shoulde be buried of vs and they gathering together the reliques of the Martyrs bodies some vndeuoured of beastes some vnburned by fire partly torne and partly burned vvith the heades and stumpes of others vncouered vvith earthe committed them for the space of many dayes vnto the custody of souldiers others fretted and â—umed snarling at them vvith the gnashing of their teeth seeking further reuengement of them others derided and skoffed them magnifying their Idolls as causers of this our calamitie And such as vvere of a milder nature and somevvhat sorovved at our suffering vehemently reuiled and sayd vvhere is their God and vvhat profited them this religion vvhich they preferred before their liues and such vvas the variable and deuelish disposition of the infidells to our great sorovve because that it vvas not lavvfully permitted for vs to bury the deade bodies of the Martyrs neither stoode the night vnto vs in any steade for that purpose nether vvoulde the keepers bovve for money neither bende at our prayer but kept the brused carkases of the Sainctes as if some great commoditie grevve vnto them by keeping them vnburyed Againe after a fewe lynes thus they write To be short after that the bodyes of the blessed Sainctes had bene euery kinde of vvay spitefully and scornfully entreated lying vvhole six dayes along vnburied at length they vvere burned to ashes the ashes also they gathered scattered in the riuer Rhodanus vvhich passed by so that no iote or relique thereof shoulde longer remaine vppon earthe this they did to the ende they might ouercome God and hinder the reuiuing of the Sainctes lest that as they sayd there shoulde be any further hope of the resurrection vvhereof say they the Christians being fully persvvaded bring amongst vs straunge nevve religion they contemne punishment hasten them selues chearefully vnto death Novv let vs see vvhether they can rise and vvhether their God can helpe and deliuer them from our handes CAP. II. How the blessed Martyrs of God recâ—â—â—ed after repâ—â—â—ance such as fell in 〈◊〉 â–ª SUch were the calamities which happened vnto the Churches of Christ vnder the sayd Emperour whereby me may 〈◊〉 by all likely hoode what befell vnto other prouinces neither shal it be amisse if out of the same epistle we alleadge farther testimony concerning the mercy and mekenesse of the foresayd Martyrs written in this manner They vvere such follovvers of Christ vvho vvhen he vvas in the forme of God thought no robbery to be equall vvith God that being sett in such a glory they suffered torments neither once nor tvvyse but often and againe being reskued from the beastes hauing the prynt of hott irons and skarres and vvoundes in their bodies neither called they them selues Martyrs neither permitted others so to terme them but if any of vs so named them in our epistles they sharply rebuked vs they attributed the name of martyrdome vvith full minde vnto Christ vvho vvas the faythfull and true Martyr the first frutes of the deade the guyde vnto life they called to minde their miserable torments vvhich ended the race and course of this life vvith blessed martyrdome and saide They novv are Martyrs vvhome Christe voutchsafed to receaue vnto him by confession and through the passage of this persecuted life to seale their martyrdome among the number of the blessed Sainctes but vve are meane and base and humble confessours they beseached the brethren vvith vvatrish eyes and vvett cheekes to pray incessantly for their happy endes they expressed liuely the povver of martyrdome vvhile they resisted the Heathens vvith libertye and boldenesse shevving their noble corage through pacience their constancy vvithout feare or trembling and being called Martyrs of the brethren refused it vvith the fulnesse of the feare of God And a litle after thus they writâ— they humbled them selues vnder the mighty hande of God by the vvhich they are novv highly exalted they rendred vnto all men an accompt in the defence of their fayth they accused none loosed all and bounde no man they prayed for their persecutors after the example of Stephan that perfect Martyr vvhich sayde Lorde lay not this sinne to their charge if he prayed for them that stoned him hovv much more for the brethren Againe a litle after they say the greatest combatt they had vvith him meaning the serpent vvas for the syncerity of loue so that the roring lyon being foyled before novv quickened and sturred vp such as he thought to haue had deuoured they shevved no insolent atrogancye tovvards them that fell but ministred vnto such as vvanted of their aboundance being affectioned vvith motherly pity and compassion tovvards them and sheading many teares vnto God the father for their sakes they craued life and he graunted it them vvhich life they communicated to their neighboures and so they passing as Conquerours in all thinges embracing peace and shevvinge the same vnto vs departed this life vvith peace and posted vnto the heauenly celestiall paradise leauing no griefe behinde them vnto the mother no sedition or vvarre vnto the brethren but ioye and peace and concorde and loue I suppose these thinges not to be vnprofitably spoken of vs toutching the loue of the blessed Martyrs towardes the brethren that fell whereby we may note the vnnaturall and mercylesse mindes of such as after these examples greeuously afflicte the members of Christ CAP. III. Of the vision that appeared vnto Attalus the Martyr in his sleepe THe same epistle of the foresayd brethren contayneth an history worthy of memory which without let of the enuious may be layd downe to the knowledge of the Reader and it is thus There vvas among them one Alcibiades vvho liued beastly and miserly feeding only on breade and vvater VVhen he had so determined vvith him selfe to liue in prison it vvas reuealed vnto Attalus after his torment on the Theatre that Alcibiades behaued not him selfe aright in that he vsed not the lavvfull creatures of God and thereby also gaue an occasion of falling vnto others hereof vvhen Alcibiades vvas persvvaded he vsed all indifferently and praysed God for they vvere not destitute of the grace of God but had the holy Ghost for their directer of these thinges thus much When as Montanus and Alcibiades and Theodotus then fresh and first of all of many throughout Phrygia were thought to be endued with the gyfte of prophecye for many other miraculous operations wrought by the diuine power of God in many places perswaded them that these had also the gifte of prophecye and because of them sedition was raysed agayne the
is practised in this levvd fact of theirs ether they persvvade them selues that the holie scriptures vvere not endited by the instinct of the holy ghost so are they infidels or else they thinke thē selues vviser thē the holy ghost vvhat other thing do they in that then shevv thē selues possessed of a deuill they cā not deny this their bold enterprise for they haue vvrittē these things vvith their ovvne hands they can not shevv vs vvho instructed them vvho deliuered them such scriptures vvhence they trāslated their copie◠diuerse of them voutchsafe not to corrupt the scriptures but flattly they denie the lavve and the prophetes vnder pretense of their detestable and impious doctrine of fayned grace they fall into the bottomlesse gulfe of perdition but of them thus muche shall suffice The ende of the fyft booke THE SIXT BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF EVSEBIVS PAMPHILVS BISHOP OF CAESAREA IN PALAESTINA CAP. I. Of the persecution vnder the Emperour Seuerus WHen as Seuerus persecuted the churche of God there were noble martyrdomes of suche as suffered for the profession of the true faith ▪ but speciallye at Alexandria whither chosen champions out of Aegypt and all Thebais as vnto a moste notable Theatre of God were brought and after a moste pacient sufferance of simdry tormentes and diuerse kindes of deathe were crowned of God with garlandes of immortalltie Of this number was Leonides called the father of Origen and there beheaded who left his sonne very yonge and of tender yeares howe also he was disposed and affected towardes Christian religion from that tyme forth it shall not be at this tyme vnseasonably written Specially for that he is famous and renowned throughout the whole worlde Some man will saye it is no small peece of worke to printe in paper the lyfe of this man and that it will require a whole volume to it selfe but at this present cutting of many things vsing as muche breuitie as may be we will runne ouer certaine thinges which concerne him selected out of their epistles and histories which were his familiars whereof some lyued in our tyme and reported certaine things of him To be short we will declare suche things as shall seeme worthye of memorie and that were done from his cradell vnto this tyme. Seuerus then had ended tenne yeares Laetus then gouerned Alexandria and the rest of Aegypte ▪ Demetrius lately after Iulianus had taken vpon him the ouersight of the congregations there CAP. II. Origen desirous of Martyrdome was in greate daunger and beyng delyuered he professed diuinitie at Alexandria with earnest studie and led a maruaylous honest lyfe THe heate of persecution was very vehemēt an infinite number of persons were crowned with Martyrdome when as Origen yet verye yonge bare in his minde a feruent desire of Martirdome so that he hazarded himselfe skipped and brake forth and coueted voluntarily to be doyng in that daungerous combatt Yea narrowsie did he escape for it had coste him his life had not the diuine and celestiall prouidence of God stayed him by the meanes of his mother to the further commoditie and profite of many She at the firste entreated him with manye wordes to tender hir motherly affection but perceauing him to be more vehemently incensed and kindled ▪ knowing his father to be kept in close prison and wholly minded to suffer Martyrdome she constrayned him to remaine at home hydinge from him all his apparrell He then being able to do no other thinge more prompte in minde than rype in yeares could not reste wrote vnto his father a letter in the whiche he exhorteth him thus O father faynt not neither imagin◠amisse bicause of vs. Let this be the firste token of the industrie and syncere minde of Origen in his childhood towards christian religiō set forth in this our history ▪ for he beyng of a child trained vp exercised in holy scripture shewed then no small signes of the doctrine of faith his father furthered him not a little to the knowledge of them when as besides the studie of liberall artes he instructed him in these not as the lesser parte For first of all before the exercise of prophane literature he instructed him in holy Scripture and demaunded of him daily a certaine taske of that he learned and rehearsed And this trade was not vnprofitable for him being a child but he grewe therby vnto such facility and promptnes that he contented not him selfe with the bare and casual reading of the words but sought farther searching the perfect and profound vnderstanding therof so that diuers times he would set his father demaunding of him what was meant by this that place of holy Scripture But his father checked him to his face in outward sight admonishing him not to search ought aboue the capacity of his yeares more then plaine letter gaue to vnderstand Yet to him selfe he reioyced greatly yelding vnto God the author of all goodnes harty thankes for that he had made him the father of such a sonne The report goeth that the father often vncouered the breast of his sonne in his sleepe and solemnly kissed it as if the holy ghost had taken there the inner parte for his priuy closset and thought him selfe happy of such an ofspringe These and the like thinges they remember to haue happened vnto Origen being yet a childe When his father dyed a Martyr he was left an orphane of the yeares of seuenteene with his mother and other children his brethren to the number of six his father◠substance was confiscated to y ◠Emperours treasorie y ◠want of necessaries pinched him together with his mother brethren he casteth his care vpon the diuine prouidence of God he is receaued and refreshed of a certain matrone which was very ritch also religious which harbored in her house a certaine man of Antioche an errant heretike of the sect then fresh at Alexandria one that was accepted of her for her sonne and deare friende Origen then of necessitie vsing his company shewed forth manifest proofes of his cleaning fast vnto y ◠right and true faith For when as an infinite multitude not only of heretikes but also of the true faith frequented vnto Paulus so was he called for he was counted a profounde and a wise man he could not be perswaded to be present with him at prayers but obserued the canon of the Church from a childe and detested ▪ as he witnesseth him selfe in a certaine place the doctrine of heretikes he was of his father absolutely instructed in the profane learning of y ◠Gentils but after his fathers death he applied a litle more diligently the study of rhetoricke and hauing before meanely applied humanity now after the death of his father he so addicteth him vnto it that in short space he got sufficiency to serue his turne both tollerable for the time correspondent to his yeares for he being idle at schole as he
sundry tymes for the holy ornaments and treasure of the Churche what pride and ambicion raygned in many of them howe rashly and vnlawfully they handled diuerse of the brethren what schismes were raysed among the confessors them selues what mischieues certayne sedicious persons of late stirred vp agaynst the members of the Church which were remnants whilest that dayly with might and mayne as commonly we say they endeuored to excogitate new deuises one after an other howe that vnmercifully they destroyed and brought all to nought with the lamentable estate of bitter persecution and to be short heaped mischiefe vpon mischiefe all these aforesayd I minde to passe ouer with silence supposing it not to be our part as I haue sayde in the beginning of this booke eyther to rehearse or recorde them in as much as I am wholy bent and carefully minded to ouerslipp and conceale the memoriall of them yet if there be any laudable thinges any thing that may seeme to set forth the word of God any worthy act or famous doings florishing in the Churche I take it to be my speciall and bounden dutie to discourse of these to write these often to inculcate these in the pacient eares of the faythfull Christians and to shutt vp this booke with the noble acts of the renowmed Martyrs and with the peace whiche afterwardes appeared and shined vnto vs from aboue When the seuenth yeare of the persecution raysed agaynst vs was nowe almost at an ende and our affayres beganne by a litle and as it were by stelth to growe vnto some quiet staye ease and securitye and nowe leaned vnto the eyght yeare in the whiche no â–ª small multitude of confessors assembled them selues together at the myne pitts in Palaestina who freely occupied them selues in the rites and ceremonyes of Christian religion so that they transformed their houses into Churches the President of the prouince being a cruell and a wicked man as his mischieuous practises agaynst the Martyrs of Christ doe proue him for no other made a voyage thyther in all the haste and hearing of their doinges their trade of life and conuersation made the Emperour by his letters priuey thereunto paynting forth in the same such thinges as he thought woulde disgrace discredit and defame the good name of those blessed confessors Whereupon the maister of the myne pitts and mettalls came thyther and by vertue of the Emperours commaundement seuereth asunder the multitude of confessors so that thenceforth some should continew at Cyprus some other at Libanus and others also in other places of Palaestina and commaunded that all shoulde be weryed and vexed with sundry toyles and labour â–ª afterwards he picked out foure of the chiefe of them and sent them vnto the iudge of the which two of them were called Peleus and Nilus Bishops of Aegypt the thirde was a minister the fourth annexed vnto these was Patermythius a man wonderfully beloued for his singuler zeale towardes all men in Gods behalfe all whiche the Iudge requested to renounce Christ and his religion who when they obeyed not and seeing him selfe frustrated of his purpose gaue sentence they shoulde be tyed to a stake and burned to ashes others some againe of the confessors being not fitt for that labour and seruice by reason eyther of their heauye olde age or vnprofitable members or other infirmities of the bodye were released and charged to dwell in a seuerall and solitary place of whiche number Siluanus Bishop of Gaza was the chiefe who liuely expressed vnto all the worlde a godly shewe of vertue and a notable paterne of Christianitie this man from the firste daye of the persecution and in maner vnto the laste duringe all that space was famous for the sundry and manifolde conflictes he suffered after infinite examinations and reserued vnto that very moment to the ende he being the last might seale vp with his bloode all the conflictes of the Martyrs slayne in Palaestina there were released and partakers with him of the same affliction many Aegyptians one was Iohn who also in fame renowne excelled all the meÌ„ of our time Who although he was blind before yet the tormeÌ„tors were so truel so fierce so rigorous y â— for his great constaÌ„cy in professing y â— name of Christ they maymed with a burning sawe his left legge as the other confessors were vsed before and seared the aple of the eye bereued already of the sight with an hott scaldinge iron Let no man maruell at all at his good conuersation and godly life though he were blinde in so much that his maners deserued not such admiration as his gift of memorie where he had printed whole bookes of holy scripture not in tables made of stone as the holy Apostle sayth neyther in the â—ydes of beástes parchement or paper which moth corrupteth the time weareth awaye but in the fleshly tables of the hart that is in the prudent memory and sincere vnderstanding of the minde so that when it seemed good vnto him he was able out of the closett of his minde as if it were out of a certaine treasury of good learning to alleadge repeat y â— Law the Prophets sometimes the histories at other times the Euangelists and workes of the Apostles I confesse truely that when first I sawe the man stande in the middest of the congregation and assembly and hearde him recite certaine places of holy Scripture I wondred at him For as longe as I hearde his voice sounde in mine eares so long thought I as the maner is at solemne meetinges that one read out of a booke but when that I came neerer vnto him and sawe the trueth as it was all other stand in compasse with whole open and sounde eyes and him vsinge none other but onely the eye and sight of the minde and in very deed vtteringe many thinges much like vnto a Prophete and excelling in many thinges many of them which enioyed their senses sounde and perfect I coulde not chuse but magnifie God therefore and maruell greatly thereat â—e thought I sawe liuely tokens and euident argumentes that he was a man in deed not after the outward appearance or fleshly eye of man but accordinge vnto the inner sense and secret vnderstandinge of the minde â–ª the which expressed in this man though his body were mayned and out of fashioÌ„ greater power of his inward giftes God himselfe reachinge vnto these men mentioned before and continewinge in seuerall places and executinge their wonted trade of life in prayer and fasting with the rest of their godly exercises the right hand of his mercy and succor graunted them through martyrdom to attaine vnto an happy and a blessed ende But the deuell enemy and sworne aduersary of mankinde colde no longer away with them for that they were armed and fenced against him with prayers continewally poured vnto God but went about as he imagined to vexe them and to cut them of from the face of the earth For
Many excellent notable men were then apprehended and grieuously plagued because they refused to be partakers of their communion yea after torments they were constrayned by force to communicate with them for they stretched wide open and gagged their mouthes they popped in the mysteries such as were thus handled tooke it farre more grieuous then all the other torments they trayled women children by maine force into their communion if any refused or gaynesayd their doings immediatly they were scurged after stripes imprisoned and in the ende compelled to endure more bitter torments Whereof I will alleadge one or two examples whereby the woodnes and crueltie both of Macedonius and also of others who at that time were renowmed and famous for such lewde feates may euidently appeare vnto the whole worlde Of the women that denied to communicate with them some were layd along in chestes and at the lidds their breastes sawed of some other had their papps burned with searing irons glowing hott and with egges laid therunto that were rosted so harde that they scalded for heate These newe kinde of torments neuer heard of before among Pagans Ethnicks were practised of these men which professed christianitie These things I my selfe haue heard Auxanon of whome I spake in my first booke reporte being a very old man who though he was a priest of the Nouatian Church yet suffred he very much of the Arians before he had entred into orders He reported how that together with Alexander Paphlagon who led a very straict and seuere kinde of life after the same sorte with him he was imprisoned scurged and endured many torments that Alexander after the grieuous lashes of the whipp dyed in prison and was buried nigh the sea shore on the right hand as ye goe to Byzantium hauen called Ceras by interpretation an horne where there is a Nouatian Church bearing the name of Alexander They destroyed at the commaundement of Macedonius not onely other Churches in other cities but also the Nouatian Church within the citie of Constantinople nigh the signe of the storke but why I made mention of this seuerally at this tyme as I hearde with mine owne eares of Auxanon an olde graybearde now I am about to declare By the commaundement of the Emperour and the cruelty of Macedonius it was proclaymed that the churches of such as embraced y ◠creede containing y ◠clause of one substance should be throwen downe euen to y ◠foundations this law being ioined w t y ◠violēce of Macedonius proceaded to y ◠ouerthrow also of this church such as were appoynted to bring these feates to passe busily occupied their braynes and promptly dispatched them I can not chuse but greatly maruell at the Nouatian secte to see what singuler affection they bare vnto their Churche and what charitable minde such as then were deposed by the Arians but nowe enioy their Churches in peace shewed towards them For as soone as the commissioners for the suppressing of Churches had geuen the onsett immediatly a great number of Nouatians and diuers others which maintayned the doctrine of one substance pulled downe that Church remoued it to an other place and there erected it againe The place is situate right ouer against the citie and at this day called Sycae it is the thirtenth porcion of the prouince of Cōstantinople The church was remoued in a very short space by reason that so great a multitude of people with great good will and promptnes of minde sett to their helping handes for one caryed the tyles an other the stones the thirde the timber others conueyed other stuffe into Sycae The women also and the children were a furtherance to the buylding for they thought their prayers woulde be the sooner hearde and to profitt them selues very much in that they imployed their labor and industrie to the consecration of buylding vnto the Lorde In that sorte the Church of the Nouatians was translated to Sycae but after that Constantius being dead Iulianus the Emperour commaunded that the place where the Church aforetime had bene buylded shoulde be giuen to the Nouatians The people againe in such sort as before went about the buylding of the Church and the translating of the stuffe into the place where it stoode at the first and being builded farre more gorgeous then it was at the first they called it after the name of the resurrection That Church as I sayd before was the thirde time buylded in the raigne of Iulianus At that time both the true Catholiks and the Nouatians were a like handled And because the true christians abhorred the temples where the Arians frequented they resorted together with the Nouatians vnto three other Churches for the Nouatians had so many Churches permitted them in that city and there they deuoutly serued God together litle there was to the contrary but that they had bene linked together in the bonde of vnitie and concorde had the Nouatians not refused to retayne their olde mind from the which they had fallen But as toutching other matters ech embraced other with such singuler affection entire loue that one was ready to hazard his life for the other They were molested together not onely at Constantinople but also in other cities and prouinces In a while after Eleusius who lately had bene placed Bishop of Cyzicum imitating the steppes of Macedonius armed him selfe against the Christians afflicted them euery where tormented them grieuously he made the Nouatian Church which was at Cyzicum euen with the grounde and Macedonius gaue the last stroke and finall conclusion to the haynous offences which he committed For vnderstanding that there were many both at Paphlagonia and Mantinium of the Nouatian opinion which coulde by no meanes commodiously be remoued by Ecclesiasticall authoritie he procured that foure bands of souldiers at the Emperours commaundement should be sent into Paphlagonia to the ende the inhabitants might be terrified with the great shewe of glistering armour and thereby brought to embrace the Arian heresie But such as inhabited Mantinium being kindled with an earnest zeale towards Christian religion went agaynst the souldiers with chearefull mindes and valiant courage after they had mustred together a greate host they all marched forwards to battell some had taken in their hande long hedging bills some axes some other mett by chaunce with rusty armour When they ioyned together and came to handygriping many of the Paphlagonians were beaten downe the souldiers fewe onely excepted were slaine euery one Although there be many of the Paphlagonians which presently can report y ◠same yet haue I heard it of a certaine husbandman of Paphlagonia who had bene present him selfe at the skirmishe and borne away many blowes And though Macedonius had wrought many such notable feates as he thought in the behalfe of religion where slaughter and battell and bondage and ciuill dissentions fell out yet that haynous offence of his procured vnto him and that most iustly great hatred not
raysed of Iohn For the cōspiracie and wayte he layd for Iohn could do longer be concealed and though it was diuersly found out yet specially in that he cōmunicated with Dioscorus and his brethren called Longe immediatly after the deposition of Iohn Seuerianus also as he preached in the church thought now he had fit opportunitie geuen him to inuey against Iohn he sayde playnely though Iohn were conuicted of no crime yet was he iustly deposed for his insolent and hautie behauiour that all sinnes were to be forgiuen yet as holy scripture bare witnesse that God resisted the proude With the hearinge of these and suche lyke contumelious phrases recited the people was the more prone to contention Wherefore the Emperour in all the hast caused Iohn agayne to be sent for and to returne to Constantinople Briso being the messenger he was an Eunuche of the Empresse found him at Prenetum a mart towne ouer agaynst Nicomedia and brought him to Constantinople But for all he was thus called home from exile yet purposed he with him selfe not to treade within the citie afore he were proued and founde innocent by the censure of the hygher Iudges therefore he continewed a whyle in the suburbes called Marianae When that he lyngered from returnynge into the Cytie the multitude tooke it grieuouslye and forthwith fell a reuilinge of the Magistrates Wherefore of necessitie he was constrayned to come home the people went forth to meete him they bring him to the church w t great reuerence they request him to continew their bishop and thenceforth after the vsuall maner to praye for the peace and prosperous estate of the church of God When that he refused so to doe and pleaded for him selfe that it must not so be afore his cause were hearde of indifferent Iudges the deposers had chaunged their mind absolued him they were the more desirous for they longed to see him stalled againe in the bishops seae and preache afreshe vnto the people To be short the people cōpelled him so to doe When that Iohn was placed in the bishops seate and prayed after the accustoined maner for peace vnto the people and congregations throughout the worlde he was constrayned also to preache The which thinge ministred occasion vnto the aduersaries to accuse him againe although for a while they suffred it to lye for deade CAP. XV. Howe that when Theophilus woulde haue Heraclides matter hearde in his absence and Iohn resisted it the citizens of Constantinople and Alexandria went together by the eares so that Theophilus with other bishops was fayne to leaue the citie and flye away IN the meane space Theophilus went craftely aboute for to call into question the consecratinge of Heraclides to the ende he myght thereby if it were possible finde matter to charge Iohn afreshe and so to depose him the seconde tyme. Heraclides for all he was not present yet they proceede againste him they laye to his charge that he had iniustly punished certaine persons imprisoned them last of all lead them throughout the open streetes of Ephesus to be ignominiously derided When Iohn made answere that of ryght no man ought to be iudged in his absence without the presence of the partie and the hearinge of his owne cause the people of Alexandria brged very earnestly that the accusers of Heraclides were to be hearde for all he him selfe were absent Herevpon there rose greate strife and contention betweene the citizens of Constantinople and the inhabitants of Alexandria And while they skirmishe one with the other many were sore wounded and diuers also presently dispatched When the heade of this combatt was past and the trueth come to light Theophilus gott him in all the hast to Alexandria the other bishops ranne likewise away fewe onely excepted which helde with Iohn and repaired euery one to his owne bishopricke After that these thinges were thus come to passe euery man was readie to speake ill of Theophilus The hatred grew and increased agaynst him dayly because he sticked not studiously to peruse the workes of Origen secretly though openly he condemned them And being demaunded why he made so much of the bookes he had lately condemned his answere was that the bookes of Origen were like meddowes clad with euery kinde of flowers therefore sayeth he if I finde in them ought that is good I cull it out if otherwise bryers or brambles I sett nought by them because of their prickes This was the answere of Theophilus when he called not to remembrance the saying of the wise man that the wordes and counsells of sages resemble very much prickinge thornes and that such as are toutched therewith ought not to kicke agaynste the pricke The aforesayde causes made Theophilus to be hated of all men Dioscorus Bishop of Hermopolis one of these religious men which commonly were called Longe departed this lyfe shortly after the departure of Theophilus into Alexandria and enioyed an honorable funerall at the Church called the Oke where the Councell was summoned for the hearinge of Iohns cause Iohn gaue him selfe wholly to teache and to preache vnto the people he made Serapion who had procured vnto him great hatred bishop of Heraclea a citie of Thracia CAP. XVI Howe the picture of Eudoxia was erected all of siluer with playes and spectacles Iohn reprehended the authors that did the whole was therfore banished SHortly after such things as followe ensued A siluer picture couered with a mantell of Eudoxia the Empresse was set vp vpon a pillour of redd marble The place of this erected pillour was not very nygh the church called VVisdome neither very farte of onely the broade streete went betwene the picture the church There were cōmon playes showes as the maner was celebrated Iohn supposing verely that these things redounded to the great sclaunder and infamie of Christian religion not forgetting his wonted audacitie and libertie of speache prepared him selfe for the authors therof and in steede of the exhortation he should haue vsed to the perswasion or rather the reformation of the princes and magistrates he skoffed with nipping tauntes at such as had caused those vanities to be solemnized The Empresse likewise applying these things to her selfe supposing that all was vttered to her disgrace and reproche procured an other Councell of bishops to be called together agaynst him Iohn vnderstanding of this made that famous notable sermon in the church which beginneth in this sort Herodias rageth afreshe stomacketh anewe daunceth againe seeketh as yet the head of Iohn in a platter This sermon made the Empresse mad set her on fire against him Not long after the bishops met there together Leontius bishop of Ancyra in Galatia the lesser Ammonius bishop of Laodicea a citie in Pisidia Briso bishop of Philippis in Thracia Acacius bishop of Beroea in Syria w t diuers others The accusers which lately charged Iohn with haynous crimes are nowe brought forth before these bishops Iohn trusting to the iust
his sonne and for his familiaritie with Pamphilus martyr he was called Eusebius Pamphilus So farre Ierome THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF EVSEBIVS PAMPHILVS BISHOP OF CAESAREA IN PALESTINA The proëme of Eusebius to his Historye THE successions of the holy Apostles together vvith the tymes from our Sauiour vnto vs hither to continevved and those things vvhich are sayd to be done according vnto the Ecclesiasticall historye vvhat they are hovve greate and vvho decently haue gouerned the Churche specially in the most famous prouinces also vvho in all ages haue set forth the heauenly doctrine eyther by preaching or by vvriting and agayne vvhat men hovve many vvhen through desire of noueltye and error falling into extremityes haue published them selues Authors of knovvledge falsely so called cruelly rent a sunder as rauening vvolues the flocke of Christ moreouer vvhat euils forthvvith haue fallen vpon the vvholeâ—ation of the Ievves because of their conspiracye against our Sauiour and againe hovvmany by vvhat meanes and in vvhat times the vvorde hath bene of the Gentils striuen against and vvhat singuler men in all tymes haue passed and gone throughe bitter conflicts for his name sake euen by sheding of their bloode and suffring of torments and beside â–ª all this the martyrdomes done in our tyme together vvith the mercifull and comfortable ayde of our Sauiour tovvardes euery one louingly exhibited I determining to publishe in vvriting vvill not beginne of any other place my entraunce then of the first order in doinge or dispensation of our Sauiour and Lorde Iesus Christ â–ª but truely the circumstance it selfe euen in the beginning craueth pardon being greater then our strength can sustayne I confesse in deede that vvhich vve promise to be absolute and that vvhich vve professe to omitte nothing to be a thinge incomprehensible For vve first taking this argument in hande endeuoringe to treade a solitary and vntroden vvaye praying that God may be our guyde and the povver of our Lorde and Sauiour our present helper and ayder yet can vve no vvhere finde as much as the bare steppes of suche as haue passed the same path before vs hauinge onely smaâ—â— shevves and tokens vvherevvith diuers here and there in their seueral tymes haue lefte vnto vs particuler declarations as it vvere certaine sparcles vvhilest that they lift their voyces from farre and from aboue from vvhence as from an highe place and inuisible crying as out of a certayne vvatchtovver horne vvhat vvaye vve ought to goe and hovve to directe vvithout error and daunger the vvay and order of our talke vvhatsoeuer thinges therefore vve thinke profitable for this present argument choosing those thinges vvhich of them are here and there mentioned and as it vvere culling and gathering the commodious and fitt sentences of such as haue vvritten of olde as flovvres out of medovves bedecked vvith reason vve vvill endeuour in shevving the vvay of historye to compact the same as it vvere into one body being also desirous to retayne from obliuion the successions althoughe not of all yet of the most famous Apostles of 〈◊〉 Sauiour according vnto the Churches most notable and yet freshe had in memorye I suppose verily that I haue taken in hand an argument very necessary because that I haue fouâ—â— no vvhere any Ecclesiasticall â—…ter vvhich in this behalfe vnto this day hath imployed any parte of diligence I hope 〈◊〉 it vvilbe a very profitable vvorke for the studious thâ— is earnenestly sett to knovve the vtilitie of this historye And of these thinges heretofore vvhen that I compiled certayne Chronicall Canons I vvrote an Epitome but the more ample declaration thereof I thought good to reserue vntill this present â–ª and the beginning as I sayd vvill I take of the dispensation and diuinity of our Sauiour Christ higher and deeper to be considered then that vvhich concernes his humanity for it is requisite for him that comitteth to vvriting an Ecclesiastical historye thence to beginne euen from the chiefe dispensation of Christ deuiner then it seemeth to many in so much that of him vve are termed Christians T. V. CAP. I. A summarye recit all of thinges concerning the diuinitie and humanitie of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ BEcause therefore the consideration of the maner in Christ is two folde the one consisting as a head on the bodye by the which he is vnderstoode God the other to be pondered with paces by the which he hath put on man like vnto vs subiecte to passions for our saluations sake We shal make a right rehersal of those thinges which folowe if that first we begin the declaration of the whole history from them which are principal and most proper pillers of this doctrine In the meane space the auncientrie and dignitie of Christian Antiquitie shal against them be declared which suppose this religion newe straunge of late and neuer hearde of before but to declare the generation dignitie essence and nature of Christe no speache can sufficiently serue sithence that the holy Ghost in the prophets hath testified His generation vvho shal be able to declare for the father no man hath knovven but the sonne neither at any time hath any knovven the sonne vvorthely but the father alone vvhiche begate him This light going before the worlde and all worlde 's the intellectual and essentiall wisdome and the liuing worde of God being in the beginning with the father who but the father alone hath rightly knowen which is before euery creature and workemanship both of visible and inuisible thinges the first and only sonne of God chiefe captayne of the coelestiall rationall and immortall hoaste the Angel of the great counsel executour of the secrete will of the father maker and worker of all thynges together with y â— father whiche after the father is cause and auctor of all thinges the true and only begotten sonne of God Lorde md God and King of all thinges whiche are created receauing dominion and rule of the father hy the same diuinitie power and glorye for according to the mysticall diuinitie concerning him in the scripture In the beginning vvas the vvorde and the vvorde vvas vvith God and God vvas the vvorde â–ª the same vas in the beginning vvith God â–ª all thinges vvere made by it and vvithoutit vvas nothing made that vvas made The same doth Moses the most auncient of al the prophets testifie for describing by inspiration of the holy spirite the substance and disposition of the vniuersall worlde he sheweth the framer and workeman of all thinges God to haue graunted to Christ him selfe and none other that is his deuine and only begotten worde the framing of these inferior thinges For vnto him conferring about the creation of man God sayde sayth he let vs make man after our ovvne likenesse and similitude And with this saying agreeth an other prophet thus speaking of God in Hymnes and saying He spake and they vvere made he commaunded and they
Christ our Lorde is taken in their nets of vvhom vve speake before vnder the shadovve of his vvinges vve shal be preserued aliue among the Heathen Dauid also being amazed because of his name expostulateth the matter thus VVhy sayth he haue the Gentiles raged and the people imagined vayne thinges The kinges of the earth stoode foorth and the princes assembled together against the Lorde and against his Christ To these he addeth in the parson of Christ saying The Lorde sayde vnto me thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee Aske of me and I shall geue thee the Heathen for thine inheritaunce and the endes of the earthe for thy possession The name of Christ therefore among the Hebrewes hath not onely honored those that were adorned with the high priesthood anointed with figuratiue oyle prepared for that purpose but also princes whom the Prophets by the precept of God haue anoynted and made figuratiue Christs because they figuratiuely resembled the deuine worde of God and the regall and princely power of the onely and true Christ gouerning all thinges And moreouer we haue learned certaine of the Prophets typicalye by their anoynting to haue bene termed Christs Al they had a relation vnto the true Christ the deuine and heauenly worde the onely highpriest of all the king of all creatures and the chiefe Prophet of the father ouer all other Prophets the proofe hereof is playne for none euer of all them that typicaly were anoynted were they Princes or Priests or Prophets haue purchased vnto them selues suche deuine power and vertue as our sauiour and Lorde Iesus Christ sole and singuler hath shewed None of all them howe famous so euer they were found among their owne throughout many ages by reason of their dignitie and honor haue bestowed this benefit vpon their subiects that by their imaginatiue appellation of Christ they should by name be consecrated Christians in deede Neyther hath the honor of adoration bene exhibited by the posteritie vnto any of them neither after their death hath there bene any such affection that for their sake any prepared them selues to dye for the maintenance of their honor neither hath there bene any tumult among the Gentils throughout the worlde for any of them the power of the shadow was not of such efficacy in them as the presence of the verity by our sauiour declared which resembled nether the forme or figure of any nether linealy descended according vnto the fleshe from the Priests neither was exalted by the might of men vnto his kingdome neither prophecied after the maner of the auncient Prophets neither obtayned any preeminence or prerogatiue amonge the Iewes yet for all this Christ being by the diuine spirite adorned with all these dignities though not in types yet in trueth it selfe and enioyinge all the gyftes of those men whereof mention is made he hath bene more published and preached and hath powred vpon vs the perfect ornature of his moste reuerent and holy name not turning henceforthe vnto types and shadowes such as serue him but vnto the naked trueth the heauenly life and vndoubted doctrine of verity his anoynting was not corporall but spirituall by participation of the vnbegotten dyetie of the father the whiche thinge Esai declareth when as in the person of Christ he breaketh out into these wordes The spirite of the Lorde vpon me vvherefore he anoynted me to preache glad tydinges vnto the poore he sent me to cure the contrite in hearte to preache deliuerance vnto the captiues and sight vnto the blinde Not Esay alone but Dauid also touching the person of Christ lifteth vp his voyce and sayeth Thy throne ô God lasteth for aye the scepter of thy kingdome is a right scepter thou hast loued righteousnes and hated iniquitie vvherefore God euen thy God hath anointed thee vvith the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy felovves of the which the first verse termeth Christ God the seconde honoreth him with regall scepter thence consequently passing vnto the rest he sheweth Christ to be anoynted not with oyle of corporal substance but of deuine that is of gladnes whereby he signifieth his prerogatiue and surpassing excellencie and difference seuering him from them which with corporall and typicall oyle haue bene anoynted And in an other place Dauid declaring his dignitie sayeth The Lorde sayde vnto my Lorde sit thou on my right hand vntil I make thine enemies thy footestole And out of my vvombe before the day starre haue I begotten thee The Lorde svvare neither vvil it repent him thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech This Melchisedech in the sacred Scriptures is sayde to be the Priest of the most highe God so consecrated and ordayned neither by any oyle prepared of man for that purpose neither by succession of kindred attayning vnto the priesthoode as the maner was among the Hebrewes Wherfore our Sauiour according vnto that order and not others which receaued signes shadowes is published by performance of the othe Christ and Priest So that the history deliuereth him vnto vs nether corporally anoynted among the Iewes nether borne of the priestly tribe but of God him self before the day starr that is being in essence before the constitution of all worldly creatures immortall possessinge a priesthoode that neuer perisheth by reason of age but lasteth worlde without ende Yet this is a greate and an apparent argument of his incorporeall and deuine power that alone of all men that euer were and now are among all the wightes in the worlde Christ is preached confessed testified and euery where among the Grecians and Barbarians mentioned by this name and hitherto among all his adherentes honored as King had in admiration aboue a Prophet glorified as the true and the onely high Priest of God surpassing all creatures as the worde of God consisting in essence before all worldes receauing honor and worship of the father honored as God him selfe and which of all other is most to be marueled at that we which are dedicated vnto him honour him not with tongue onely garrulous talke of whispering wordes but with the whole affection of the minde so that willingly we preferre before our liues the testimony of his trueth CAP. v. That the Christian religion is neither newe neither straunge I suppose these thinges to haue bene necessaryly placed by me in the beginning of this history lest that any surmise our Sauiour and Lorde Iesus Christ to be a newe vpstarte by reason of the time of his being in the fleshe Nowe agayne leste that any so deeme his doctrine as newe founde and straung deliuered by such a one so thought of and nothing differing from other in 〈◊〉 doctrines let vs then in fewe wordes entreat and reason of this the which we may take for vndoubted For when as the comming of our Sauiour Christ was now freshe in the mindes of all men and that a newe nation neither smale nether weake neither such as
their saynges and vvhat he hearde out of theyr mouthes toutching the Lord of his povver and doctrine recitinge preceptes and all thinges consonante to holy Scripture out of theyr mouthes I say vvho themselues had seene vvith their eyes the vvorde of life in the flesh these thinges at that time through the mercy of God vvhich vvrought in me I diligently marked and paynted it not in papyr but printed it in my harte vvhich continually throughe the grace of God I ponder and meditate And I am able to testifie before God that if that holy and Apostolicke elder had hearde any such thinge he vvoulde haue straight reclaimed and stopped his eares and after his maner pronounced good God into vvvhat times hast thou reserued me that I shoulde suffer such thinges yea and vvoulde haue straight shunned the place vvhere he sitting or standing had hearde such speaches to bee shorte this may be reported for true out of the epistles vvhich he vvrote to the confirmation of the borderinge Churches or out of the Epistles vvhich he vvrote to certaine brethrē for admonition and exhortation sake thus farre Irenaeus CAP. XIX The Church enioyeth peace vnder Commodus the Martyrdome of Apollonius a Christian Philosopher THe same yeare vnder Comodus the Emperoure the rage of the Gentiles was mitigated towardes vs so that peace was graunted through the grace of God vnto the vniuersall Churche through out the worlde When as the heauenly doctrine leade the mindes of all mortall men to the embracinge of the true Religion of the onely and vniuersall God so that many of the nobles of Rome brewe neare to their soules health and saluation together with their whole houses and families It was a thinge altogether intollerable for the deuell whose nature is altogether enuious and spitefull therefore he taketh vs in hande againe and inuenteth diuerse snares to entrape vs in he procureth at Rome Apollonius a man amonge the faythfull of that time for learninge and philosophie very famous to be brought forth before the tribunall seate raising his accuser among them that were fitt ministers for so malicious a purpose But the vnhappie man came out of season to receaue the sentence of iudgement because it was decreed by the Emperoure that the accusers of the Christians shoulde dye the death Perennius the Iudge forthwyth gaue sentence agaynste him that his legges shoulde be broken Then the beloued Martyre when the iudge had earnestly and with many wordes entreated him to render an accompte of his fayth before the noble senate he exhibited in the presence of them all a notable Apollogie of his fayth in the whiche he suffred martyrdome Yet neuerthelesse by decree of the senate he was beheaded and so ended this life For the auncient decre was of force and preuayled amonge theym that the Christians whiche were once presented before the tribunall seate and not reuoked their opinions shoulde no more be sette at libertie Wherefore the wordes of Apollonius whiche he answered to Perenius standyng at the barre and his whole Apollogie offered to the senate who lysteth to knowe lette him reade our booke of Martyrs CAP. XX. Of the succession of Byshopes in the moste famous churches IN the tenthe yeare of the raygne of Comodus when Eleutherius had gouerned the bishopricke of Rome thertene yeares Victor succeded him at what tyme also Iulianus after he had continewed tenne yeares in the bishopes seae of Alexandria dyed and Demetrius came in place at what tyme likewise Serapion mentioned a little before was knowen to be the eyght Bishope of Antioche after the Apostles Then was Theophilus bishope of Caesarea in Palestina and Narcissus before remembred bishope of Ierusalem and Banchillus bishope of Corinthe in Hellada Polycrates bishope of Ephesus and an infinite number more as it is verye likelie besydes these excelled at that tyme. but we rehearse theim by name and that iustlye by whose meanes and writinges the catholicke fayth hath bene continewed vnto our tyme. CAP. XXI Of the controuersie about the kepinge of Easter daye AT the same time there rose no small contention because that all the churches throughoute Asia of an aunciente tradition thought good to obserue the highe feaste of Easter in the foreteenthe moone on whiche daye the Ievves were commaunded to offer their Pascall Lambe as muche to saye as vpon what daye soeuer in the weeke that moone fell the fastinge dayes finished and ended when as the other churches throughout the worlde accustomed not to celebrate Easter after this manner but obserued the Apostolicke tradition and custome as yet retayned to wete the fastinge dayes on no other daye to be broken vp afore the daye wherein our Sauiour rose from death to lyfe Wherefore synodes and meetinges of Byshopes were summoned where all with one accorde ordained an ecclestasticall decree whiche they published by their epistles vnto all churches That vpon no other then the sondaye the mysterie of our sauiours resurrection shoulde be celebrated And that one that daye and no other the fasting vsed before Easter shoulde haue an ende Theire epistle is at this daye extant who at that tyme for this cause assembled together in Palaestina whereof Theophilus bishope of Caesarea and Narcissus bishope of Ierusalem were chiefe At Rome likewise there was a synode gathered together for the same cause the whiche Victor their bishope published Agayne there was an other of bishopes at Pontus where Palmas as the moste auncient did gouerne An other of bishops throughout Fraunce whiche Irenaeus did ouersee to be shorte an other of the bishopes throughout Ostroëna and the cities therein contained and speciallye of Banchillus bishope of Corinth with many others al which with one and the same sentence and iudgement ordained the same decree and their vniforme assent was thus made manifest vnto the worlde CAP. XXII By the reporte of Polycrates the churches in Asia celebrated Easter the fouretenthe moone POlycrates moderated the bishops throughout Asia whiche affirmed that their aunciente custome deliuered them of olde was to be retayned This Polycrates in his epistle vnto the churche of Rome sheweth the custome of Asia obserued vnto his tyme in these wordes VVe celebrate the vnuiolated daye of Easter neither addinge anye thinge thereto neither takinge oughte therefro for notable pillers of Christian religion haue rested in Asia vvhiche shall rise at the laste daie vvhen the Lorde shall come from heauen vvith glorie and restore all the sainctes to ioye Philip one of the tvvelue Apostles novve lienge at Hierapolis his tvvo daughters vvho kept them selues virgins all the dayes of their liues the third also after the ende of hir holie conuersation rested at Ephesus Againe Iohn vvho laye on the Lordes breast being a Priest vvore the priestlie attire both a Martyr and a Doctor slept at Ephesus Moreouer Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna and a Martyr Thraseas an Eumenian both a Bishop a Martyr slept at Smyrna VVhat shal I speake of Sagaris
gallowes some as hainous offenders some other farre worse tyed to y e tree with their heads downeward and so long besett with a watch till famyne had bereued them of their liues CAP. IX The constancye of the Martyrs throughout Thebais OUr penne can not sufficiently paynt forth y e punishments and torments endured of the martyrs throughout Thebais there bodies in steade of iagged hoofes vsed heretofore had the skinne rased all of with rugged shells of sea fishe the women tyed by the one legge were lifted into the ayre and their heads downewards with a certayne engine of woode and there hanged all bare and vncouered yelding vnto the behoulders a foule a filthye a cruell and vnnaturall spectacle agayne others ended their lyues vpon boughes and branches of trees They linked together with certayne instruments the topps of the boysterous mightier boughes and tyed them vnto either of the Martyrs thighes afterwards loosing the boughes to speart spring into their growing place sodainly rent asunder the mēbers of their bodyes for which purpose they inuented this paine all these mischieues continewed not a fewe dayes or for a short space but the terme of many yeares some time more then tenne some other time more then twenty were executed one whyle not vnder thirtye an other whyle welnighe threescore agayne at an other tyme an hundreth in one daye of men women and very yonge children after the bitter taste of sundry kindes of tormentes were put to deathe We sawe our selues with our eyes being then present at the execution a greate multitude whereof some were burned others beheaded vntill the sworde became blunt and the tormentor wearyed so that others came in place and executed by turnes where we behelde also the noble cheere and countenance the diuine power and valiantnesse of mynde in such as buylded their fayth on Iesus Christ our Sauiour as soone as the sentence was pronounced and iudgement geuen vpon the former there stepped forth others and stoode at the barre protesting their fayth and publishing them selues to be Christians not fearing at all the bitternes of manifold and sundry torments but with inuincible mindes laying their whole trust and confidence vpon God ioyfully meryly and chearefully tooke the last sentence of condemnation singing Psalmes and hymnes and thankesgeuing vnto God euen to the last gaspe These were truely to be wondred at but especially such as were renowmed for ritches nobilitie honor eloquence and Philosophy yet preferred they before all these the pietie and fayth in our Lorde Sauiour Iesus Christ such a one was Philoromus gouernour of Alexandria of no small accōpt put in trust with weighty matters of the empire being garded after the Romayne dignity and honor with a troope of souldiers to his trayne was dayly sifted and examined such a one also was Phileas Bishop of the people Thmuitae a famous man for the politike gouernment of his contrey for the ouersight of the publicke lyturgies and study of Philosophy ▪ these men though they were entreated of many their kinsfolkes and otherwise their familiar friendas of many the chiefe rulers and last of all of the iudge him selfe that they woulde tender their owne case that they woulde consider of their calling that they woulde pitye their wiues and children yet could not they for all the perswasion of such great personages be brought by preferring this present life to contemne the fayth of Christ to renounce his lawes but with constant and Philosophicall myndes yea rather diuine enduring all the threats and contumelies of the iudge ended their liues with the loosing of their heades CAP. X. The testimony of Phileas toutching the constancie of the Martyrs of Alexandria and the crueltie of the enemies IN so much that we haue reported Phileas to be famous for his skill in prophane literature he shall wittnesse both of him selfe and of the Martyrdomes of his tyme at Alexandria declaring farre more diligently then we vse to doe writing vnto the Thmuitans in these wordes for as much as all these things are published in holy Scripture for paterns exāples monumēts for our learning the blessed Martyrs vvhich liued among vs lifting vp the eye of the minde and behoulding with cleare sight the vniuersall God settled their mindes to endure any kinde of death for the seruice and religion due vnto God and held fast their vocation knowing that the Lorde Iesus for our sake tooke the nature of man vpon him to the ende he might cutt of wholy all sinne and ayde vs to enter into euerlasting life for he thought no robbery to be equall with God but made him selfe of no reputation taking on him the forme of a seruaunt and vvas founde in his shape as man he humbled him selfe and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse VVherefore the blessed Martyrs of God reposed Christ in their breast being desirous of more excellent giftes endured not once but some of them twise all payne punishments that could be inuented and all the threats of souldiers practised agaynst them either by word or by deede with an inuincible courage excluding feare by reason of the fulnes of loue whose manhoode and valiantnesse in all their torments what man is able with mouth to expresse and because it was permitted laweful for euery man to torment them as him pleased best some smite them with clubbes and cudgells some with sharpe twigges some with whippes some with lethern thonges some other with whipcorde the spectacle was pitiful both for the varietie of torment the and superfluity of malice some with their handes tyed behind them were stretched a long racked in euery ioynt throughout the body as they hong and laye in the racke the tormentors were commaunded to torment all their bodies ouer neyther plaguing them as theeues are commonly handled with the onely renting of their sides but they had the skinnes of their bellies and of their shinnes and of their eye lidds rased all of with rugged hoofes with the talents and clawes of wilde beastes some were seene to hange by the one hande at an hollow vaute and to endure that way farre more bitter racking of the ioyntes and members of the bodie some were tyed to pyllers and their faces wrested quite kame for to beholde them selues their feete standing them in no steede but they violently wagging by the weyght and payse of their bodies were thus greeuously tormented by reason of their stretching and squysing in bondes this they suffered not onely while they were examined and whilest the President dealt vvith them but throughout the vvhole day ▪ and vvhen that he passed from the former vnto the latter he gaue his ministers charge to ouersee them behinde if that peraduenture any of them being ouercome vvith the greeuous torments did yeald He commaunded also that if any vvere in daunger of death by reason of colde that their fetters bondes shoulde speedely be released and they to be layd
inuentions and additionâ— of torment this calamitie was extreame and out of measure cruel And when as thenceforth they dispayred of increasing their mischiefe and now were wearied with slaughter gotten their fill of bloodshed voluntarily they mittigate their rage they practise curtesy their pleasure for sooth is henceforth to punish with death no longer It is not requisite say they that the cities shoulde be stayned with blood ishuyng out of our owne bowells that the most noble empire of the Caesars should be blemished defamed with the title of crueltie y â— emperour him self being wel knowne for clemencie benignitie yea rather the gracious goodnes clemencie of the Emperours highnes is to be stretched forth and enlarged towards all men that they be no more punished with death They deemed their crueltie asswaged and the Emperours clemencie to shine in that they commaunded our eyes to be plucked out and the left legge to be vnioynted â–ª such was their clemencie and mitigated crueltie towards vs. Wherefore by reason of this cruell curteste it may not be told what number infinite multitude of men hauing their right eyes pulled out and the empty places seared with hott burning yrons their left legges sawed asunder in the hammes and seared likewise were condemned to the quarryes and mynes throughout the prouinces to the digging of mettalls not for commoditie and profits sake but for affliction and misery And besides all this they were ledd forth to sundry kindes of torments which may not be rehearsed whose valiant actes also can not be described when the holye Martyrs shined thus throughout the worlde in these their afflictions the beholders wronded at their pacience and noble courage neyther without cause for they expressed and shewed forth vnto the worlde speciall and manifest signes of the diuine and vnspeakeable power of our Sauiour working by them it were to long yea vnpossible to number them all by their names CAP. XIII Of the famous Bispops and ministers that were martyred TOutching the chiefe rulers of the Churches and them which were crowned Martyrs in the most famous cities Anthymus bishop of Nicomedia was beheaded crowned the first martyr registred in the catalogue of the Saynctes in the kingdome of Christ Of them whiche suffred at Antioch Lucianus minister of that congregation leading a vertous life preached at Nicomedia in presence of the emperour the celestiall kingdome of Christ first vnto vs in exhortatioÌ„ by way of Apology afterwards in wryting vnto the posteritie the most famous martyrs of Phaenicia were the godly pastors of the resonable flocke of Christ Tyranâ—â—â—n byshop of Tytus Zenobius minister of Sidon and Siluanus byshop of Emisa who together with others in Emisa was throwen to feede wild beasts and is receaued vnto the company of martyrs The other two both at Antioch glorified God by theyr pacient deathes Tyrannion buried in the bottome of the seae and Zenobius an excellent phisician after scurginge bitter torment died most constantly Among the martyrs in Palaestina Siluanus by shop of the Churches of Gaza was beheaded together with nyne and thirty others which were committed to the myne pitts in Phaenos In Aegypt Peleus and Nilus Aegyptian byshops were burned to ashes And here let vs remember the renowmed piller of the parishe of Caesarea Pamphilus the elder the most famous martyr of our time Whose life and noble acts we will at time conuenieÌ„t declare of them which at Alexandria throughout Aegypt The bais suffred martyrdome y â— most famous was Peter byshop of Alexandria a paterne of piety in Christ vnto the godly pastors and together with him Faustus Didius and Ammonius ministers and perfect martyrs of Christ Also Phileas Hesychius Pachymâ—us and Theodorus byshops of the churches in Aegypt and besids these infinite other famous men whose names are well knowen in the coÌ„gregations through out the region It is not our drift to describe y â— conflicts of such as striued throughout the world we leaue that for others neither exactly to paint forth vnto y â— posterity all that happened but only the things we sawe with our eyes and were done in our presence CAP. XIIII The state of the Romayne empyre before and after the persecution and of the raygne of Constantine VNto that which went before I will annexe the recantation or dissanullinge of the thinges practised against vs yea from y â— beginning of the persecution which I suppose very profitable for the reader before y â— the Romaine empire waged battell against vs in the space the emperours fauored vs maintained peace it may not sufficieÌ„tly be declared how prosperously the common wealth florished abounded with all goodnes when as the chief magistrats of the publicke weale passed the tenth the twentieth yeare in solemne feasts celebrated gratulatioÌ„s in times of most gorgeous glorious renowne with constant inâ—noueable peace â–ª wheÌ„ as there empire after this sorte encreased without offence daily was enlarged they had 〈◊〉 sooner remoued peace from amoÌ„g vs but they sturred vp such battels as cold not be reconciled â–ª not fully two yeares after this whurlyburly there was such a chaunge happened vnto the whole empire which turned all vpsid downe for no smale disease ouertooke the chief of y â— foresayd emperours bereued him of his witts wherefore together with him which was second perâ—on in honor he embraced the popular priuate life these things then being not fully ended the empire was with all deuided into two parts the which was neuer remembred to haue come to passe before that time not long after CoÌ„stantius the emperour passing all other throughout his life time in clemency goodnes towards his subiects singularly affected towards Gods word ended according vnto the lawe of nature the common raâ—e of his mortall life leauinge behind him his naturall sonne ConstaÌ„tinus emperour Caesar to supply his rowme was first referred of them into y â— number of the Gods enioying after his death all imperiall honor dignitie due to his person In his life he was the most benigne and of most bountifull suffrayghtie among all the emperours who alone of all the emperours in our time gouerned most graciously honorably during the whole terme of his raygne shewing humanity and bountifullness vnto all men no partaker by any meanes with any presumpteous sedition â—ayled against vs he garded the godly about him in security without sentence of gylt without all contumely he destroyed no churches he practised no impiety y â— might be preiudiciall vnto our religion he obtayned a blessed life and an â—nde thrise happy he beinge emperour alone ended this life both gloriously peaceably in preseâ—â—â— of his naturall some and successor who also was most prudent and religious His sonne ConstaÌ„â—â—â—â—â— beinge proclaymed full emperour and Caesar by the army and longe before by God himselfe the vniuersall kinge he came a folower of his fathers pietie in
Christian religion And such a one was 〈◊〉 â—ut Liconius while these thinges were a doynge by common consente of the potentates was also created emperour and Augustus Whiche â–ª thinge greened Maximinus very sore who vnto that tyme was alone called Caesar of all meÌ„ who also being tyrannically disposed violeÌ„tly of his owne mind inuaded the empire and intitled him selfe Augustus And being attainted of treason and founde to haue conspired the death of Constantinus and after deposition to haue aspired againe vnto the imperiall scepter dyed a moste shamefull death He was the firste whose titles pictures withall that seemed to shewe forth his honor were ouerthrowen for no other then the armes of an emperour that was moste prophane and impious CAP. XV. The dissimuled loue of Maxentius towardes the Christians his horrible offences and crueltie HIs sonne Maxentius which exercised tyranny at Rome in the beginninge of his raygne dissembled our fayth egregiously creepinge into creditt by flatteringe of the people of Rome and therefore he commaunded his communalty to cease from persecutinge of the Christians whereby he might pretende a shewe of pietie and seeme tractable more benigne theÌ„ his auncestres were before him but in processe of time he was not in dede founde the same which men tooke him for and hoped he woulde be for he fell into all kinde of enormyties omittinge no haynous offence bowe detestable and laciuious soeuer it were vnassayed committing adultery all kinde of lewde wantonnesse sendinge home againe vnto their husbande 's the louinge spouses and lawefull wiues taken from them by force when he had ignominiously abused them and these presumpteous practises he exercised not onely vpon the obscurer sort but dealt this opprobriously with the most renowmed of the Romaine senators Wherefore all both high primats and inferior people trembling for feare of him were oppressed with his intollerable tyranny yet nether by silence neither by suffring this greuous setuitude cold they be free from the bloody slaughter and embrued murther of this tyrante vpon light occasions sundry times deliuered he the people vnto the soldiers which were in compasse to be slayne and an innumerable multitude of the Romayne people in the middes of the citie he offred to the sworde and spears not of Barbarians and Scythians but of his owne proper soldiers It may not be recited what slaughter of senators he procured craftely seeking after their substance of whome an infinite number he executed for sundry causes and fayned crimes this was the drift and marke this mischiefous tyrant shotte at he applied himselfe vnto the studie of Magicall artes for inchauntement he opened and ript the bowells of burthened women great with childe he searched the entrailes of newe borne babes he slewe lyons and after a secrett maner coniured deuells and endeuored to withstande the warres then approchinge for he fully determined with himselfe to be crowned conquerour by meanes of these artes This Maxentius therefore practisinge tyrranny at Rome oppressed the commonalty with such haynous offences as may not be tolde so that they were pinched with so great penurie of necessary victaile as the like can not be remembred in this our age to haue happened at Rome CAP. XVI The cruell behauiours of Maximinus in the East and of Maxentius at Rome and other where in the west â–ª MAximinus the Casterne tyrant of a long tyme behaued himselfe to the ende he might conceale his malice against his brother and his hid friendship towards the Romaine tirant but in the ende he was espied and suffred punishmente due to his desert It was wonderfull to see howe that he committed things a like and correspondeÌ„t vnto the practises of the Romayne tyrant nay he farre passed him in malice and mischiefe The chiefest inchaunters magicians were in greatest creditte with him and because he was a man very timorous wonderfully rooted in superstition he highly esteemed of the erroneous worship of Idols and deuels without southsaingâ— answers of Oracles he durst not mone no as it is commonly sayd not the breadth of a nayle for which cause he persecuted vs without intermission and more vehemently then his auncesters before him he erected temples throughout euery citie the Idolatricall worship of longe time defaced and ouerthrowen he carefully restored agayne and published by edict that Idole priestes shoulde be ordained throughout all countreys and cities besides this he appointed in euery prouince one for high priest of such as were counted famous for politicke affaires being also able with decency to execute that function whome he furnished with a great trayne and gard of soldiers To be short he priuiledged all inchaunters recounted godly and takeÌ„ for Gods them selues with primacy dignities and chiefest prerogatiues He went on still and oppressed not on Citye or region onely but whole prouinces vnder his dominion exactinge golde and siluer and summes of money and vexed them with greuous proclamations on penaltie ensuinge after another The wealth and substance which his progenitors had gathered before he tooke in greate heapes of treasure and greate summes of money and bestowed it vpon his flatteringe parasites He was so drowned with ouer muche wine and drunkenesse that amonge his cuppes he woulde be starke madd and besides him selfe and often times beinge typsie commaunded such thinges whereof afterwards being restored to his former sobriety it repented him He gaue place to no man for surfeting and superfluitie but made him selfe ringe leader of that vice vnto all that were about him bothe Prince and people He effeminated his soldiers with all kinde of delicacy and lasciuiousnes He permitted his presidentes and captaynes to practise rauenous extorcion and poulinge of his subiectes whome he entertayned as fitte companions of his foule and shamefull tyranny To what ende shall I rehearse his vnchaste life Or recite the adulteryes he committed He colde passe no Citie where he rauished not wiues and deflowred not virgins And in these thinges he preuayled agaynst all sortes of people the Christians only excepted which contemned death and despised his tyranny The men endured burninge beheading crucifyinge rauenous deuouring of beastes drowninge in the seae mayming and broyling of the members goringe and digginge out of the eyes manglinge of the whole body moreouer famyne and imprysonment to be short they suffred euery kinde of torment for the seruice of God rather then they woulde leaue the worship of God and embrace the adoration of Idols â–ª women also not inferior to men through the power of the worde of God putt on manly courage whereof some suffred the same tormentes with men some attayned vnto the like maysteries of vertue other some drawen to be abused yelded sooner they re life vnto the death then theyr bodyes to be defiled For when as others by reason of the tyrants adultery were polluted a Christian matron of Alexandria both noble and renowmed
a little before we haue reported to haue bene throwen together with Thecla at the feete of wylde beasts he beyng brought out of prison and linked with malefactors to pastime and sport the people when that he had openly runne the race and played the man and that thrise yea and oftenner to because the Iudge after sundrie threates sundry torments either pitying his case or hoping he woulde recant reserued him to other newe combatts at length he is agayne brought forth in presence of the Emperour no doubt beynge appoynted for that fitte tyme that the sayinge of our sauiour foreshewed vnto his disciples to wete They should be brought before kings and princes to witnesse of him might truely be fulfilled in him first of all he is brought forth together with a malefactor and a wicked varlet of whome the report went that he murthered his maister Afterwards this varlet who of ryght shoulde haue bene deuoured of wild beasts was pardoned by the bountifulnes and clemencie of the Emperour euen in maner after the example of Barrabas the murtherer whome the levves begged of Pilate condemning Christ wherat the whole theatre reioyced and shouted because that he was not only graciously pardoned by the Emperour but also restored to honor and fredome But this faithfull and godly champion first of all is called vpon of the tyrant next intreated to reuoke his opinion he is promised to be sett at libertie of the contrary he plainely pronounceth and that with a lowde voyce that he was disposed and woulde willingly suffer and that with all his hart all the torments and plagues that shoulde be layde vpon him not for any horrible or haynous crime committed by him but for Gods cause and in his quarell who was the creator of all thinges The which he had no sooner spoken but it came to paâ—â—e for there was a Beare let loose at him the which he mette face to face and yelded him selfe willingly to be deuoured Last of all while as yet he drewe breath he was cast into prison where he continewed one whole day the thirde day he had stones tyed to his feete and him selfe throwen in the deapth of the sea such was the martyrdome of Agapius CAP. XXV The martyrdome of Theodosia a virgine of Domninus and Auxentius the death of Vrbanus the president THe persecution beyng nowe continewed vnto the fift yeare the seconde daye of the moneth Zanthicus to wete the 4. of the Nonnes of Aprill the selfe same sonday being the resurrection of our sauiour called the feast of Easter againe Theodosia a virgine a modest christian mayd of Tyrus who had neuer yet seene the full coÌ„passe of eightene yeares came to certaine prisoners in Caesarea staÌ„ding at y â— barre which with coÌ„stancy protested y â— kingdome of Christ both louingly to salute them also as it is very like to entreate theÌ„ to remeÌ„ber her after their departure vnto the Lord. the which when she had done as if hereby she had coÌ„mitted some hainous and horrible offence y â— catchpoles hale hir present hir before the president he forth with like a mad maÌ„ bereued of his wits scourgeth her bare sides with bitter and greuous lashes renteth with the whip her white breasts tender duggs vnto the bare bones In the end this holy virgine hardly drawing breath yet pacient cherefull inough for all these punishments was throwen at the coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„t of y â— presideÌ„t into y â— swift waues of y â— surging seas Afterwards hauing ended with hir he takes the other coÌ„fessors in hand condemneth theÌ„ to the digging of metalls in Phaenos of Palaestina After these thinges the fift day of the moneth Dius after the Romaines in the nonnes of Nouember the same president in the selfe same citie coÌ„demned Siluanus who as then was minister had freely protested his faith who also in a while after was chosen bishop dyed a martyr together with other confessors after their great constancy in defence of christian religion to the same druggery digging of metalls first he commaunded their knees should be vnioynted sawed of afterwards seared with hott yron then sent to the quarries The senteÌ„ce was no sooner pronouÌ„ced vpon these but he chargeth that Domninus a man very famous among the inhabitants of Palaestina for his infinite protestations of the Christian faith and his libertie of speache in the behalfe of our religion should be bounde to the stake and burned to ashes after whose condeÌ„nation the same iudge a suttle inuentor of michiefe deuiser of crafty sleyghts contrary to the doctrine of Christ found out such punishments as neuer were heard of before to vexe the godly withall he gaue senteÌ„ce that three of theÌ„ should buckle iuyst and buffet one an other he deliuered Auxentius a graue a godly a good old man to be torne in peces of wild beasts other some of mens estate and of great strength he gelded and condeÌ„ned to y â— quarries againe others he tormeÌ„ted greuously and chasticed with imprisonment and fetters of which nuÌ„ber was Pamphilus of all my familiars my dearest friende a man who amonge all the Martyrs of our tyme excelled for euery kinde of vertue First Vrbanus made a tryall of his gift of vtterance and skill in philosophicall discipline next he enioyned him to sacrifice whome when he perceaued to be altogether vnwillinge and not at all to weye of his thunderinge speaches beyng throughly moued with boyling choler and burning heate of furious rage coÌ„maundes that forth with he should be greuously and bitterly tormented wherefore the mercilesse and moste cruell president mangled the tender sides of the blessed martyr with the longe incision of sharpe rasors at length hauinge his fill and as it were ashamed of his fact commaundeth he should be kept in the noysome stinch of the close prison where the rest of the confessors remayned but what maner of reward Vrbanus was like to enioye after this life by the iust iudgement of God and vengeance like to light vpon him 〈◊〉 for so great crueltie and tyranny practised vpon the sainctes of God and blessed Martyrs of Iesus Christ we may easily gather by the plagues which happened vnto him in this life which wer◠〈…〉 or preambles â–ª vnto eternall punishments in the life to come â–ª for not long after this villany exercised vpon Pamphilus vengeance from aboue beganne on a sodaine to take holde â—pon him while as yet he gouerned in this sorte He who lately being placed in an highe and lofty throne pronounced sentence and gaue iudgement he who a litle before was garded with a troope of souldiers he who gouerned â–ª all the countrey of Palaestina he who was hayle mate and liued cheeke by â—ole with the Emperour â–ª euen he who was of his secretie and companion at meate the same by the iust iudgement of God â–ª in one night was not onely depriued of all so greate a porte and dignitie
of his dominion wherfore CostaÌ„tinus the emperour being ayded from aboue set vpoÌ„ the first the second third band of the tyraÌ„ts host valiantly ouercame all so coÌ„quering y â— chiefe part of Italy draweth nowe nigh to Rome lest he shold be coÌ„strained for y â— tyraÌ„ts sake to assault the Romaines God draweth forth very far without the gates of y â— citie the tyrant him selfe as if he had bene bound with certaine chaines setteth forth coÌ„firmeth againe that auncient power against impious persons incredible and fabulous peradueÌ„ture vnto many but vnto y â— faithfull certaine ingraffed in holy scripture woÌ„derfully with the eyes theÌ„ selues to be beheld in trueth it selfe of all and that I may speake in fewe wordes both faithful infidels euen as therfore vnder Moses that auncieÌ„t godly nation of the Hebrevves he ouerthrew the chariots of Pharao his host couered with the waues of the sea the chosen horsmen drowned the souldiers in the running streames of the read seâ—â—â—â— Maxentius and his armed souldiers and whole troope descended like a stone plunginge into the deapth of the water when as he went about to auoyde and flie away from the power of God by whome Constantinus was assisted and to passe ouer y â— water y â— which he had carefully ouerlayd with cockboats like bridges linked together and prepared to his owne destruction wherfore then also it might haue bene said He made a pitt digged it vp fell him selfe into the destructioÌ„ he made for other for his trauell shall returne vpon his ovvne head his vnrighteousnes shall light vpoÌ„ his owne pate For the bridge which was made vpoÌ„ y â— riuer being ouerthrowen y â— passage was hindered the boates forthwith together with the men in theÌ„ suncke into the bottome first of all y â— most impious tyraÌ„t him selfe next his gard which were w t him according vnto y â— foresaying of holy scripture plunged like lead into y â— depth of y â— ruÌ„ning streame so y â— very well this victory being obtained by y â— helping hand of God y â— selfe same which of old was sayd against y â— impious tyraÌ„t though not in word yet in dede euen as they which were w t Moses the great seruaÌ„t of God might haue bene song and sayde after this sort Let vs singe vnto the Lorde he is gloriously magnified he hath ouerthrowen the horse and rider in the sea he is become my helper and defender so that I perishe not And vvho is like vnto thee o Lorde amonge the Gods vvho is like vnto thee glorified in the sainctes vvonderfull gloriously bringing straunge thinges to passe When Constantinus had songe by his works these others to the like purpose vnto God the prince whose power reacheth ouer all and author of y â— victorie he came conquerour to Rome where immediatly with cheerefull countenance and from the hart he was receaued of all both men women and children senators and other noble personages and of all the people of Rome with gladsome shouts and vnspeakable ioye as a deliuerer from oppression defender of the city and general benefactor vnto all but as one hauing the seruice of God engrassed within him not moued with these triumphant acclamations neither puffed vp with prayses yet priuey well inough to the ayde of God commaunded immediatly the banner of the Lords passion should be set vpon the ryght hand of his picture so they set it vp in the most famous place of Rome holding in his right hande the holsome signe of the crosse in the which he commaunded this superscription to be ingrauen in Romaine letters In this wholsome signe the true conizance of fortitude I haue deliuered our citie from vnder the tyrants yoke haue sett the senate and people of Rome at libertie restoring them to their auncient honor and renowne Moreouer wheÌ„ as Constantinus him self also Licinius y â— Emperour together with him who as yet was not fallen to tyrannie and madnes whereof afterwardes he was gyltie both together pacified God the author of all goodnes with one minde and will they make a lawe in most absolute and ample wise in the behalf of the Christians they send notice also vnto Maximinus who as yet ruled in the east howe wonderfully God wrought with them and the victorye againste the tyrant and the lawe it selfe and the friendship hypocritically he pretended towards them but he like a tyrant acknowledging these thinges to be most true became very sorowfull next lest he shoulde seeme to yelde vnto others and againe about to swarue from the edict for feare of them which had ordayned this lawe as of his owne accord and authoritie he gaue forth vnto the presidents of his dominion this edict necessarily in the behalfe of the Christians in the which craftely against him selfe he fayneth the things that neuer were done by him Acoppie of Maximinus the tyrants epistle in the behalfe of the Christians Iouius Maximinus Augustus vnto Sabinus sendeth greting I hope it is well knowen vnto your wisdome and to all mortall men our lieges and lordes Diocletian and Maximinian our fathers to haue notably decreed wheÌ„ as they saw in maner all men laying aside the seruice of the gods and ioyning them selues to the Christian nation that as many as seuered them selues from the seruice of the immortall Gods shoulde be called againe vnto the religion of the gods with vndoubted paynes and punishments I truely first of all when that happely I came into the east vnderstoode of many men which might haue profited the coÌ„mon wealth and were banished by the Iudges for the aforesayd cause gaue this to euery Iudge in charge that none of them thenceforwards should deale seuerely with them of their prouinces but call them backe vvith faire speaches exhortations vnto the worship of the Gods VVhen these thigs then according vnto our will were accomplished it fell out that none of the easterne partes eyther was banished or found obstinate but by reason that nothing was greuously or seuerely practised against them they might be reuoked vnto the seruice of the Gods VVhen as the last yeare prosperously I came to Nicomedia and there made my abode the citizens of Nicomedia came vnto me together with the images of their gods crauing earnestly that in no case I shoulde permitt such a nation to inhabite their contrey But forasmuch as I knevve very many men of that religion to dvvell in those parts I framed them an ansvvere in this sort that I liked vvell of their petition but I sawe that all did not request the same VVherefore if any continewed in that superstition our will was that euery one should be left to follow the free purpose of his vvill so that they vvould acknowledge the seruice of the gods in like sort they should enioye the same city together with the citizens of Nicomedia and the other cities
to build hath not yet vnto this day rested one while framinge in you all glistering gold an other while tried and purified siluer and precious stones to the end he may accomplish a fresh in you by workes themselues the sarred and mysticall prophecy which is thus read Behold I vvyll make thy vvalls of precious stone and thy fundations of Saphires thy bulwarks of Iasper thy gates of Crystall and thy borders of chosen stones Thy children shall be taught of God I will geue all thy children plenteousnes of peace and in righteousnes shalt thou be groūded Therefore building in righteousnes he hath proportionably seuered y ◠powers of the whole people by some comprising the only outward wall he hath fortified the fayth that is void of error But this people being many great in nūber is not fitt to resemble the buylding of a more excellent worke Vnto some he committed the entrances of the house geuing them in charge to watch the dores and to guide suche as enter in who not vnworthely are shewed to be the porches of the temple Some he hathe firmely sett about the inner court with chiefe pillers after the maner of a quadrāgle and to the chiefe bulwarks he hath referred the Scripture of the foure Euangelists Againe some he hath coupled with fortresses one eyther side about the princely pallace which as yet are nouices in the faith they both increase and prosper yet sett farther of from the inward holy cōtemplation of the faithful Of these hath he taken the incorrupt soules purified with the deuine fountaine after the maner of gold others hath he sett vp with pillers farre mightier then those outward out of the inner wrytings of mysticall Scripture and sett them forth liuely to minister light The glorious doctrine of the high supreme king that is of the one and onely God hathe adorned the whole temple with one porche and the same very notable He hath atributed the seconde bewtifull brightnes vnto the power of Christ and to the power of the holy ghost and euery where vnto the power of the Father as for y ◠rest he hath expressed the excellency of euery trueth both plentifull and manifold throughout the whole house euery way forth and one euery side he hath buylded a great a princely and a noble house full of light throughout with liuely seasoned sure and chosen stones of the soules He hathe bewtified the inner and vtter partes with the moste florishing atyre of continency and temperance in so muche as they consist not onely of soule and mind but also of body There are also in this temple thrones and infinite vnder seates and receptacles in all those soules wherein the graces of the holy Ghost haue their abode such as of olde appeared vnto them which had their conuersation with the holy Apostles of whom also clouen tongues were seene as if they had bene fire and rested vpon ech one of them ▪ but whole Christ him selfe hath fastened his seate in him which gouerneth all in others secondarily next after him placed rateably as euery ones capacitie can comprise the diuisiōs of the power of Christ and his holy spirit The vnder seates are both Angels and soules of certayne men euen of such as are committed vnto euery on for institution custodies sake The noble the great and onely altar what other thinge is it than the most holy place y ◠sincerity of the priests soule which is common to all at y ◠right hand of which altar standeth the great high priest of all Iesus himselfe the only begottē sonne of God which directeth vnto the father of heauen and the vniuersall God that sweete smellinge perfume the vnbloody and spirituall sacrifices of prayers receaued of all with swift eyes and stretched out armes first of all he himself with adoration and alone exhibiteth due honor vnto the father and next prayeth that he wil be vnto vs all pacified and gentle firmely and for euer This greate temple which is in the whole worlde vnder the sunne the great workeman of al ▪ euē the word of God hath ordained and againe he hath finished vpon earth this spirituall likenes of them which clime ouer the same circular forme of the heauens that the father might be honored and worshiped through him of euery creature and resonable thinges on this earth againe he hath made the supercelestial hoste and the shewes of these things there to be seene to be short that Ierusalem which they call newe and Sion the celestiall mounte and supernaturall cytye of the liuing God in the which infinite solemne troups of Angels the church of the first begotten which are wryttē in heauen do honor with secret and vnsearchable prayses our maker and the g◅ll prince of all whome no mortall man can worthely sett forth For the eye hathe not seene and the eare hath not heard neyther hathe the harte of man conceaued the things vvhich God prepared for them that loue him Whereof we nowe partly beinge thought worthy both men women and children all together as well smale as great with one spirit and with one soule lett vs not ceasse with thankesgeuinge to celebrate the author of so greate benefits bestowed vpon vs ▪ VVhich hath mercy on all our sinnes and cureth all our maladyes vvhich hathe redemed our life from destruction he crovvneth vs in loue and mercies and filleth our desire vvith goodnes For he hathe not dealt vvith vs acordinge vnto our sinnes neyther revvarded vs accordinge vnto our iniquities For looke hovve farre the east is from the vveast so farre hath he sett our sinnes from vs. And euen as a father tendreth his sonnes so hathe the Lorde tendered suche as feare him Ponderinge therefore in our mindes these thinges alwayes hereafter and settinge before our mynde the author and solemnizer of this presente feaste of this ioyfull and renowmed daye yea daye and night euery houre and as I may so saye vnto the last gaspe embracinge and reuerenringe him with all the mighte of our minde and nowe risinge lette vs humblye beseeche him with the greate voyce of our earnest desires that he kepe and defende vs in his sheepe foulde vnto the ende and that he alwayes gouerne the peace whiche he him selfe hathe graunted neuer to be broken alwayes immoueable in Christ Iesu our Sauiour to whome be glory world without ende Amen CAP. V. The edicts of Constantinus and Licinnius toutching Christian religion and the libertie thereof GO to nowe lett vs proceede on annexe the coppies of the imperiall edicts of Constantinus and Licinnius translated out of the Romayne into the Greeke tongue as followeth VVeyinge vvith our selues that of olde the liberty of religion vvas not to be hindered and that euery one had licence after his minde and vvill vve haue presently commaunded that euery one shall handle the holy affayres at his pleasure and that the christians shall retayne the fayth of they re former opinion
sought out How great what horrible blasphemies God of his goodnes be mercifull vnto vs haue some vnreuerently vttered against our great sauiour against our hope and life and impudētly not only blased things cōtrary vnto the scriptures inspired from aboue the sacred faith but also affirmed they beleued the same For vvhen as three hundreth bishops and aboue men of great fame both for modestie of minde sharpnesse of witt had confirmed one the same faith which was founde to be a true faith by the trueth it selfe and playne testimonies of holie scripture sought out for the purpose Arius alone was found beyng ouercome with the power and fraude of the deuill to fall from the same and beynge prone therevnto through the peruersitie of his minde scattered and sovved first of all amongest you aftervvardes amongest vs this poysoned errour of perdition VVherefore lett vs embrace that doctrine vvhich almightie God the father of heauen hath deliuered vnto vs let vs returne vnto our dearely beloued brethren vvhome the wicked impudēt minister of Satan hath seuered asunder let vs vvith might and mayne and as commonly vve say vvith all the vaynes in our hart go home agayne vnto the generall societie and body of the church and vnto our ovvne naturall members This aboue all other things behoueth your wisdome your faith holines after the remouīg frō your minds the cākred poysō of the aduersary who set him selfe opposite against the trueth that without all delaye ye haue recourse vnto the grace and goodnes of almightie God For that which seemed good vnto the three hūdred bishops is no othervvise to be taken then for the sentence of God specially in as much as the holie Ghost vvas resiant in the mindes of so vvorthie and so notable men inspiring them vvith the deuine vvill of God him selfe VVherfore let none of you stagger at the matter let none of you make any delay at all but all ioyntly vvith most vvillinge mindes returne vnto the most perfect way of trueth that as soone as I my selfe come amōgst you I may together with you rēder dew thāks vnto the god whose eye nothīg doth escape because that he hath not onely reuealed vnto vs the true syncere faith but also geuen vnto vs most graciously the loue and charitie which vvas to be vvished of vs all God keepe and preserue you vvelbeloued brethren This the Emperour wrote vnto the people of Alexandria signifying in playne words that the finall conclusion definitiue sentēce of the faith was not layde downe vnaduisedly neither came to passe by happe hazard but after great labour industrie after diligent searching and sifting out of the trueth to haue bene published by the councell and not some thinges to haue bene handled some other things to haue bene omitted but all whatsoeuer seemed necessary to be entreated of toutching the confirmation of y ◠doctrine of faith to haue bene sufficiently discoursed neither to haue bene firste vnaduisedly decreed before all were curiously handled in so much that all what so euer seemed to breede occasion of controuersie or discord was quite plucked vp by the rootes But that I may vtter all in one word Constantine calleth the censure of the whole assembly the sentence of God him selfe neither doubted he but that so great a company of bishops was vnited linked together in one mind in one opinion by y ◠motion instinct of the holy ghost Yet for all this Sabinus who is the ringleader of the Macedonian heresie wilfully and of sett purpose impugneth these thinges yea moreouer he termeth such as mett at Nice vnlearned and doultishe idiots neither is he ashamed to charge Eusebius bishop of Caesarea with the reprochefull spot and blemishe of ignorance neither weyeth he this with him selfe that such as were present at the coūcell though they were vnlearned men as he reporteth yet being inspired from aboue endued with the grace of the spirite of God could in no wise straye from the trueth But let vs heare what the Emperour layde downe in other letters against the opinions of Arius and his complices the which also he sent abroade vnto the bishops and congregations throughout christendome An other Epistle of Constantine COnstantinus the puyssāt the mighty noble Emperour vnto the bishops pastors people whersoeuer Inasmuch as Arius traceth the stepps of detestable impious persons it is requisite that he be partaker with them of the selfe same infamie and reproche For as Porphyrius the svvorne aduersarie deadly foe of deuine seruice vvho lately published levvde cōmentaries in the cōfutation defiance of Christian religion vvas revvarded according vnto his desert and so recōpenced that within the cōpasse of these fewe yeares he was not only grieued with great reproche blemished with the shamefull spot of infamie but also his impious blasphemous works perished vtterly were abolished euen so now it seemed good vnto vs to call Arius his complices the vvicked broode of Porphyrius that looke vvhose maners they haue imitated they may enioye also the priuiledge of their name Moreouer we thought good that if there can be founde extant any worke or booke compiled by Arius the same shoulde be burned to ashes so that not only his damnable doctrine may thereby he vvholly rooted out but also that no relique thereof may remaine vnto the posteritie This also we straightly cōmaunde charge that if any man be found to hyde or conceale any booke made by Arius and not immediatly bring forth the sayd booke deliuer it vp to be burned that the sayde offender for so doing shall die the death For as soone as he is taken our pleasure is that his head be stricken of from his shoulders God keepe you in his tuition An other epistle of Constantine COnstantinus the Emperour vnto the churches throughout christēdome sendeth greeting VVhen as I perceaued by the florishing prosperous estate of the publicke weale how greatly we are beholding vnto the goodnes of almightie God conferred vpon vs I deemed that aboue all things it behoued me of dutie to foresee that in the most holy and sacred assemblies of the Catholicke church vnder heauen there shold one faith syncere loue charitie vniforme consent agreement toutching the religion seruice of almightie God vnuiolably be retayned But sithence that the same could by no other way or meanes be compassed neither in any other sure or certaine place be setled vnlesse that either all the bishops or at lestvvise the greater part of them assembled together layde downe their seuerall censures concerning the most holy religion seruice of God therfore when the greatest company that coulde be gott mette together I my selfe as one of your number vvas present vvith them Neyther tooke I in scorne vvhereat novve I greatly reioyce that I coupled my selfe vvith you in those affayres VVe proceeded so farre in the premisses and handled all thinges so exquisitely vntill
in meate and serue them her selfe Many things she gaue to churches and to poore people she liued godly and religiously and departed this life being fourescore yeare olde her body was brought to Constantinople called Nevve Rome and buried there with princely funerall CAP. XIIII Howe the emperour Constantine destroying the Idole groues of the Gentiles erected in sundrie places many notable Churches THe emperour after this went about to promote christian religion with greater care industrie to banish the rites ceremonies of the ethnicks to restrayne the lewde combats of fencers and sworde players and to sett vp his owne image in theyr Idolatricall temples And when as the Ethnicks affirmed that the God Serapis was he which made the riuer Nilus to ouerflowe and to water the countrey of Aegypt because that a certaine elle was brought into the temple of Serapis the emperour commaunded that elle to be conueyed into the churche of Alexandria When that it was noysed that Nilus woulde no longer ouerflowe because the God Serapis tooke greate indignation that he was thus abused the yeare followinge the riuer did not onely ouerflowe after his wonted maner and from that time forth kept his course but also thereby declared vnto the worlde that Nilus was accustomed to ouerflowe not after theire superstitious opinion but by the secret determination of the deuine prouidence Although the Sarmatians Barbarians and Gotths at the same time assayled the right of the Romayne empire yet for all that the emperours care and industry for the buyldinge of churches was not slacked but diligently with great aduise did he prouide for both For he valiantly ouercame these nations vnder the banner of the crosse which is the peculiar cognizance of christian profession so that not onely he depriued them of the tribute which the emperours of olde were wonte to pay vnto the Barbarians but also they beinge astonished at this straunge victory yelded themselues then first of all wholly to embrace christian religion by the meanes of the which Constantine had preserued himselfe Constantinus againe applied himselfe to the buyldinge of other churches and one he erected in the okegroue of Mambre where holy scripture reporteth the Angels to haue bene harbored by Abraham When that he was certified that altars were erected at that oke and that the Ethnicks offred sacrifice and incense in that place to theyr fayned Gods he sharply rebuked Eusebius bishope of Caesarea by his letters because that through his slackenes in executinge his office that wickednes was committed He commaundeth therefore the altars to be turned vpside downe and a church harde by the oke to be builded He commaundeth an other church to be builded in Heliopolis of Phoenicia and that for this cause What lawe maker the Heliopolits had of olde I am not able to saye but the lawes and customes of the cytie doe manifestly declare what kinde of man he was By the custome of their countrey they haue all women in common therefore of the children there can no certainty be had Amonge them there is no difference ether of father or sonne They geue their virgins to straungers which come amongst them to be defloured The emperour endeuored wholly to abrogat this old and rotten custome of theirs For when he had taken away this brutishe and beastly kind of behauiour he made a sacred and a seuere lawe that kindreds and families shoulde be knowen amongest thē and seuered one from the other To be short when he had buylded churches amonge them he hastened to consecrate them a bishop to ordaine the holy company of clergy men Thus the state of the Heliopolits after the remouing of theire former filth was reformed into modeste behauiour In like maner he ouerthrewe the temple of Venus in Aphaca standing at the foote of mount Libanus and rooted out al the wicked rites and ceremonies which were wont to be done there both impudently vnreuerently What shall I speake of the familiar deuell and the spirite of diuination the which he foyled in Cilicia commaunded the Idole in whose closettes he had craftely hid himselfe to be destroyed furthermore he was so feruent in promoting christian religion that when he should haue warred against the Persians he made him a tente much like the tabernacle of Moses in the desert in forme and figure resembling the churche of God and the same of a chaūgeable colored vaile the which he caried about with him that in the waste wildernesse and deserte places he mighte alwayes finde readye an holy Churche to singe hymnes and deuoutly to serue the liuinge God But the same battaile wente not forewardes the Persians feared the power of the Emperoure and so all iniuries were putte vp and peaceably ended That the Emperoure also imployed greate laboure and trauell in buyldinge townes and Cyties and that of diuerse peltinge villages he made princely Cyties for example Drepane after his mothers name and Constantia in Palaestina after the name of his sister Constantia I thinke it presently not needefull to committe in wrytinge for the posterity For it is not our drifte to declare the other famous actes of the Emperoure but onely those whiche appertaine vnto christian religion and speciallye the estate of the churches Wherefore in as much as the famous actes of the Emperoure tend to an other purpose and require a proper and a peculiar kinde of handlinge I leaue them for others whiche bothe knowe and can sufficiently discourse thereof I of mine owne parte woulde neuer haue layde penne to paper if the Church had beene at vnitie and concorde within it selfe For where there is no matter ministred to wryte there the wryter seemeth to be fond and his trauell frustrat But in as much as the subtletye of sophisters fonde quirckes and fallacies of Satan depraued in those dayes the Apostolick and syncere Character of Christian religion seuered also and as it were vnioynted the membres of Christ I thought good to saye somethinge of them whereby the ecclestastical affayrs may not fall into the dust of obliuion For the knoweledge thereof is much sett by amonge moste men and settleth for experience the minde of suche a one as is well seene therein For when any vaine controuersie riseth about the signification of a worde it teacheth him to haue a stayed heade CAP. XV. Howe that in the time of Constantine the midle Indians embraced the faith of Christ by the meanes of Aedesius and Frumentius for Athanasius Byshop of Alexandria created Frumentius byshop and sent him to preache vnto the Indians NOwe it remaineth that we declare howe and by what meanes christian religion enlarged and spredd it selfe vnder the raygne of this Emperoure For the nations which inhabited the middle India and Iberia then first of all receaued the faith of Christ and why I haue ioyned thereunto the middle India I will declare in fewe wordes When the Apostles by lot had sorted them selues to trauell vnto certaine
he layeth downe the cause that moued him to repeate at large such things as afore time he had briefly written in his first and seconde booke RVffinus who wrote the Ecclesiasticall historye in the latine tongue was very much deceaued in the tymes for he thought that the perill and daungers which Athanasius stoode in happened vnto him after the death of the emperour Constantine He was ignorant of his banishment into Fraunce of many other miseryes that happened vnto him But we imitating his opinion and censure in discourse of the Ecclesiasticall affayres haue written the first and seconde booke of our historye â–ª from the thirde vnto the seuenth booke by borowing some out of Ruffinus by picking and culling other some out of sundry other writers also by laying downe some thinge we learned of others who as yet be aliue we haue sett forth the historye in a most absolute and perfect maner But after that by meare chaunce the workes of Athanasius came to our handes where both he complayneth of the misery he endured also declareth after what sorte he was exiled through the sclaunderous faction of Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia we thought farre better to attribute more credit vnto him who suffred these things and to others who sawe them with their eyes then to such as coniecture and gesse at them and so plunge them selues in the pitt of error Moreouer by searching diligently the epistles of sundry men who liued at that tyme we haue sifted out as much as in vs laye the trueth it selfe Wherfore we haue bene constrayned to repeate agayne such thinges as we mentioned in the firste and seconde booke of our historye and haue annexed thereunto out of Ruffinus such histories as were agreeable vnto the trueth Not only that but this also is to be vnderstoode how that in the first edition of these our bookes we layd downe neyther the depriuation of Arius neyther the Emperours epistles but explicated in fewe words without figures of Rhetorick the matter we tooke in hande lest the tediousnes of our long historye shoulde tyre the louing Reader When as for the cause aboue mentioned it behoued vs so to doe Theodorus most holy Prieste of God yet nowe to the ende the epistles may be knowen in forme and fashion as the Emperours wrote them selues and the thinges also which Bishops in sundry councells haue published vnto the worlde whylest that they laboured dayely to sett for the more exquisite decrees and constitutions to the furtherance of Christian religion we haue diligently added to this our latter edition such thinges as we thought fitt for the purpose â–ª that truely we haue performed in the first booke and in the seconde nowe in hande we minde to doe no lesse â–ª but nowe to the historye CAP. II. How that Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia endeuored agayne to establishe the doctrine of Arius so that tumults were raysed in the Churche afreshe and howe that Athanasius by vertue of Constantine the yongers letters returned to Alexandria AFter the death of the Emperour Constantine Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia and Theâ—gâ—is Bishop of Nice supposing now they had gotten a fitt time endeuored with all might possible to wipe out of the Churche of God the creede contayning the clause of one substance and to setle in the rowme thereof the detestable heresie of Arius But this they knewe full well they coulde not bringe to passe if Athanasius came agayne to Alexandria They went about to compasse their drift very craftely vsing the Priest by whose meanes we sayd before Arius returned from exile as an instrument to their purpose But the maner of the handling thereof I thinke very needefull to be layde downe This Priest presented vnto Constantius the Emperours sonne the last will and testament and the bequeathed legacies of the Emperour deseased He perceauing y t to haue bene laid downe in his fathers wil which greatly he desired for byy â— wil he was emperour of the Easterne parts made very much of the priest graunted him great libertie charged him to vse his pallace freely and boldly at his pleasure After this libertie was graunted him by the Emperour he forthwith acquainted him selfe with the empresse with the Eunuches and chamberlaynes At the same time there was an eunuch by name Eusebius chiefe of the emperours chamber who through persuasion of this lewde Priest became an Arian and infected also the other eunuches of his company And not only these but the Empresse also through the entisement of the Eunuches and the aduise of the Priest fell into the pestilent heresie of Arius In a while after the Emperour him selfe called the same opinion into controuersie and so by a litle and a litle it was spredd euery where And first the Emperours garde tooke it vp next it occupied the mindes of the multitude throughout the city The Emperours chamberlaynes euen in the very pallace it selfe contended with women about the opinion in euery house and family throughout the city they brawled and went together by the eares This infection spred it selfe quickly ouer other contries and regions and the controuersie much like a sparcle of fire rising of small heate or scattered embers kindled the mindes of the hearers with the fiery flame of discorde and dissention For euery one that desired to knowe why they made such a tumulte by and by had an occasion geuen him to reason and euery one was not satisfied with questioning but contentiously woulde argue thereof â–ª thus the heate of contention turned all vpside downe and troubled the quiet estate of the Churche This sturre and sedition preuailed onely in the cities throughout the East for Illyrium and other contryes of the West enioyed peace and quietnes â–ª for they could in no wise permitt the canons of the Nicene councell to be abrogated and sett at nought After that the heate of contention was blowen abroad and burned euery day more and more the faction of Eusebius tooke this tumult to be a furtherance to their purpose for so they hoped it would come to passe that some Bishop or other woulde be chosen of Alexandria which woulde maintayne the same opinion with them But at the very same time Athanasius by the meanes of Constantine the yongers letters who was one of the Caesars and so called after his fathers name returned to Alexandria the letters were written by the Emperour vnto the people of Alexandria from Triuere a citie of Fraunce in forme as followeth Constantinus Caesar to the people of the Catholicke Church of Alexandria sendeth greeting I hope it is not vnknowen vnto your discreete wisedome that Athanasius the professor of sacred diuinitie was for a tyme banished into Fraunce lest that through the mischieuous dealing of lewde men for bloodesuckers and cruell beastes sought to bereue him of his life his innocent person shoulde of necessitie be constrained to take his deaths wounde VVherfore to the ende he might auoyde the malice of these dispitefull
conuersant and ministred vnto him for the framing and finishing of euery vvorke of visible or inuisible things but to haue bene the vvorde in deede together vvith the father and God of God ▪ for this is he vnto vvhome the father sayde Let vs make man after our ovvne image and similitude vvho appeared in his proper person vnto the fathers of olde gaue them the lawe spake by the prophets laste of all became man made manifest his father vnto all men and raygneth vvorlde vvithout ende Neyther doe vve beleue that Christ receaued his diuinitie of late but that he vvas perfect from all aeternitie and like vnto the father in all things Such as confounde the father the sonne and the holie Ghost and impiously imagine three names in one thinge and in one person not vvithout iust cause vve forbidde them the church because they appoynt the father vvho is incomprehensble and impatible by incarnation to be both comprehensible and patible Of which heresie are the Patropassians so called of the Romaines but of vs Sabellians VVe know of certainty the father vvhich sent his sonne to haue continewed in the proper nature of his immutable diuinitie the sonne vvhich vvas sent to haue accomplished the disposed order of his incarnation In like maner such as say impiously and blaspheniously that Christ vvas begotten neyther by the counsell neyther by the vvill of the father attributinge to God the father a counsell tyed to necessitie and an essence intangled vvith the vvant of free vvill so that he begatt the sonne of cōpulsion them first of all we hold for accursed creatures and farre estraynged from the trueth in Christ because they presume to publishe such doctrine of him both contrary to the common notions vnderstanding vve haue of God and also repugnant vvith the sense and meaning of the sacred scripture inspired from aboue VVe knowe that God is of his owne power that he enioyeth his free will and we beleue godly and reuerently that he begat the sonne of his owne accord free will VVe beleue that godly which is spoken of him The Lorde made me the beginning of his wayes for the accōplishing of his works yet we vnderstand no◠that he was so made as other creatures other things were framed For that is impious farr◠frō the faith of the catholicke church to liken the creator vnto the creatures which he shaped or to thinke that he had the like maner of begetting with other thinges of different nature The holy scriptures do informe vs onely of one onely begotten sonne vnfainedly and truely begotten Moreouer when as we say that the sonne hath his being of him selfe that he liueth subsisteth in like sort with the father for all that vve seuer him not from the father neither do we imagine corporall vvise certaine spaces and distance betvvene their coherencie For vve beleeue that they ioyne together vvithout pause or distance put betvvene and that they can not be seuered asunder so that the father compriseth as it vvere in his bosome the vvhole sonne and the sonne is ioyned and fastened to the vvhole father and resteth continevvally onely in his fathers lappe VVe beleeue furthermore in the absolute perfect most blessed Trinitie and vvhen vve call the father God the sonne God in so doing we say not there be two gods but one God of equall power diuinitie and one perfect coniunction of raygne and euen as the father beareth rule exerciseth authoritie ouer all things ouer the sonne sovve say that the sonne is subiect vnto the father and that he gouerneth besides him immediatly and next after him all thinges vvhich he made and that the saincts by the vvill of the father receaue the grace of the holy Ghost aboundantly poured vpon them Thus the holy scriptures haue instructed vs to direct our talke of the monarchie in Christ After the aforesayd briefe cōpendious forme of faith vve haue bene cōstrained to explicate discourse of these thinges at large not that vve are disposed vainely and arrogantly to contend but to remoue out of the mindes of such men as knovve vs not all fonde suspicion surmise cōceaued of our censure opinion othervvise then trueth is that moreouer all the bishops of the VVest may easily perceaue not only the sclaunders of such as maintayne the contrary opinion but also the ecclesiasticall and Christian faith of the byshops inhabitinge the East confirmed out of the manifest and vnvvrested testimonies of holie scripture the vvhich the aduersaries are vvont lewdly to interpret The bishops of the west churches affirmed they would in no wise receaue these thinges partly for that they were written in a straunge tonge therfore could not vnderstand them they sayd moreouer that the creede or forme of faith layd downe by the Nicene councell was sufficient and that it was not for them curiously to search further CAP. XVI Of the generall Councell summoned at Sardice WHen as the Emperour had written againe that Paulus and Athanasius should be restored to their former rowmes and dignities and his letters had taken no place by reason of the ciuill dissention discord as yet not appeased among the multitude Paulus Athanasius make humble sute that an other councell might be called together to the end their cases should be the better knowen the faith should be decided in a general coūcell for they protested y ◠their depositiō was wrought to the end y ◠faith might be destroyed Wherfore by y ◠cōmaundemēt of both y ◠Emperours the one signifying y ◠same by his letters the other whose dominiōs lay in y ◠East willingly cōdescending thervnto there was proclaimed a generall councell that all should meete at Sardice a citie of Illyrium The eleuenth yeare after y ◠desease of Costantinus the father of these Emperours in the consulship of Ruffinus Eusebius the councell of Sardice was summoned There mett there as Athanasius sayth about thre hundred bishops of the west churches and as Sabinus declareth onely seuenty six bishops out of the East of which number was Ischyras bishop of Mareôtes whome y ◠deposers of Athanasius preferred to be bishop of that place Some alleage for them selues their infirmitie of body some cōplaine that their warning was to short therfore they blame Iulius bishop of Rome when as since the date of the proclamation the leasure of Athanasius cōtinewing at Rome expecting y ◠meeting of the councell there rame a whole yeare six moneths After that y ◠bishops of the east came to Sardice they would not come into y ◠presence of y ◠bishops which inhabited y ◠West but sent thē this message that they would not talke neither reason with them vnlesse cōditionally they would barre Athanasius and Paulus their cōpany But when Protogenes bishop of Sardice Osius bishop of Corduba a citie as I sayd
phrase correspoÌ„dent vnto y â— capacitie both of learned and vnlearned readers Wherefore entring to discourse of him we purpose to proceede in this order after our preamble hath vsed a litle digressioÌ„ fet a small coÌ„passe for to lay downe his kinred his nurture the maner how he attained vnto y â— emperiall crowne Constantinus y â— Emperour who chauÌ„ged y â— name of ByzantiuÌ„ termed it CoÌ„stantinople had two brethren of one father but by diuers mothers the one was Dalmatius y â— other Costantius Dalmatius had a sonne of his owne name Constatius also had two soÌ„nes Gallus Iulianus When as after the death of CoÌ„stantinopls fosider y â— yoÌ„ger Dalmatius had ben staine of y â— souldiers these orphanes likewise bereaued of their naturall father escaped narowly the vnlucky successe of Dalmatius for they had bene cut of dispatched had not sicknesse diseases as it was thought incurable saued Gallus life youthly age of eight yeare old preserued Iulianus aliue kept him from y â— tyraÌ„ts clawes But after y t the Emperour was appeased his furie withdrawen froÌ„ raging against theÌ„ Gallus was trained vp vnder schoolemaisters at Ephesus in Ionia where their auncetors had left either of theÌ„ great legacies Iulianus also being come to y â— stature of a spriÌ„gall gaue him selfe to learniÌ„g in y â— cathedrall church of CoÌ„staÌ„tinople where was a free schoole he went in simple meane attire was taught of Macedonius y â— Cunuch he learned graÌ„mer of Nicocles y â— Laconian Rhetorike of Ecebolius y â— sophist who theÌ„ was a ChristiaÌ„ The Emperour ConstaÌ„tius prouided very well lest y â— by hauiÌ„g an ethnike to his maister for Iulianus was a ChristiaÌ„ froÌ„ his cradell he should fall to y â— superstitious idolatry of pagaÌ„s WheÌ„ he had profited very much in good discipline godly literature y â— fame weÌ„t of him amoÌ„g y t people y t he was a man both able fit to gouerne beare office in the coÌ„mon wealth The which thing afterwards being then rife in euery mans mouth disquieted y â— Emperour not a litle Wherfore he caused him to be remoued from y â— princely citie of CoÌ„staÌ„tinople into Nicomedia charged him not to treade in y â— schoole of Iabanius y â— Syrian Sophist Iabanius then was expelled by y â— schoolemaisters of ConstaÌ„tinople kept a schoole at Nicomedia who powred out y â— poison of his caÌ„kred stomake displeasure coÌ„ceaued agaiÌ„st y â— schoolemaisters in a certaine booke which he published agaiÌ„st theÌ„ though Iulianus was therfore forbiddeÌ„ to frequent Libanis lessoÌ„s because he professed paganisme and heathenishe literature yet for all that was he so in loue with his works that he procured them vnto him secretly and by stelth and perused them with greate labor and diligence When he had taken good successe and great profit in Rhetorike it fell out that Maximus the philosopher not the Byzantian the father of Eucleides but the Ephesian came to Nicomedia â–ª whome the Emperour Valentinianus afterwardes founde to be a coniurer and recompenced him with present death â–ª but that as I sayde before fell afterwards At that time there was no cause that draue him thither but the fame of Iulian. Of this man it was that Iulian learned the precepts of philosophie but as for religion he had such a maister as inflamed his minde to aspire vnto the imperiall scepter When these thinges came to the Emperours eares Iulian nowe muzinge betwene hope and fearefull hatred howe he myght be voyde of suspition who of late had bene a true Christian but nowe an hypocriticall dissembler shaued him selfe and counterfayted a monkishe life For all that priuely he applyed heathenishe and philosophicall discipline but openly he read holy scripture so that he was made reader in the church of Nicomedia Thus craftely vnder cloke of religion did he appease the furious rage of the Emperour incensed agaynst him These things did he of feare yet not dispayring of hope for he sticked not to tell diuers of his familiar friends that it woulde be a happie worlde if he were made Emperour When it went thus with him Gallus his brother was created Caesar who taking his iourney into the East came by Nicomedia for to see him After that Gallus in a while after was slayne immediatly from that time forth Iuliamus was had in greate suspicion of the Emperour and therevpon commaunded that he shoulde be straightly looked vnto he espying fitt opportunitie to escape his keepers conueyed him selfe away and saued his life At length Eusebia y â— Empresse finding him by chaunce lurking in some secret and obscure place intreated the Emperour in his behalfe that he would not onely doe him no harme but also graunt him his lawfull fauour for to repaire to Athens for further knowledge in philosophie To be short he sent for him made him Caesar gaue him his sister Helen to wife and sent him into Fraunce for to wage battaile with y â— barbarian nations which rebelled agaynste their Christian Emperour For the Barbarians whome the Emperour Constantius had hyred a litle before to geue battaile vnto Magnentius the tyraÌ„t when as they preuayled nothing against him they fell a ransacking and spoyling of the cities within the Romaine dominions and because Iulian had but a greene head and of no great yeares the Emperour gaue him charge to enterprise nothing without the aduise and counsell of his sage expert captaines When y â— they hauing this large commission waxed negligent so y â— the Barbarians had the vpper hand Iulianus permitted the captaines to banquet to take their pastime pleasure layd downe a sett and certaine reward for euery Barbarian that was slayne whereby he did the more incourage the souldiers By this meanes it fell out that the power of the Barbarians came to nought and that he him selfe was greatly beloued of his souldiers The fame goeth that as he entred into a certaine towne a greene garland hanging by a corde betwene pillours wherewith commonly they are wont to trimme their houses and sett forth the beautie of their cities fell vpon his head and sitted him very well insomuch that all the people then present gaue a great shout thereat â–ª for it was thought that the falling garland prognosticated vnto him the glory of the imperiall seepter following after Some say that Constantius sent him against the Barbarians hoping that in skirmishing with them he shoulde there be dispatched â–ª but whether they report truely or no I knowe not For after that he had maryed him to his sister if then he shoulde pretende him friendship and practise mischiefe towards him what other thing were that then to procure vengeance to lyght vpon his owne pate but whether it be thus or otherwise lett euery man iudge as he thinkes best When Iulian had signified vnto the Emperour the carelesse and sâ—outhfull disposition and negligence of
the captaines he sent him an other that was valiant seruiceable and a man for Iulianus owne vayne Iulian after his comming fought manfully with the Barbarians who sent an embassadour vnto him shewinge the letters patents and commission of the Emperour that commaunded them to go into the borders of the Romaine countries But Iulian layd their embassadour in hold waged battaile with the multitude ouercame the enemy and sent the king of the Barbarians captiue vnto the Emperour Constantius After this lucky and prosperous successe the souldiers proclayme him Emperour The emperiall crowne was not then present but one of his trayne tooke a chayne of golde from about his necke and compassed his head therwith in steede of the crowne In this sort it was that Iulianus beganne his raigne What he did in time following whether it became a philosopher or no let other men iudge that shall heare thereof For he determined with him selfe thenceforth to send no embassadour vnto ConstaÌ„tius neyther to doe homage or to honor him as his superiour patrone or wellwiller but to deale in all matters accordinge vnto his owne will and pleasure He altered the presidents throughout euery prouince he discredited Constantius in euery citie by reading openly and skoâ—â—ing at his letters written vnto the BarbariaÌ„s so that all fell from Constantius followed after Iulianus In the ende he layd aside all his hypocrisie dissembling of Christian religioÌ„ For as he passed throughout euery citie he set wide open their temples and idoll groues he sacrificed to pictures and entitled him selfe an high priest so that the pagans celebrated afreshe their heathenishe abhominable feasts When these things were thus brought to passe he tooke occasion to raise ciuill warrs against CostaÌ„tius procured as much as lay in him all miserie calamitie mischiefe which accustome to follow warre to be committed Neither truly could this philosophers mind haue bene throughly knoweÌ„ without great slaughter bloodshediÌ„g vnlesse God who is the only iudge of his owne secret couÌ„cell had without y â— calamitie of others cut of froÌ„ his purpose y â— other aduersary For as Iulianus coÌ„tinewed amoÌ„g y â— Thracians tydings were brought him of Constantius death Thus was the Romaine empire then deliuered from ciuill warres Immediatly Iulianus got him to ConstaÌ„tinople and forthwith deuiseth how to winne the peoples harts and to linke them vnto him in loue and obedience He compassed with him selfe this craft Knowinge of a certaintie that Constantius was deadly hated of all them that embraced the Creede contayninge the clause of One substance partly for that he had dedepriued them of their churches and partly also for that he had banished and exiled their bishops vnderstanding also that the Ethnickes could in no wise away with him because that he kept them from sacrificinge and that they hoped to see the day when their idoll groues should be frequented and their altars loded with sacrifice seeing that both these sorts of men seuerally owed spite vnto the deseased Constantius and to be short how that all men abhorred the Eunuches and detested the haynous spoyle of Eusebius he craftely applyed him selfe to euery sort and framed his behauiour according vnto euery ones humor He dissembleth and flaâ—tereth with some others he allureth w t benefites and swellinge pryde of hoped promotion But euery where he proclaymeth and all the world is geuen to vnderstand his disposition towards idolatrie And first he inueyeth at y â— crueltie of ConstaÌ„tius next to the end he might make him odious amoÌ„g the coÌ„mon sort of people he calleth home by edict y â— bishops he had exiled coÌ„mauÌ„ding also that their coÌ„fiscated substance should be restored theÌ„ againe He gaue charge that without any adoe y â— ethnickes should haue free accesse into their teÌ„ples he made a law y â— the Eunuchs shoulde make restitutioÌ„ of such substaÌ„ce as they had iniuriously takeÌ„ away he coÌ„maunded y â— Eusebius the Emperours chiefe chaÌ„berlaine should haue his head strooke of his shoulders not only for the great iniuries he offred to diuers meÌ„ but also as he was geueÌ„ to vnderstaÌ„d for y â— his brother Gallus through his malicious procurement had bene put to death At leÌ„gth he buryed ConstaÌ„tius honorably Afterwards he râ—d y â— court of y â— eunuches barbours and Cookes the Eunuches because y â— by their meanes it came to passe that ConstaÌ„tius being diuorced froÌ„ his wife maryed not againe the cookes because he had vsed a spare kind of dyet the barbours because as he sayd one was inough for â— great many For the aforesayd causes he banished these kind of men out of his pallace He turned out diuers of the notaries to their former trades and vnto some he coÌ„maunded that the stipend dew vnto scriueuers shoulde duely be payed Moreouer he coÌ„maunded that the ordinary cariadge prouided for necessaries shoulde no more be by Mules Oxen and Asses but permitted that in such publique affaires the onely vse of horses shoulde be retayned There be but fewe which commende these his doinges and sure I am there be many that discommende them because that in remouing the admiration and glorie of the emperiall treasure and sumptuous magnificence whereat many dyd wonder he brought the Empire into an abiect porte and contemptuous kinde of state In the nyght he made orations and pronounced them the day followinge in the Senate so that he alone of all the Emperours from the raygne of Iulius Caesar vnto his tyme was hearde to sound orations in the Senate Although he fauoured greately and bare singular good wyll vnto all learned men and paynefull students yet aboue all others he esteemed such as professed philosophie so that the fame thereof beynge bruted abroade all such kinde of men bragginge not a little of theyr profession frequented vnto the Emperours pallace of which number manie attyred in mantells were more reuerenced for theyr peltinge habite then theyr professed doctrine All these sorte of men became heauie friendes vnto the Christians as lewde varletts they alwayes applyed them selues to the Emperours relygion The Emperoure him selfe beynge puffed vp beyonde all measure with the swellinge pryde of vayne glorie wrote a booke the which he intituled Caesares wherein he bitterly inueyed against all the Emperours his predecessors Beyng also of the same minde and hauing his stomacke distempered with the cancred poyson of malice he made declamations and inuectiues against the Christians In that he banished Cookes and Barbours out of his courte we haue to gather that therein he played the parte rather of a philosopher then of an Emperour and in that he opprobriously taunted and reuyled his auncetors he shewed him selfe playnely to be neyther philosopher neyther Emperour For both those sortes of men are voyde of malicious backbytinge and despitefull enuie For euen as it behoueth the Emperour to seeke after those precepts of philosophie which tende to the moderation and modestie of minde so the Philosopher if he imitate
an Apostata and an Atheist he of the contrary answered him opprobriously recompenced him with the like called him a blind foole and sayd vnto him farther thy God of Galilee will not restore thee thy sight agayne for Iulianus called Christ a Galilaean and all the Christians in like sort Maris a litle after answered the Emperour somewhat freely I thanke God sayth he which made me blinde lest that euer I should set mine eye vpon so vngracious a face as thine is Wherunto the Emperour made no answere but handled the Bishop roughly When he perceaued that the Christians did highly reuerence and honor such as suffered martyrdome vnder the raigne of Diocletian when he learned also for certayntie diuerse men to be so well disposed that willingly they woulde suffer martyrdome he going about to depriue the Christians of so great a benefitt deuised an other way to afflict them And although he let passe the vnsatiable tyranny practised in the tyme of Diocletian yet ceased he not altogether from persecuting In mine opinion he is a persecutor which molesteth any kinde of way such men as leade a quiet and peaceable lise Iulian in this sorte afflicted the Christans not a litle he made a lawe that the Christians shoulde not be trayned vp in prophane literature for sayth he seeing they haue the gift of vtterance so readily they shall easily be able to ouerthrowe the quicks of Logick wherewith the Gentils doe vpholde their doctrine CAP. XI Of the sturre the Emperour Iulian raysed against the Christians and what deuise he founde out to extort money from them MOreouer the Emperour Iulian gaue out a proclamation that such as would not renounce the Christian fayth shoulde warefare no longer in the Emperours pallace likewise that all shoulde prepare them selues to doe sacrifice that no Christian should beare office in the common wealth for their law sayth he forbiddeth the execution by sworde vpon such as deserued death and therefore they are not fitt to be Magistrats He allured diuers with flattery and faire offers to sacrifice but immediatly they y â— were Christians in deede they also which were thought to be no lesse made them selues manifest vnto all men as if they had shewed them selues vpon a stage for they which with harte and good will professed Christian religion threwe downe their sworde girdles signified they woulde rather suffer any kind of torment then denie their Sauiour Christ Iesus Of which number was Ionianus Valentinianus Valens who afterwards were crowned Emperours Other some that were counterfeit Christians who thought that the ritches and honor of this worlde was true felicity it selfe without any delay fell to sacrifice Of which number Ecebolius a Sophist of Constantinople was one who conforming him selfe vnto the humors disposition of the Emperours was an earnest follower of the christian faith in the time of Constantius but when Iulian succeeded him in the empire he fell to gentilitie and the idolatry of Pagans againe after the death of Iulian he became a professor of the doctrine of Christ He laye alonge at the porche of the Church and cried vnto such as came in treade me vnder foote for that I am the vnsauery salt Ecebolius as he was light and vnconstant so he continewed vnto the ende It came to passe about that tyme that the Emperour purposed to reuenge him of the Persians for the iniurie they had done him by inuading some part of the Romaine dominions and determined to take his iourney into the East through the coastes of Asia When that he pondered with him selfe howe many euills and inconueniences appertayned vnto warres what greate summes of money were needefull thereunto and howe that without it it was vnpossible to bring his purpose to effect he deuised a certaine sleyght to wring money from the Christians for he sett a great fine vpon the heades of such as woulde not sacrifice and the taxe was very grieuous and duely demaunded of the Christians so that euery one rateably was seased at a certaine summe and the Emperour him self in a short while was wonderfully enritched with the iniurious heapes of money vniustly exacted This law was of force not onely where he traueled but also in such contries as he came not neare Then did the Gentils insult ouer y â— christians the Philosophers celebrated their frequented conferences they solemnized certaine detestable rites and ceremonies they made slaughter of infants sparing no sexe they vsed their entralls for southsaying they tasted of their tender bowells These horrible practises were both at Athens at Alexandria and other places CAP. XII Howe that Athanasius was faine to flie and leaue Alexandria in the tyme of Iulian the Apostata THey forged at that time a false accusation against Athanasius and signified vnto the Emperour that he had subuerted Aegypt and the whole citie of Alexandria and that of necessitie it behoued to banishe him the citie so that by the commaundement of the Emperour the gouernour of Alexandria was sore incensed against him Athanasius vttering these wordes vnto certaine of his familiars My friendes let vs goe aside for a season this is but a litle cloude which quicâ—ly will vanish away fledd immediatly tooke shipping and sayled into Aegypt the enemy pursued after made hast to ouertake him When it was vnderstoode that the pursuers were at hand his companions gaue him counsell to flie into the desert he by following their aduise escaped the enemy for he perswaded them to turne backe and to meete the pursuers the which they did immediatly As soone as they who a litle before fledd away mett the persecutors there was nothing demaunded of them but whether they had seene Athanasius who answered againe that he hid him self in some bushe not farre from them and if they would make quicke speed they woulde be like to take him so the pursuers followed after and the farther they runne the further they raunge but they lost their labor for he escaped their handes conueyed him selfe priuely to Alexandria where he hid himselfe vntill the kindled flame of persecution was wholly quenched Such was the hurly burly after sundry stormes of persecution and manifolde vexations by the Ethnicks which happened vnto the Bishop of Alexandria Furthermore the gouernours of the prouinces supposinge nowe that it was highe tyde for them vnder coloure of the Emperoures religon to make vp theyr bagges vexed the christians farre sorer then the Emperours proclamations bare them out demaunded greater taxes then they were seassed at and sometimes tormented their bodies The Emperoure vnderstandinge of their doinges winked at them and answered the christians which complained vnto him in this sorte It is your parte when you haue iniuries offered vnto you to take it paciently for so your God commaunded you CAP. XIII Of suche as suffred Martyrdome at Meris a citie of Phrygia in the time of Iulian. THere was at Meris a citie of Phrygla a certaine gouernour
whose name was Amachius who commauÌ„ded that the Idolatricall temple of the Ethnicks which stood in y t citie should be set wide open that the foule heapes and filthy corners of a long time vnfrequeÌ„ted should be made cleane and fell himselfe a worshipping of the Idols Which act of his pricked not a litle in conscience the zealous christians Wherefore one Macedonius Theodulus and Tatianus beinge kindled with fetuencie of loue towardes the christian fayth coulde in no wise away with such horrible practises but in the burninge zeale of their godly inindes brake in the nighte season into the temple threwe downe theyr Idols and stamped them into pouder Whereat when the gouernoure was wonderfull wroth and purposed to execute diuerse of the citizens whiche were giltelesse and innocente persons the authors thereof presented themselues of their owne accorde before him and chose to dye themselues for the trueth rather then any other for their sakes should be depriued of their liues After they were layde in holde the gouernoure commaunded that they should cleare theÌ„selues by sacrificinge vnto the Idols and threatned them if they refused he would seuerely punishe them They beinge of a noble minde valiant courage set nought by his threats made themselues redy to suffer what tormente soeuer were layde vpon them for they counted it farre better to loose their liues then to defile their soules with those impure sacrifices The gouernour wheÌ„ he had assayd them at all kind of torments last of all set them on the gredyron caused fire to be made vnder broiled them to death And to the end they might valiantly encouÌ„ter vnder the glorious garlande of victory they reason thus with the gouernour If thou longe O Amachius after broyled meate turne vp the other side of vs least in the eatinge we seeme rawe vnto thee and the bloode runne aboute thy teeth This was the ende that these men had CAP. XIIII VVhen the Emperoure Iulian forbad the christians the studie of Prophane literature both the Apollinaruses the father and the sonne fell a wrytinge The profltte that the christians haue in prophane wryters THe lawe whiche the Emperoure made that the christians shoulde not be trained vp in the liberall sciences made bothe the Apollinariuses of whome we spake before to be of farre greater fame For either of them beinge skilfull in suche artes as directed our style and orations the father a grammarian the sonne a Rhetorician profited very much the christians and furthered at that time not a little the churche of God For the father as a profounde grammarian framed the arte of humanitie vnto the furtherance of Christian religion he turned the fiue bookes of Moses into Heroycall verse together with other bookes of the olde Testament which contayne Hystories partely in Hexameter verse and partely after the forme of comedies and tragedies with the fitte application of persons he wrote in all kinde of meter to the ende the christians shoulde not be ignorant and vnskilfull in any rare gifte that excelled among the Gentils The sonne an eloquente Rhetorician broughte the wrytinges of the Euangelistes and workes of the Apostles into Dialogues as Plato vsed amonge the Heathens Althoughe their laboure and industrie seemed auaylable and greatelye to sette forthe the seruice of God in so muche that thereby the lewde drift of the Emperoure was stopped from takinge effect yet the prouidence of God did farre exceede both their carefull studie and dashed also the Emperours wiked deuise For immediatly the Emperours lawe as hereafter it shall more manifestly appeare was abrogated and theyr workes were as muche spoken of as if they had neuer bene wrytten But here peraduenture some man will saye vnto me why then doe ye attribute bothe the aforesayde vnto the prouidence of God As toutchinge the shorteninge of the Emperoures dayes it is knowen well inoughe howe auaylable it was vnto christian religion but in that the Poâ—trye of bothe the Apollinariuses was neglected and that the christians freely applied the Philosophicall sciences of the heathens there is no man will graunte that it furthered the seruice of God and the faith of Christ For it can not be without daunger that the christians maye wade in the doctrine of Ethnickes in so muche it teacheth that there be many Gods Vnto these things which aptely may be obiected vnto vs we will presentely frame suche answers as we can The doctrine of the Gentiles is allowed neither by Christ neither by his Disciples as inspired from aboue neither altogether reiected for daungerous And I take y â— to haue come to passe not without the speciall prouidence of almightie God For there were many heathen Philosophers which were not farre from the knowledg of God such as by publique disputation confuted the Epicures and other contentious Philosophers delited with the quirckes of logicke and ouerthrewe their palpable error and ignorance And thoughe they coulde stande the fauorers of christian religion in greate steade for their furtherance of learninge yet attained they not vnto the grounde principall point of our religion insomuch they vnderstoode not the mystery of Christ which was concealed the coÌ„tinewance of many ages and generations The whiche the Apostle in his epistle vnto the Romanes sheweth plainely in these wordes The wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlines and iniquitie of men which withholde the trueth in vnrighteousnesse For the thinge that may be knowen of God is manifest amonge theÌ„ because God hath shevved it vnto them For his inuisible thinges beinge vnderstoode by his workes are seene through the creation of the world that is both his eternall power godheade so that they are without excuse because that when they knewe God notwithstanding they glorified him not as God VVherefore they knowinge the trueth which God reuealed vnto them were worthie of death because that wheÌ„ they knewe God they glorified him not as God Therefore sithence that the Apostle forbadd not the knoweledge of the Gentils doctrine he gaue free licence and libertie vnto euery man at his choice and pleasure to wade in the vnderstandinge of them Let this suffire for one reason to the satisfiynge of the former doubts The seconde is as followeth The holy Scriptures inspired from aboue deliuer vnto vs diuine precepts and mysticall doctrine they graffe in the mindâ—s of suche as heare them true Godlines and the righte trade of liuinge they sette wyde open before such as study them the most sacred faith they teach vs no logicke wherewith we may withstand such as oppugne the trueth although the aduersaries are easiest ouerthrowen when their owne armoure and proper defence is vsed to their foyle and destruction But the christians enioyed not this benefit by the workes of bothe the Apollinariuses This was it that the Emperoure Iulian shotte at when as he made a lawe that the christians shoulde not be schooled in the doctrine of the Gentils He knewe full well that the fables contained in
to bloodshed yet doubted they not to deale with the Persians who nowe were come forthe to meete them so that in the ende they putte them to flighte and wonne the fielde The Emperoure himselfe was a horsebacke at the battell to the ende he mighte animate and incourage the souldiers but trusting to much to his prosperitie and thinkinge himselfe cockesure wente into his campe without complete harnesse Therefore an arrowe beinge soddaynely shotte at him pearced throughe his arme and stucke in his ribbes whiche gaue him his deathes wounde but who did it was neuer knowen Some reporte that he was wounded by a fugitiue Persian some other that he was slayne by one of his owne souldiers whiche is rife in euerye mans mouthe yet Calistus one of the Emperours housholde garde who wrote his life in Heroycall verse and the battell whiche he gaue then vnto the Persians say the that it was a wicked fiende or Deuell that runne him throughe whiche peraduenture is fayned after the maner of Poeticall inuention and yet it may very well be true for we learne that the furies of Hell haue often times recompenced suche lewde persons with extreme punishmente But howe so euer it was euerye man knoweth that for his headye rashenesse he was subiecte to daunger for his eloquence and gifte of vtterance he was desirous of vayne glorie and for his counterfete grauitie he was contemned and derided of all men Thus he ended his life in Persia as I sayde before in his fourth Consulship the whiche he enioyed with Salustius beinge the sixt and twentieth of Iune and the thirde yeare of his raygne the seauenth yeare after he was made Caesar by Constantius the one and thirtieth yeare of his age CAP. XIX Iouianus is created Emperoure A notable confutation of Libanius the Heathen Rhetorician THe souldiers beinge doubtefull knowinge not what was best to be done the nexte day after the death of Iulian without any further deliberation they proclaime Iouianus a man of valiante and noble courage theyr Emperoure This man beinge a tribune when Iulian by proclamatioÌ„ gaue the souldiers in choice eyther to doe sacrifice or to leaue warefare chose rather to throwe awaye his swordegirdle then to satisfie the wicked and detestable edicte of the Emperoure For all that Iulian when the necessitie of the warres then in hande constrayned him retayned him in the number of his Captaines But Iouianus beinge nominated Emperoure refuseth the crowne and beinge compelled thereunto agaynste his will by the souldieres breaketh out into lowde speache sayinge In that he was a Christian he woulde not be Emperour where Ethnickes shoulde become his subiectes yet when all with one voice confessed themselues to be Christians he yelded and was crowned Emperour Beinge in Persia and sodainely put to his shiftes his souldiers also being almost famished to death vpon certaine conditions he ioyned in league with the kinge of Persia and so ended the warres The couenantes as the Romaynes thoughte were vnlaweful yet consideringe the case of that presente time they were not to be misliked For he was contente to loose the dominion of Syria and to deliuer the Persians Nisibis a citie in Mesopotamia When these tidinges were blased abroade the Christians conceaued no small ioye at the departure of Iulian the whole armie also misliked very muche with his vndiscreete and headye rashenesse and laye to his charge that the boundes of the Empire were cutte shorte For be beinge deceaued by a Persian that was a fugitiue sette afire certaine vessells vpon the seaes whiche broughte them corne and thereof it rose that the famine grieued them sore At that time Libanius the Sophist made a funerall oration where he be wayled the death of Iulian and entitled it Iuliana or the Epitaph of Iulian. In the whiche he paynted forthe his life with loftye stile in prayse of his person and to his further commendation reporteth of the bookes he had wrytten agaynste the Christians and howe that in them he had proued theyr doctrine for triflinge and ridiculous stuffe If this Rhetorician had extolled the Emperoure onely for his other Acts I would haue proceeded with silence to discourse of that which remayneth of the historie but in so muche he hath mentioned the bookes of Iulian and like a graue and wise orator inueyed bitterly againste Christian religion therefore I haue thoughte good to saye somewhat thereof and firste I will laye downe his owne wordes In the vvinter season sayth he vvhen the nights are somevvhat longe the Emperoure perusing those bookes vvhiche affirme that the man vvhose originall vvas in Palaestina is bothe God and the sonne of God confuted them vvith manye reasons and stronge argumentes and condemned them for ridiculous doctrine affirmed moreouer that the glorious religion highly esteemed of them was full of toyes and trifles vvhere he proued himselfe to be farre vviser then the olde grayberde of Tyrus VVherefore let the olde man of Tyrus he meaneth Porphyrius conceaue no displeasure at all but patientely vveye vvherein his childe doth preiudice his creditte These are the wordes of Libanius the Sophiste Truely I will saye no lesse but that he was a notable Rhetorician and I am verelye perswaded that if he had not consented vnto the Emperours religion he woulde haue had no other speache in his mouthe then the Christians haue at this day and that by all likelyhoode beinge an excellent Rhetorician he woulde haue extolled Christian religion vnto the skies For he wrote in the prayse of Constantius while he liued after his desease he wrote to his disprayse and made inuectiues agaynste him Wherefore if Porphyrius had bene Emperoure he woulde haue preferred his workes before the wrytinges of Iulian againe if Iulian had bene a Sophist as he wrote of Ecebolius in his funerall oration of Iulian he would haue called him a â—auâ—â—e Rhetorician In as muche as then he beinge of the same religion with the Emperoure beinge a Rhetorician beinge also his friende wrote his pleasure of him we also after our habilitie will fall to answere his sclaunderous workes First he sayth that in the winter season the nights beinge somwhat longe he tooke great paines in perusing the christians bookes He signifieth by taking of paines in this place that his trauell was greate in wrytinge of inuectiues as Rhetoricians doe vse when they traine vp youth to the knoweledge of their art A good while agoe he read those bookes in deede tooke greate paynes discoursed at large not as Libanius sayth with stronge argumentes but with weake in somuche they were contrarie to the trueth and endeuored skoffinge wise to refell suche thinges as of themselues were of force inoughe For whosoeuer disputeth with an other laboureth to foile his aduersarie sometime by corrupting and peruerting some other time by concealinge of the trueth Whosoeuer also he be that oweth spite and hatred vnto any man he will endeuer like a deadly enemy not onely to doe but also to speake the worste of him he
will also wreste all the mischiefe whiche the enemy deuiseth agaynst him vpon his aduersarie Their owne bookes doe manifestly declare that bothe Iulian and Porphyrius whome he calleth the gray bearde of Tyrus were raylers and skoffers For Porphyrius in his booke intitled the liues of Philosophers wrytinge of Socrates the chiefe of all the reste inueyeth against him bitterly and wryteth to his contumely raylinge speaches and farre more opprobrious languages then Melitus or Anytus who of olde sclaundered him alike euer durste to reuile Socrates with all I meane that Socrates whome the Gentils haue in greate admiration for his temperance iustice and others his vertues whome Plato the deuine Philosopher whome Xenophon with the whole Senate of Philosophers doe greately reuerence But Iulian followinge his fathers steppes in all thinges reuealed vnto the worlde that corrupte humor whiche troubled his heade wherewich he reuiled all the Emperours and Caesars that were before him in so muche that he spared not no not his deare friende the Philosopher Marcus Wherefore lette theyr wrytinges be iudge whether bothe Porphyrius and Iulian were reuilers and sclaunderers or no. Neyther haue I neede of greate and weyghtie argumentes to confirme this my assertion but the opinions of diuerse sage personages grounded vpon good coniectures the whiche I minde to alleage shall stande for sufficiente proofe What Gregorie Nazianzen hathe thoughe of Iulian lette vs first of all see out of his owne wordes For in his seconde Oration agaynst the Gentils he wryteth thus Althoughe bothe his raygne and also experience hathe taughte other men that these thinges vvere moste true in him yet perceaued I them longe a goe since the time I vvas aquaynted vvith him at Athens For he came thither vvhen the Emperesse had procured licence of the Emperoure for his voyage vvhen also his brother Gallus had conspired the deathe of Constantius the Emperoure There vvere tvvo causes that moued him to repayre vnto Athens The first tollerable the seconde of smale honestie the first to see Grece and the schooles that florished therein the seconde vvhiche vvas more secrete and knovven vnto fevve for to consulte vvith southsayers and sacrificers about his affayres in time to come because it vvas not then openly permitted for the authors of suche impiety to practise suche Deuelishe inuentions And I my selfe in coniecturinge of him at that time although I am not of the number of Propheciers vvas not much deceaued for his vvauering mind and frenticke disposition made me a Prophet good inough He vvich goeth nearest the marke by coniecture is commonly called the beste Prophere I savve not one signe in him that gaue me any hope of him that euer he woulde become an honeste man He had a runninge heade his shoulders did neuer lynne vvagginge and lay slatte or stipe vvise he had vvinkinge eyes that continevvally rolled in his heade his countenance vvas staringe he had a slidinge slippery and limpinge pace his visage vvas scornefull he had a flyringe face of his ovvne the which his immoderate laughter and continevvall skorninge did declare his maner vvas without all good order to say and vnsay his vvords came tumblinge out vvith vehemencie and stoppes the sentence broken in the middes his questions and obiections were rashe and foolish his ansvvers vvere litle better which oftentimes follovved one after the other and as there vvas litle holde of them so were they proposed vvithout order But what neede I to runne ouer all particulers I foresawe in him before he was created Emperour that which aftervvardes proued to be moste true If there were presentely in place any of my familiars vvhiche hearde me thus diuininge of him I am sure they woulde testifie this to be no othervvise then I doe reporte it in vvhose hearinge also at the foresight of these thinges I vttered these vvordes O good God vvhat a monster the Empire of Rome doth nourishe VVhen I had vttered these vvordes I desired of God that in this behalfe I might be founde a lyer For that had bene farre better then that the vvhole vvorlde shoulde haue bene visited vvith so many mischiefes then that suche a monster shoulde euer haue beene seene amonge men vvhen the like thereof had neuer bene remembred before seing there happened many deluges and floodes ouerflowing the countreys the vvhich both yong and olde at this houre doth remember great losse by fire terrible earthquakes and gapinge of the grounde and men also of a straunge shape vvere seene borne into the vvorld of mixte and compound natuers halfe man halfe beast But he purchased vnto himselfe suche an ende as his frentike disposition by all right deserued These thinges did Gregorie reporte of Iulian. Because that Porphyrius and Iulian bothe in many their rashe allegations to the sclaunder of Christian religion haue done greate iniurie to the trueth partely by peruertinge certaine places of holy Scripture partly also by reconcilinge of others after theyr owne foolishe iudgement with applyinge of them to their owne purpose many withstoode them confuted and ouerthrewe their Sophisticall positions yea aboue all the rest Origen who florished a long tyme before the raigne of Iulian sifted out such places of holy Scripture as seemed to bring the readers into doubt layd downe the obiections together with the answers satisfied the captious vayne doubts of wicked persons If Iulian and Porphyrius had diligently perused these his workes they woulde I am sure not onely haue approued the same but also applyed all theyr giftes to other matters and neuer sette theyr mindes to wryte Sophisticall fallacies full of blasphemous impietie agaynst the maiestie of God It is manifest hereby that the Emperoure vsed these cauillations amonge rude and vnlearned people and not in the hearinge of such as had learned the manifest trueth out of holy Scripture For when he had heaped together many wordes of holy Scripture whiche are necessaryly sette forthe after a common and vsuall kinde of frase to expresse the Oeconomie the order in doinge or dispensation of God in the ende he sayth thus Verely these places euery one vnlesse the sentence hath some secret or hid mystery the whiche I take to be most true contayne as farre forthe as the vvordes geue vs to vnderstande manye blasphemies against God This was one amonge other of his argumentes layde downe in his thirde booke against the Christians In his booke intitled Cynisme while he endeuoreth to instructe vs howe farre forthe it may be lawefull for vs to proceede in framinge of holy fables or diuine comedies his opinion is that in the handelinge of suche matters it behoued vs to conceale the trueth his wordes are these Nature had leuer be vnreuealed the hidde also and the intrecate essence of the Gods vvill not in any vvise suffer it selfe to be beaten vvith playne and manifeste vvordes into the defiled eares of men Wherefore the Emperoure as farre forthe as we can gather by his wordes seemeth to be of that opinion toutchinge
Thence he tooke his voyage towards Cōstantinople came vnto a place called Dedastana lying in y e middest betwene Galatia and Bithynia There was he mett of Themistius the philosopher together with other Senators and noble personages who then pronounced before him his oration intituled Consul the which afterwards also he vttered at Constantinople in the hearing of the whole multitude The empire of Rome had enioyed great prosperitie the state of all people both hygh and lowe the ecclesiasticall affaires of the church of God by reason of so vertuous an Emperour had florished exceedingly had not death vnlooked for pearced his breast with her poysoned dart and depriued him of all his princely ioy for he dyed in the aforesayde place in winter of the longues beynge stopped with deadly obstructions the 17 of Februarie he him selfe together with his sonne Varonianus being Consul He was Emperour seuen moneths and departed this lyfe beyng three and thirtie yeare olde This booke compriseth the space of two yeares and fiue moneths The ende of the thirde booke of Socrates THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF SOCRATES SCHOLASTICVS CAP. I. Howe that after the death of Iouian Valentinianus was chosen Emperour who ioyned with him his brother Valens Valentinianus him selfe was a true Catholicke but Valens was an Arian WHen Iouian the Emperour had runne the race of his naturall lyfe and departed out of this worlde at Dadastana as we sayde before the seuentienth of Februarie beynge Consull him selfe together with Varonianus his sonne the souldiers which came from Gallatia the seuenth daye after into Nicaea a citie of Bithynia proclaymed with vniforme consent and one voyce Valentinianus for their Emperour the fiue and twentie of the sayde Februarie and in the aforesayde Consulship This Valentinian was by byrth of Pannonia and of the citie Cimale who applyinge him selfe to feates of armes proued both a skilfull and a valiant warryer He was a man of a noble minde and seemed alwayes to deserue farre greater honor and dignitie then he enioyed As soone as he was created Emperour he gott him with all speede to Constantinople and thirtie dayes after his coronation he made his brother Valens fellowe Emperour with him And though they were both Christians yet did they disagree in poyntes of religion Valentinian embraced the faith established by the Councell of Nice but Valens after a certaine toye conceaued in his braynes cleaued vnto the Arian heresie the which opinion tooke roote in his breaste by reason he was baptized of Eudoxius the Arian bishop of Constantinople They were both earnest followers of the faith which they embraced and beynge created Emperours the one was farre vnlike the other in condicion and trade of lyfe For though before that tyme vnder the raygne of Iulian the one beynge Tribune I meane Valentinian the other beynge of the ordinarie garde and dayly about the Emperour I meane Valens they both declared vnto the worlde the zeale they bare vnto Christian religion for beynge constrayned to sacrifice they chose rather to flinge from them their sworde gyrdels then forsake the faith of Christ so that the Emperour Iulian deposed nere nother of them from their dignities no more he dyd not Iouian who immediately succeeded him in the Empire perceauinge they were profitable members of the common wealth yet afterwardes hauinge gotten the supremacie the emperiall scepter notwithstandinge their diligence and care was alike in the administration of the publicke weale at the beginninge of their raygne for all that toutchinge the faith as I sayde before they varyed one from an other and shewed a contrarie and a diuers countenance vnto the professors of Christian religion Valentinian as he honored and reuerenced the fauourers of his faith and opinion so he molested the Arians not at all yet Valens endeuoured not onely to encrease the numbre of the Arians but also as hereafter shall more manifestly appeare greeuously to persecute the contrarie opinion About that tyme Liberius was bishop of Rome and at Alexandria Athanasius was ouer the congregations which addicted them selues vnto the faith of One substance but ouer the Arians was Lucius whome the heretickes chose to their bishop immediatly after the desease of Georgius The Arians inhabitinge Antioch had Euzoius to their byshop Such as maynetayned there also the faith of One substance were deuided into two partes ouer the one was Paulinus ouer the other Meletius Cyrillus was then bishop of Ierusalem and Eudoxius the Arian bishop of Constantinople The defenders of the creede which contayned the clause of One substance were fayne to meete in a litle chappell within the sayd citie and there to celebrate their wonted solemnity The sect of the Macedonians which varied from the Acacians in Seleucia enioyed their churches throughout euery citie And thus went the affayres of the church in those dayes CAP. II. VVhen Valentinianus abode in the VVest the Macedonians repayred vnto Valens at Constantinople and obtayned of him to summone a councell How that Valens being an Arian persecuted the true Christians THe Emperour Valentinian tooke his iorney with all speede into the West whither he was constrained by reason of earnest busines to remoue But Valens as he remayned at Constantinople was visited of the Bishops which were of the sect of Macedonius and requested to summone an other synode for the establishing of the true faith The emperour thinking verily they were of one opinion with Acacius Eudoxius gaue them licence to call a councell together They from euery where cited the bishops to meete at Lampsacum But Valens with all celerity gott him to Antioch in Syria fearing lest the Persians should breake the league of thirty yeares made in the raygne of Iouianus and inuade the Romaine dominions where he founde that the Persians were quiet and meant no harme The Emperour therefore liuing in peace and enioying quietnes raised great and grieuous persecution against them which embraced the faith of one substance And although he molested not Paulinus the Bishop for his rare vertues and singuler giftes yet banished he Meletius but others of the Churches of Antioch that woulde not communicate with Euzoius he vexed diuersly and plagued with sundry penalties and punishments It is reported moreouer that he threwe many into the riuer Orontes which runneth by the citie and there drowned them CAP. III. VVhile Valens the Emperour persecuted the true Christians in the East Procopius the tyrant rebelled at Constantinople then also were seene great earthquakes and ouerflowing of the sea which destroyed many cities WHen Valens exercised such practises in Syria Procopius the tyrant rebelleth at Constantinople Who when in short space he had gathered great power marched forwards to geue battell vnto the Emperour Valens vnderstanding of this was in a sore taking and by reason of this sturre his tyranny cruelty rested a while from persecuting In the meane space while y ◠smoke of this tumult waxed hott there rose vpon a sodaine
the ende euery one myght therefore the more stande in awe of his maiestie because it was not easie for euery one to knowe him perfectly Although he beganne to be somewhat the meeker after these and other such like perswasions which the philosopher vsed yet layde he not aside all his venemous spyte and anger for in steede of death he punished the cleargie men with exile and banishment so longe vntyll that his mischieuous enterprise was stopped vpon such occasion as followeth The Barbarians inhabitinge beyonde Istrum commonly called Gotthes by reason of ciuill warres were deuided into two partes the one syde was lead by Phritigernes the other by Athanarichus When that Athanarichus seemed to gett the vpper hande Phritigernes fledde for ayde agaynste the enemie vnto the Romaines Valens the Emperour vnderstandinge of this commaunded the souldiers of Thracia to ayde the one side agaynste the other The souldiers puttinge the enemie to flyght foyled Athanarichus and gott the victorie Which was a cause that many of the Barbarian nations receaued the faith of Christ For Phritigernes to requite the Emperoure for the curtesie shewed vnto him embraced his religion and perswaded his subiects to the same Wherefore many Gotthes who then addicâ—ed them selues into the Arian opinion partly for to feede the Emperours vayne and fully to please him neuer left it vnto this daye Then also Vlphilas byshop of the Gotthes founde out the Gotthicke letters and as soone as he had translated holye scripture into that tongue he determined with him selfe that the Barbarians shoulde learne the blessed worde of God Immediatly after that Vlphilas had instructed in the Christian religion as well the faction of Athanarichus as the followers of Phritigernes Athanarichus tormented grieuously many that professed the Christian faith as if his countrey lawes and ordinances had bene corrupted by their meanes so that diuers Barbarians of the Arian sect then suffred Martyrdome Arius because he coulde not withstande the erroure of Sabellius the Aprick fell from the right faith saying that the sonne of God was but lately created but these men receauing the Christian faith with simplicitie of minde sticked not to spende their liues in the quarrell Thus much of the Gothes conuerted as afore vnto the faith of Christ CAP. XXVIII How the Gothes being driuen out of their owne contrey fled vnto the Romaine dominions who being entertayned of the Emperour fell out to be the ouerthrowe of the empire and the destruction of the Emperour him selfe howe the warrs with the Gothes wrought quietnes to the true Christians IN a short while after the aforesayd Barbarians being reconciled and at one amonge them selues were ouercome by other Barbarians their owne neighboures called Hunni and driuen out of their owne contrey so that they were faine to flie vnto the Romaine empire they crooched vnto the Romaines they protested loyaltie and subiection Valens vnderstanding of this not soreseeing what was like to ensue thereof commaunded they shoulde curteously be entertayned herein onely shewed him selfe clement Wherefore he appointed them certaine contreyes of Thracia to inhabite and thought him selfe happy for their comming he thought to haue of them at hande alwayes ready an exercised army and speedy host against the enemy Moreouer that the Barbarian watch woulde be a greater terror vnto the aduersary then the Romaine souldier Thenceforth be neglected the trayning of Romaine souldiers in feates of armes he set at nought olde wether beaten warriers valiant and couragious captaines In steede of the souldiers which were mustered and pricked throughout euery village of the seuerall prouinces he required money commaunding that for euery souldier they shoulde pay fourescore crownes This he did when that he had first released them of their tribute This was the originall cause that y e Romaine affayres prospered not in a long time after For the Barbarians now possessing Thracia and enioying with ease and security the Romaine prouince were immoderatly puft vp and swollen with prosperitie they tooke armour against the Romaines which had bene their deare friendes and benefitted them diuersly they beganne to ouerrunne and destroy all the contreyes about Thracia When Valens hearde of this it was high time for him to leaue exiling of the true christians and to turne him self vnto these rebells Now mused he and cast doubts with him selfe immediatly he left Antioch and got him to Constantinople By this meanes the heate of persecution kindled against the Christians was wholly quenched Then also died Euzoius the Arian Bishop of Antioch the fift Consulship of Valens the first of Valentinianus the yonger in whose rowme Dorotheus succeeded CAP. XXIX How the Saracens vnder the raygne of Mauia their Queene tooke one Moses a Monke a godly a faithfull man to their Bishop and embraced the Christian faith WHen the Emperour had left Antioch the Saracens who before time were fellowes friends and in league with the Romaines then first beganne to rebell being gouerned guyded by a woman called Mauia whose husband had departed this life a litle before they tooke armour against them Wherefore all the prouinces of the Romaine dominions that lay towards the East had then wholly bene ouerrunne by the Saracens if the diuine prouidence of God had not withstoode their enterprises The meanes were these Moses a Saracene borne lead in the desert the monastical trade of life for his zeale godlines for his constant faith for the straung miracles wrought by him he was famous among all men Mauia Queene of the Saracens required of the Romaines this Moses to be her Bishop and in so doing she woulde cast of armour and ioyne in league with them The Romaine captaines hearing of this thought them selues happy if peace were concluded vpon such a condition laying all delayes aside they bid the Queene bring her purpose to passe Moses was taken from the wildernes and sent to Alexandria for orders When Moses was come in the presence of Lucius who then gouerned the Churches of Alexandria he refused his ceremonies and laying on of handes reasoning with him in this sorte I thinke my selfe vnworthy of the priestly order yet if it be for the profitt of the common weale y t I be called vnto the function truely thou Lucius shalt neuer lay hand vpon my heade for thy right hand is imbrued with slaughter and bloodshed When Lucius sayd againe that it became him not so contumeliously to reuile him but rather to learne of him the precepts of christian religion Moses answered I am not come presently to reason of matters in religion but sure I am of this that thy horrible practises against the brethren proue thee to be altogether voyd of the true principles of Christian religion For the true Christian striketh no man reuileth no man fighteth with no man for the seruant of God shoulde be no fighter but thy deedes in exiling of some throwing of others to wilde beastes burning of some others doe crye out against thee
yet are we euer surer of the thinges we see with our eies then we heare with our eares When Moses had vttered these and other such like sayings his friendes brought him vnto a certaine mountaine to be made Priest of such as were there exiled After that Moses had thus bene consecrated the Saracen warre ended Mauia thenceforth was in league with the Romaines and maried her daughter to captaine Victor Thus much of the Saracens CAP. XXX VVhen Valens was gone from Antioch the Catholicks throughout the East specially of Alexandria thrust out Lucius and placed Peter in his rowme which came with Damasus the Bishop of Romes letters ABout that time as soone as Valens had left Antioch as many as were tossed with the grieuous storme of persecution specially at Alexandria were comforted exceedingly and greatly refreshed because that Peter was come thither with Damasus the Bishop of Romes letters confirming both the religion of Moses and the creation of Peter The people boldning them selues vpon the sight of these letters thrust Lucius out of the bishopricke and placed Peter in his rowme Lucius being deposed got him in all the hast to Constantinople Peter prolonging his life but a short time died and left his brother Timothee to succeede him in the bishoprick CAP. XXXI After the returne of Valens into Constantinople being reuiled of the people because of the Gothes left the city and went against the Barbarians He ioynsd with them at Adrianoplis a city of Thracia and was slayne the fiftieth yeare of his age the sixteeneth of his raigne THe Emperour Valens entring into Constantinople in his sixt Consulship and the second of Valentinianus the thirtieth of May found the citizens in great heauines For the Barbarians who lately had ouerrunne Thracia now beganne to set vpon the suburbes of Constantinople because there was then no power already prepared to repell their violence When the Barbarians were come nigh vnto the walls the citie was wonderfull sory they lamented their case and forthwith they steppe vnto the Emperour and charge him that he entertained within his owne dominions such as nowe were ready to cutt his owne throte they blame him that he withstoode them no sooner they condemned him because he proclaimed not open warres against them As they runne at tilt and exercised such warlick and triumphaÌ„t game all with one consent runne vnto the Emperour and cryed out against him that he had set such exercise at nought saying geue vs armour and we our selues will deale with them While they exclame in this sorte the Emperour beganne to boyle within him selfe for anger he left the citie the eleuenth of Iune threatning them that if he returned home againe safe and sound he would plague the city of Constantinople partly because they reuiled him and partly also for the treason they committed against the empire in ayding the rebell Procopius When he had threatned he woulde vtterly destroy the citie make it euen with the grounde turne it to eareable lande for the plowe to passe through the bowells therof he tooke his voyage against y â— Barbarians made them recoyle geue back farre from y â— citie he draue them as farre as Adrianople a citie of Thracia lying in the confines of Macedonia As he ioyned there with the enemy he was flayne the nynth of Augustin and the aforesayd Consulship the fourth yeare of the two hundreth eyghty and nynth Olympiade Yet some say that as he fledd into a certaine village the which was sett on fire by the Barbarian enemy he was burned to ashes Some other say that he threwe aside the imperiall robe and thrust him selfe among the thronge of footemen and when the horsemen had yelded without any great fighting the footemen after the breaking of the raye as they stoode confusely to haue bene all slayne the Emperour also after throwing away of the princely habite when none coulde discerne who he was to haue layen amonge them and not knowen He departed out of this life the fiftieth yeare of his age after that he had raygned thirteene yeares together with his brother and three yeares after his desease This booke contineweth the history of sixteene yeares The ende of the fourth booke of Socrates THE FIFT BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF SOCRATES SCHOLASTICVS The Proëme BEfore that we enter into the discourse of our fist booke of ecclesiasticall history our will is first to forewarne the reader not to blame vs for all our speciall drift was to deliuer the posterity in writing the ecclesiasticall affayres after our simple habilitie and as farre forth as we coulde learne that we haue mingled therwithall battells and bloody warres at seuerall times waged in sundry partes of the worlde We haue so done for diuers causes First that the noble and valiant feates of armes shoulde not be hid from the posteritie in tyme to come agayne lest the Reader by perusing continewally of the Bishops affayres and the practises of the one against the other inculcated euery where be ouercome with tediousnes and loth some tying together of one matter last of all that we may vnderstand when the common wâ—â—le hath bene tossed turmoyled with troublesome dissention and discorde the Church of God likewise as infected with the same contagious disease hath bene altogether out of quiet For whosoeuer with diligent obseruation will remember the aforesayd tymes without doubt he shall perceaue that when the common weale was on hurlyburly the Church in like sort was shaken with the stormes of aduersitie Either he shall finde that both at one tyme were out of square or that the ones miserie ensued immediately after the others misfortune and sometime when the Church beganne to vary about religion the common wealth immediately followed after with rebellion and some other times of the contrary so that I am easily brought to beleeue that the interchangeable course of these calamities commeth not to passe by happ hazard but by reason of our horrible sinne that these mischiefs are sent in steede of punishments or as the Apostle writeth some mens sinnes are open before hande hastening before vnto iudgement and in some they followe after for the aforesayd causes we haue mingled temporall with ecclesiasticall prophane with diuine stories And though we coulde not attaine vnto the knowledge of such battells as were waged in the raigne of Constantine by reason it is so long agoe yet haue we enterlaced such acts as befell since that time as well as we coulde learne of aged and longe liude men We haue therefore throughout our history made mention of the Emperours because that since they beganne to embrace christian religion the ecclesiasticall affayres seemed very much to depende of them so that the chiefest councells were in times past and are at this day summoned through their consent and procurement We haue therfore also remembred paganisine and the Idolatric all seruice of the Ethnicks because it wonderfully molested the quiet estate of the
Catholick Church Thus much I thought good to lay downe by way of preface and now to the story CAP. I. How that after the death of Valens when the Gothes marched towards Constantinople the city went out to meete them together with a fewe Saracens whome Mauia their Queene had sent to ayde them WHen the Emperour Valens was dispatched out of the way in such sorte as no man was certayne of the Barbarians marched apace towards the walls of Constantinople and beganne to destroy the suburbs thereof The people being moued with this went forth of their owne accorde to withstand the Barbarian enemy and euery one tooke that weapon which came first to his hand Dominica the Empresse gaue hyre vnto euery one that went forth to battell out of the Emperours treasory as the couenant was with the souldiers Mauia also the Queene of the Saracens of whome we spake a litle before being in league with the Empresse sent of her subiects to ayde them Thus y â— people gaue them battell droue back y â— Barbarians farre from y â— city CAP. II. How Gratianus the Emperour called home from exile the godly Bishops banished the Hereticks and made Theodosius his fellow Emperour GRatianus gouerning the empire together with Valentinianus the yonger condemned the cruelty which his vncle Valens practised against the Christians called home againe such as he had exiled made a lawe that euery sect and opinion should thenceforth freely without any molestation frequent their wonted assemblies except the Eunomians Photinians and Manichees And when he foresaw that the Romaine empire dayly diminished and the Barbarians waxed strong and multiplied exceedingly that he stoode in great neede of a valiant and worthy man to gouerne the common wealth he ioyned with him Theodosius a noble man of Spayne trained vp in feates of armes one that was by the vniforme consent and common voyce of all men thought fiâ—t to rule yea before Gratian him selfe was created Emperour He proclaymed him Emperour at Sirmium a citie of Illyrium in the Consulship of Ausonius and Olybrius the sixteenth of Ianuarye and diuideth with him the charge of the battell against the Barbarians CAP. III. Of the Bishops which then gouerned the Churches AT that time Damasus the successor of Liberius was Bishop of Rome and Cyrill of Ierusalem The Church of Antioch as I sayd before was deuided into three partes for Dorotheus the Arian bishop which succeeded Euzious gouerned the Arian Churches the rest were partly vnder Paulinus and partly vnder Meletius who then was lately come from exile Of the Churches of Alexandria the Arians were vnder Lucius who then was a banished man such as embraced the faith of one substance had Timothee the successor of Peter to their Bishop The Arian Church at Constantinople had Demophilus to their Bishop who was chosen immediatly after the desease of Eudoxius They that detested his doctrine and opinion frequented priuate and seuerall conuenticles CAP. IIII. How the Macedonians who a litle before sent legats vnto Damasus Bishop of Rome for the establishing of the faith of one substance fell againe into their former error THe Macedonians for all the embassie sent vnto Liberius and for all they communicated a good while throughout euery church without difference and exception with such as cleaued from the beginning vnto the Nicene creede yet when the Emperour Gratians law gaue liberty vnto euery sect to frequent their seuerall assemblies they seuered them selues from y â— church Wherefore after that a company of them had mett at Antioch in Syria they decreed that henceforth for altogether the clause of one substance shoulde neuer be receaued and that they ought no more to communicate with the professors of the Nicene faith but their wauering minde attayned not vnto so prosperous a successe as they hoped it woulde for many of their owne sect seeing that they did say and vnsay that they ratified abrogated the selfe same constitution condemned them in their owne opinions fell from them and embraced the faith of one substance CAP. V. Of the sturre at Antioch by reason of Paulinus Meletius how that Gregory Bishop of Nazianzum by the consent of all the Catholick Bishops was translated vnto the seae of Constantinople AT Antioch in Syria about that time there was raised a great tumult and seditioÌ„ about Meletius the occasioÌ„ was as followeth We sayd before howe that Paulinus Bishop of Antioch because he was a graue and a godly father was not exiled y â— Meletius was first called home from banishment in the raigne of Iulian afterwards being exiled by Valens returned in the time of Gratian. After his returne into Antioch he founde Paulinus so olde y â— he seemed ready to lye in his graue Immediatly all y â— friends of Meletius endeuored to ioyne him felow bishop w t Paulinus wheÌ„ Paulinus affirmed it to be contrary vnto the canons of the Church that any being created of Aâ—ian Bishops should be made college in any Bishoprick the people endeuored to compasse it by force In the ende they make preparation to stall him Bishop in a certaine church of the suburbs WheÌ„ it was done all the citie was on an vprore In processe of time the people were reconciled vpon such coÌ„ditions as followe All that stoode for the Bishopricke were six in number whereof one was Flauianus being called together they deposed them vpon a booke that none of them shoulde aspire vnto the Bishopricke during the liues of Paulinus and Meletius and when ether of them departed this life the Bishopricke to remaine vnto the suruiuer of them both When the oth was ministred the people were quiete and thenceforth made no sturre at all The fauorers of Lucifer were offended with this maner of dealing and fell from the church because that Meletius being ordered of the Arians was admitted to the gouernemente of that seae At that time when the affaires of Antioch were thus out of frame Gregorie by vniforme consent of all the Catholick Bishops was translated from the Bishopricke of Nazianzum vnto the seae of CoÌ„stantinople Then Meletius gott him in all the hast to Constantinople CAP. VI. Howe Theodosius the Emperour after the foilinge of the Barbarians came to Thessalonica where being sicke he was baptized of Ascholius the Bishop BY that time Gratianus Theodosius had gotteÌ„ the victorie of the Barbarians whereupoÌ„ Gratianus immediatly made expeditioÌ„ into Fraunce because the Germanes had destroied part of that contrey but Theodosius after the erection of the signe in token that the enemies were vaÌ„quished made hast towardes Constantinople and came to Thessalonica There after y â— he fell into a daungerous disease he was very desirous of baptisme for of old he was trained vp in Christian religion addicted himselfe wholly vnto the faith of one substance Being sore sick speedinge to baptisme he gaue charge that the Bishop of Thessalonica shoulde be sent for to minister the sacrament Being come first
he ratled of Sisinius the Nouatian Bishop which wrote a booke against that saying of his but these thinges were done a litle while agoe CAP. XX. Of the conference had betwene Iohn Bishop of Constantinople and Sisinius the Nouatian HEre occasion is offred to say somewhat of Sisinius A man he was as I haue remembred often times before very eloquent and a profounde Philosopher and as he was a skilfull disputer so was he also a cunning interpretor of holy scripture so that for his notable witt Eunomius the heretick refused oftentimes to reason with him He was no spare man of diett but liberall and a great spender yet with good order and temperancie He seemed riotous to exceede in sensualitie partly in that he arayed him selfe in white and partly for bayning him selfe twise a day When he was demaunded on a certaine time why he being a Bishop bayned him selfe twise a day his answere was because I can not doe it the thirde tyme. At an other time going of reuerence to visite Arsacius the Bishop one of Arsacius familiars asked of him why he vsed such atyre as was vncomely for a Bishop and where he founde written that a Priest ought to weare white tell thou me sayth he first where it is written that a Bishop shoulde weare black And when as the other muzed what answere he shoulde make Sisinius preuented him and sayd thou art not able to shewe me that a Bishop ought to goe in black but I am able to alleadg Solomon for my selfe where he sayth let thy garments be white Againe our Sauiour as we reade in the Gospell wore white and moreouer he shewed vnto his Apostles Moses and Helias clad in white With these and other such like answers he brought all that heard him into great admiration When that Leontius Bishop of Ancyra in Galatia the lesser had depriued the Nouatians of a certaine Church and then as it fell out remayned at Constantinople Sisinius went vnto him requesting him to restore them their Church againe Leontius in a great chafe made him this answere It is pity that you Nouatians shoulde enioy ere a Church insomuch you take away repentance and depriue men of the benefitts which God hath bestowed vpon them After that Leontius had vttered these with other such like sentences to the reprehension of the Nouatians Sisinius replied no man repenteth more then I. why sayth Leontius and how doest thou repent because sayth Sisinius that euer I saw thee Againe when Iohn the Bishop had taunted him and sayde that one citie coulde not holde two Bishops his answere was no more it doth not Iohn taking this answere in ill part sayd againe I see thou wilt be Bishop alone Not so sayth Sisinius but with thee alone I am not Bishop though others doe so take me Iohn being grieued with this answere tolde him againe I will forbid thee to preache for thou art an hereticke Sisinius replyed mearily in this sorte then will I doe thee a good turne if thou ease me of so great a labour Iohn was somewhat pleased with that answere and sayd Nay then I will not stay thee from preaching if it be a griefe vnto thee so witty and so pleasaunt was Sisinius in his answeres it were to longe to rehearse all his pithye sayinges and sage answers Wherefore I thinke it sufficient in these fewe lynes to declare what kinde of man he was Thus much further I am able to auouteh that by the report of all men he excelled for learning all the Bishops which succeeded him count all one after an other and therefore was he much made of and in great estimation yea the chiefe Senatours made great accompt of him and had his vertues in admiration And for all he wrote many bookes and furnished them with rhetoricall phrases and poeticall sentences yet was he commended more for pronouncinge then for penning for he had a notable grace in his countenance voyce behauiour loke with all other his bodily gestures for the which he was honored of all seets and religions but aboue all others of Atticus Bishop of Constantinople So farre by occasion of Sisinius CAP. XXI Of the death of Arcadius the Emperour SHortly after the death of Iohn the Emperour Arcadius departed this life a quiet and a curteous man he was who in the latter ende of his life was thought to be a very godly man vpon such an occasion as foloweth In Constantinople ther is a great pallace called Carya in the porche there stands a hazell on the whiche report goeth that Acacius the Martyr was hanged Wherefore there was a Church erected at that tree the Emperour passing by was desirous to see it went in and after he had sayd his prayers came forth againe All the parish ranne forth to see the Emperour some left their houses and tooke vp their standing in the open streete thinking verily to see the Emperours face as he passed by with all his port and trayne other some followed the Emperour out of the Church vntill that both men women and children had all gone out of the house which adioyned vnto the Churche they were no sooner gone but the house where they had flocked together fell downe Immediatly the fame of the Emperour was spred abroad with great admiration that so great a multitude of people was saued by the meanes of his prayers the end of that was in this sort Arcadius leauing behinde him his sonne Theodosius of the age of eyght yeares departed this life in the Consulship of Bassus and Philip the first of May the seconde yeare of the two hundreth nynety and seuenth Olympiad He raygned together with his father Theodosius the space of thirteene yeares and beginning with the one and thirty yeares of his age he raygned foureteene yeares after the desease of his father This booke conteyneth y e history of twelue yeares and six moneths The ende of the sixt booke of Socrates Scholasticus THE SEVENTH BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF SOCRATES SCHOLASTICVS CAP. I. Howe that after the death of Arcadius the Emperour who left his sonne Theodosius of the age of eyght yeares Anthemius the Lieuetenant tooke the gouernment of the Empire AFter the desease of Arcadius the Emperour being in the moneth of May and the Consulship of Bassus and Philip. his brother Honorius tooke the rule of the West parts of the empire and Theodosius the yonger the sonne of Arcadius being eyght yeare olde gouerned the East parts of the world by the direction of Anthemius his chiefe Magistrate This Anthemius was Nephewe to Philip which in the tyme of Constantius thrust Paulus the Bishop out of the Churche and placed Macedonius in his rowme The same man compassed the citie of Constantinople with a strong wall he seemed and was verily a man accompted among the wisest sort of that age he neuer tooke any thing in hande without good aduisement he woulde conferre with some of his familiers of the busines he
went about but aboue all others he vsed the aduise of Troilus the Sophist a man very wise of great experience and singuler pollicie he was nothing inferior to Anthemius and therefore Anthemius retayned him of his counsell in all his affayres CAP. II. Of Atticus Bishop of Constantinople WHen the Emperour Theodosius went on the eyght yeare of his age the thirde yeare of Atticus bishop of Constantinoples consecration the which he enioyed with great commendation was expired a man he was as I sayd before of meane learning yet in life godly and of great wisedome and therfore the Churches in those dayes encreased and florished exceedingly He reconciled not onely such as were fauorers of his owne faith but also made the hereticks to haue his wisedome in admiration whome he would in no wise molest but after that he had ratled them againe he woulde shewe him selfe louing and amiable towards them He was a painfull student for he bestowed great labour he spent the greater part of the night in reading ouer the works of auncient wryters in so doing there was no grounde of philosophy no quirck in sopistrie that coulde blanke or astonish him He was gentle and curteous vnto such as conferred with him and with the sorowfull he seemed to sorowe him selfe In fewe wordes he became as the Apostle writeth all vnto all men First as soone as he was made Priest the sermons which with great labour he framed together he learned out of the booke and pronounced in the Churche In processe of tyme by dayly exercise and greate diligence he so boldned him selfe that he preached ex tempore his maner of teaching was very plaine his Sermons were so simple that the auditors thought them not worthy the bearing away neyther the writing in paper to the knowledge of the posterity following Thus much of his conditions behauiour learning and gift of vtterance now to the history of that tyme. CAP. III. Of Theodosius and Agapetus Bishops of Synada THeodosius Bishop of Synada a citie of Phrygia pacatiana was a sore scurge vnto the here ticks for in that citie there were many of the Macedonian sect he banished them not onely the towne but also the contrey Neyther did he this according vnto the rule of the Catholicke Church which accustometh not to persecute men neyther with zeale of the right and sincere fayth but in hope of fifthy suere and foule gayne for to wringe money from the hereticks Wherefore there was no way that might grieue the Macedonians left vnassayed he mayntayned his owne clergie against them there was no deuise but he practised for to afflict them with he sticked not to bring them in fetters to holde vp their handes at the barre but aboue all others he plagued their Bishop Agapetus with sundry griefes and vexations And when as he perceaued that the chiefe Magistrats within that prouince were not of autoritie sufficient and that their commission ertended not to the punishment of the Macedonians he gott him in all the hast to Constantinople and sued out a commaundement of the Lieuetenant of that prouince for the sharpe correction of them Whilest that Theodosius the Bishop made friends at Constantinople for the furtherance of his sute Agapetus whome I tearmed the Macedonian Bishop was conuerted and fell to embrace the right and sound faith For after he had assembled together all the clergie and layty within his iurisdiction he perswaded them to receaue the faith of one substance This being done he went with speede together with a great multitude nay with the whole citie into the church where after prayers and solemne seruice he gott him into the seate of Theodosius Immediatly after the linking of the people together in the bonde of loue and vnitie thenceforth he maintayned the faith of one substance so that he obtayned the gouernment of the Churches belonging vnto the diocesse and citte of Synada Shortly after Theodosius came home to Synada and brought with him autoritie from the Lieuetenant whereof he bragged not a litle and being ignorant of all the thinges that were done in his absence straight way he gott him into the Church there he founde but small welcome for the dores were made fast against him and after that he vnderstoode of their dealing againe he posteth to Constantinople There he be wayled his state before Atticus the Bishop and openeth vnto him how that he was iniuriously thrust beside his bishoprick Atticus vnderstanding that all fell out to the great profitt and furtherance of the Church of God beganne to pacifie him with milde and curteous languages exhorting him thenceforth to embrace a quiet life voyd of all trouble and molestation and not to preferre his owne priuate gaine and lucre before the profit and commoditie of the whole Church he wrote moreouer vnto Agapetus willing him to enioy the bishoprick and not to feare at all the displeasure of Theodosius CAP. IIII. Howe a lame Iewe being baptized of Atticus Bishop of Constantinople recouered againe his lymmes EVen as the aforesayde circumstance which fell out in the florishing dayes of Atticus was a great furtherance to the church of God so likewise miracles with the gift of healing which raygned in those times turned to the glory of God and the profitt of his people for a certayne Iewe being helde the space of many yeares with a paulsey was faine to keepe his bed and hauing tried all the salues and medicens all the practises and prayers of the Iewes was not a iote the better at length he fled for refuge vnto the baptisme ministred in the Churche of Christ perswading him selfe for suertie that by the meanes of this being the true phisicke of the soule he might recouer the former healthe of his bodye Atticus was immediatly made priuey vnto this his deuoute minde and godly disposition he instructed the Iewe in the principles and articles of Christian religion he layd before him the hope that was to be had in Christ Iesu he bidds that Iewe bed and all shoulde be brought vnto the font and place appoynted for the ministration of baptisme This Iewe being grieuously taken w t the paulsey was no sooner baptised in the faith of Christ and taken out of the font but his disease left him so that he recouered his former health This gift of healing being wrought by the power of Christ preuayled in the worlde amonge the men of these our dayes Many of the Gentils hearing the fame of this miraculous power receaued the faith and were baptized but the Ievves for all they sought after signes and wonders yet could they not with signes be brought to embrace the Christian faith CAP. V. Howe that Sabbatius a Iewe borne being Priest of the Nouatian Church fell from his owne sect FOr all that Christ the sonne of God bestowed the aforesayd graces and benefitts of his singuler loue and goodnes towards mankinde yet the greater part weying not thereof more is the ptty wallowe still in
was translated vnto Troas but these many shall suffice in steede of many others who were translated from their proper seaes vnto other bishopricks CAP. XXXVI Of Siluanus who being Bishop of Philippopolis was remoued to Troas NOwe I thinke it not amisse to write a fewe lynes of Siluanus whome we sayd a litle before to haue bene translated from the bishoprick of Philippopolis in Thracia vnto Troas This Siluanus first studied Rhetorick in the schoole of Troilus the Sophist who though he was an earnest embracer of Christian religion and exercised the monasticall trade of liuing yet wore he still the philosophicall habit In processe of tyme Atticus the Bishop sent for him and made him Bishop of Philippopolis who hauing continewed in Thracia the space of three yeares when he coulde no longer away with the pinching colde of that contrey for he had a thinne and a weake bodye he requested Atticus to substitute an other Bishop in his rowme protestinge that he left Thracia for no other cause but onely to auoyde the extreame colde Siluanus then hauing procured an other bishop to succeede him remayned at Constantinople and exercised continewally the monasticall trade and discipline ▪ he was so farre from pride and hautines of stomack that often times in the thick assemblies and solemne meetings of the citizens he wore scandals and bus kin◠of twisted haye Shortly after the Bishop of Troas departed this life and immediatly the people Troes came to Constantinople for to seeke a Bishop Atticus muzing with him selfe whome he might prefere to the rowme Siluanus by chaunce came by as soone as Atticus espied him he ceassed to bethinke him selfe and turned vnto Siluanus with these wordes thou mayst no longer excuse thy selfe but of necessity thou must take vpon thee the gouernment of the Church for in Troas there is no chilling colde beholde God hath prouided for the infirmitie of thy body a delectable and pleasant soyle make no more adoe brother but in hast get thee to Troas To be short Siluanus went thither Here I thinke very well to lay downe the miracle which he wrought A greate ship or hulke for the bredth thereof called plate being fraighted and laden with great pillours newely made vpon the shore or rode of Troas could not be drawen from the land to take sea no for all the Pilote together with a greate multitude of men drewe her with cable ropes she woulde not moue When they had the space of many dayes assaid what they could doe and nothing preuayled they thought verily that some deuill helde the hulke from mouing Wherefore they went vnto Siluanus the Bishop and request him to pray in that place for so they hoped it woulde come to passe that the ship might be drawen into y ◠sea ▪ but he excused him self very modestly sayd that he was a sinner told them that he could not helpe them that it was the office of a iust man But seeing they were so importunate vpon him that they woulde not be answered he came to the shore there he prayed vnto God tooke the rope by the ende and bad the rest doe their endeuour The ship being shaken with a litle violence was brought by a litle and a litle into the mayne seae This miracle which Siluanus wrought allured many of that prouince to embrace with feruent zeale the christian faith Siluanus also expressed no lesse in other acts and dealings of his the good motion of his godly mind When he perceaued that the clergie respected nothing but gaine in deciding the controuersies of their clients he suffered thence forth none of the clergie to be iudge but tooke the supplications and requests of suters appoynted one of the laytie whome for certainty he knewe to be a iust and a godly man gaue him the hearing of their causes and so ended quietly all contentions and quarells ▪ for the aforesayd causes Siluanus became renowmed and famous among all men Thus farre of Siluanus though we may seeme herein to haue digressed yet haue we remembred such things as may tende to the profitt commoditie of the reader But now let vs returne where we left When Maximianus was chosen Bishop of Constantinople in the Consulship of Bassus and Antiochus the church enioyed peace and quietnes CAP. XXXVII Of the Iewes in Crete how they were deceaued and in the ende perceauing their folly embraced the Christian faith ABout that time many Ievves inhabiting Crete receaued the Christian faith being brought thereunto by such a calamitie as followeth A certayne Iewe being a subtill knaue fayned himself to be Moses and said that he came downe from heauen for to leade the Ievves which inhabited that Isle through the seae into the firme and mayne lande that he was the same who of olde did safe conduyte Israel through the redde seae For the space of one whole yeare he did nothinge else but wander from one cytye to the other throughout the Isle vsinge all meanes possible to perswade the Ievves which dwelled there to creditt him and exhorting them to leaue all their wealthe and substance behynde them ▪ for he promysed to brynge them through the seae drye footed into the lande of promise When that he had bewytched them with suche vayne and deceatefull hope they left their worke and trade of life they sett nought by their wealthe and substance and they gaue lycence to him that lysted for to possesse them When the daye appoynted of the false Ievve for the voyage was come he led them the waye all the rest beganne to followe after together with women and children ▪ he brought them to a certayne mountayne whiche laye as it were an elbowe into the seae warde and thence he bad them caste them selues into the seae Wherefore such as firste came vnto the fall did so wherof some were crushed tumbling downe the hyll some other were drowned in the seae and dyed immediatly it woulde haue cost many more theyr liues had not the prouydence of God prouyded better for them For as God would there were nigh them many Christians whereof some were fishermen and some other marchants they drewe vp some which were almost choked vp with water saued their liues who being in this lamentable plight acknowledged their folly they stayd others frō plunging thēselues in the waues of the seae laying before their eyes y e death of the Iewes which leade them the daūce They perceaued then the guyle they blamed them selues for being so credulous they went about to kill the counterfait Moses But they could not catch him for he conueyed him selfe priuely from among thē Whereupon diuerse men did coniecture that it was a deuell which endeuored by borowing the shape of man to destroy y ◠natiō vtterly to roote the Iewes from of the face of the earth Wherefore y ◠calamity schooled the Iewes which inhabited Crete made thē for sake Iudaisme and cleaue vnto the Christian faith CAP. XXXVIII Howe the Church
longer refer the sentence vvhich is to be giuen of me vnto the most puisant emperours let me haue iustice it appertaineth vnto thē to deale vvith me according vnto their pleasure take these mine aduises as proceeding from a fatherly affection vnto you as my louing sonne If you presently take the matter in dugin as you haue heretofore go on a gods name if reason can not bridle your rage Thus doubted not Nestorius w t letters as with fist foote to kick aswel against y ◠emperours as their magistrates to reuile them all to nought neither could he be brought to modest behauiour for all his woe misery his ende departure out of this life I learned of a certē writer to haue bene as followeth to wit his tongue to haue bene eaten vp of worms and so by the iust iudgement of God to haue passed from these bodely to ghostly from these temporall to eternall punishments CAP. VIII How Maximianus succeeded Nestorius in the seae of Constantinople after him Proclus and after Proclus Flauianus WHen wicked Nestorius had departed this life Maximianus succeeded him in the byshoprick of the famous citie of Constantinople in whose dayes the Church of God enioyed peace and tranquility After his deceasse Proclus gouerned the seae who when he had runne the race of his mortall lyfe left the rowme vnto Flanianus CAP. IX Of Eutyches the infortunate hereticke how he was deposed of Flauianus byshop of Constantinople and of the councell which assembled there and deposed him IN the dayes of Flauianus the poysoned heresie of Eutyches sprang vp whiche caused a prouinciall councell to be summoned at Constantinople where Eusebius byshop of Dorylaeum being an eloquent Rhetorician called for the records and first of all conuinced the blasphemie of Nestorius When Eutyches was sent for and come he was founde in reasoninge to maintaine the aforesaide error for I confesse saith he that our Lorde consisted of two natures before the diuinitie was coopled with the humanitie but after the vnitinge of them I affirme that he had but one nature he sayd moreouer that the bodie of the Lord was not of the same substance with ours Wherefore he was vnministred yet at his humble sute vnto Theodosus he reported that Flauianus had forged records against him the first councell of Constantinople was called together of the borderinge byshopps to sitte vpon that matter where not onely the councell but also diuers other byshopps sifted out the doinges of Flauianus there the records beinge founde true were confirmed and a seconde councell summoned to meete at Ephesus CAP. X. How by the meanes of Dioscorus byshop of Alexandria and Chrysaphius it came to passe that a wicked councell was called together at Ephesus where Eutyches the hereticke was restored to his former degree DIoscorus who succeded Cyrill in the byshopricke of Alexandria was appointed moderator of this councell Chrysaphius gouernour of the pallace had craftely brought this about to th ende the hatred owed vnto Flauianus might be set on fire thither also came Iuuenalis byshop of Ierusalem who some time gouerned the seae of Ephesus together with many priests of his traine Domnus who succeeded Iohn in the Churche of Antioch met them Iulius also the substitute of Leo byshop of olde Rome besides these Flauianus was present together with his prouince Theodosius commaunded Elpidius as followeth such as in times past gaue sentence of Eutyches the most vertuous Abbot good leaue haue they to be present at the councell but let them be quiet and their voyces suspended my will is that they waite for the generall and common sentence of the most holy fathers seeing that such things as were afore time decided by them are now called into controuersie to be short Dioscorus together with such byshops as were of his opinion in this councell restored Eutyches into his former dignitie as it appeareth more at large in the actes of the sayde councell As for Flauianus Eusebius byshop of Dorylaeum they were deposed of their byshopricks the same councell excommunitated also and depriued Ibas byshop of Edessa Daniel byshop of Carra Irenaeus byshop of Tyrus and Aquilinus byshop of Biblus They layde downe moreouer certaine decrees against Sophronius byshop of Constantinople they remoued Theodoritus byshop of Cyrestes and Domnus byshop of Antioch of whom what became afterwards I doe not learne and thus was the second councell of Ephesus broken vp CAP. XI The Apologie of Euagrius touching the varietie of opinions among the Christians and of the ridiculous vanitie of the heathen godds I Would haue none of al the ethniks which dote ouer their idolatricall seruice to deride vs christians because the latter byshops haue abrogated the sentence of their predecessors and seme alwayes to add some thing vnto the forme of our faith for we of our part though we sifte out with great care the long sufferance of God which may neither in worde be expressed neither in deede be found out yet are we so affectionated though we leane either to this side or to y ◠side y t we always honor it extol it aboue al other things Neither was there any one of al the heretickes among the christians that of set purpose at any time would vtter blasphemy fal of his owne accord to reuile the maiesty of God but rather perswaded him self in auoutching this or that opinion that therein he was of a sounder doctrine then the fathers that went before him As touching the ground principles of Christian religion whiche alwayes ought vnuiolably be retained we are all of one opinion for the godhead which we adore is the trinitie the persons whom we so highly praise are in vnity the word of God also was begotten before y ◠fundations of the world were laid we beleeue that in these latter dayes he tooke flesh because of the fauour and compassion he had on the worke of his owne hand If in case that any nouelty be founde out as touchinge other matters they come to passe freely of mans owne accorde seeing it pleaseth God so to dispose of thē and to graunt them liberty to thinke as it pleaseth them best to the ende the holy Catholicke and Apostolicke Churche may reforme what is found amisse determine of both sides guyd vnto the true godlines and direct her selfe according vnto the plaine character of sound and sincere doctrine And therfore it was said of the Apostle It must nedes be that heresies doe raigne among you that they vvhich are perfect amonge you may be knovven Herein verily we haue to wonder at the secret wisedome of God which sayth thus vnto S. Paule My strength is made perfect in vveakenesse For looke what the things be which deuide the members of the Churche of God euen out of the same sound doctrine is culled out void of al reprehension polished more curiously laid vp more safely the Catholicke church encreaseth therby more more
in clemencie and goodnesse towardes his subiects singulerly affected towardes Gods worde ended according vnto the lawe of nature the common race of his mortall life leauinge behind him his naturall sonne Constantinus Emperour and Caesar to supplye his rowme A litle after His sonne Constantinus being proclaimed full Emperour and Caesar by the army and longe before by God him selfe the vniuersall king became a follower of his fathers pietie in Christian religion And about the later eude of his storie he writeth thus Constantinus the mightie puysant Emperour beinge renowmed for euery rare vertue and godlinesse together with his sonne Crispus the most godly Emperour like vnto his father in all thinges subdued the East parts of the worlde No doubt Eusebius who liued after Constantine woulde not so highly haue commended Crispus had he bene slaine of his father Againe Theodoritus writeth how Costantine about his later end was baptized at Nicomedia y ◠therfore he differred it vnto y t time because he had a great desire to be baptized in Iordan But thou most wicked Zosimus reportest y t since christian religion was published throughout y ◠world y ◠state of y ◠Romain empire decaied came to nought y ◠which proceeds frō thee either of ignorance that thou hast not read ouer y ◠auncient writers or of malice For the contrarye is soone proued that the Empire of Rome encreased together with our fayth Remember I besech thee howe about the time of the incarnation of our Sauiour Christ Iesus many of the Macedonians were by the Romaynes subdued Albania Iberia Colchi and the Arabians moreouer the Frenchmen the Germans the Brittanns in the hundred twenty third Olympiade after Caius Caesar had ouercome them with greate and grieuous battaills and made the fiue hundred cities which they inhabited tributaries as historiographers doe wryte vnto the Empire of Rome This Caius was the first which after the Consulls gouerned the Empire alone he made the way sure for the setting vp of the glorious Monarchie and in steede of the populare and common regiment brought into the worlde that kind of raigne No doubt it came to passe through the prouidēce of God because that the Monarchie of Christ was shortly after to take place All Iudaea besides and the bordering countreyes were annexed vnto the Empire of Rome so that the first taxing where Christ also was to be taxed then firste beganne and Bethleem likewise layde before theyr eyes howe that which of olde was prophecied of her was then fulfilled For thus had the Prophet Micheas foretold of her And thou Bethleem Iuda art not the leste amonge the Princes of Iuda for out of thee there shall come vnto me the captaine that shall gouerne my people Israel When Christ our God was borne into y ◠world Aegypt was ioined vnto the Empire of Rome in the time of Augustus Caesar for thē it was that Christ appeared in the flesh who ouercame Antonius Cleopatra which afterwards dispatched thēselues After their death Cornelius Gallus was by Augustus Caesar made Liuetenant of Aegypt after y t Ptolomaeees decayed he raigned ouer Aegypt What cuntreys were wonne frō the Persiās by Ventidius Curbulon the captaine of Nero by Seuerus Traianus Carus Cassius and Odaenathus of Palmyra by Apollonius and sundry others how ofte Seleucia Ctesiphon were taken howe oft Nisibis was nowe the Romaynes anone the Persians and after what sorte Armenia with other borderinge nations became vnder the Empire of Rome thou thy selfe haste penned it as well as others And yet I had almoste forgotten what thou wrytest to haue bene done by Constantine who by meanes of our religion gouerned the Romayne dominions with valiant minde and noble prowesse also what befell vnto Iulianus nusled vp in thy wicked mysteries what wounds and skarres he left in the common weale As for the prophecies which concerne the ende of the worlde or whether it had a beginninge and whether it shal haue an ending it is an higher matter thē can sinke into thy braine Therfore let vs see if thou wilt howe the Emperours which were Ethnickes and panyms mayntayners of Idolatry Paganisme and howe of the contrary suche as cleaued vnto the Christian faith ended theyr raygne was not Cains Iulius Caesar the first Emperour slayne by conspiracy did not certen souldiers with naked swordes dispatch Caius y ◠nephewe of Tiberius was not Nero murthered by one of his familier deare friends had not Galba the like end Otho Vitellius who all three raygned only sixteen moneths what shall I speake of Titus whome Domitianus poisoned for all he was his owne brother what saist thou of Commodus did not Narcissus dispatch him out of the waye what shall I speake of Pertinax and what of Inlian enioyed not both they one kinde of death what did not Antonius the sonne of Seuerus murther his brother Geta and did not Martialis requite him with the like what shall I say of Macrinus did not the souldiers handle him like a captiue about Byzantium and cruelly put him to death was not Aurelius Antoninus of Emessa murthered together w t his mother was not Alexander immediatly after hī together w t his mother likwise put to death what shall I say of Maximinus whome his owne army dispatched Or of Gordianus who through the treason of Philip was in like sorte by his owne souldiers put to death tell me I pray thee thy selfe O Zosimus what happened vnto Philip and after him vnto Decius were they not slaine by the enemy take Gallus and Volusianus with them were they not murthered by their owne armies what of Aemilianus had not he y ◠like miserable end what Valerianus was not he taken by y ◠Persians in battaill led about of them in triumphe what when Galienus was slaine through treason and Carinus beheaded came not Diocletian to be Emperour whome Diocletian cutte of lest they shoulde raygne with him After these Herculius Maximianus his sonne Maxentius Licinnius dyed with contumely and shame inough But since the time the moste noble Emperour Constantine beganne to raygne since he consecrated vnto God the city he had builte and called it after his owne name looke about I pray thee and speake indifferently was there any one Emperour in that citye Iulian a man of thine owne religion and thy Emperour onely excepted that was murthered either by his owne subiect or by the enemy or any one tyrant that vanquished the Emperour Basiliscus excepted yet
times past made priest in that Church Anastasius byshop of that seae because Thomas had at sundry times wrought him great displeasure and vexation boxed this monke about the eares When they that were then present were sory to see this combat Thomas saide vnto them that he would take that no more at Anastasius hands and that Anastasius would neuer offer it him againe Both which fell out to be true For Anastasius within one day after departed this worlde and Thomas as he went home from Antioch left this worlde and posted to immortall blisse at the hospital in the suburbes of Daphne and was buried in the sepulchre that was prouided for straungers When they had buried one or two other dead carkasses in the same sepulchre with him God after his death wrought that great miracle his corps was cast vpermost the other carkasses were seuered and pushed farre asunder the men seeing this had the Sainct in admiration and reuealed the whole vnto Euphremius Wherefore his most holy corps was caried to Antioch with greate pompe and solemnitie and there was buried in the churhyard by occasion whereof it came to passe that the plague whiche then raigned in the citie ceassed In honor of whom the people of Antioch haue yearely kept holiday vnto this our time but now let vs returne vnto our historie CAP. XXXV Of Menas the patriarch and the miracle then wrought in the Hebrewe boye VVHen Anthimus byshop of Constantinople was deposed as I saide before Epiphanius tooke his rowme after the deceasse of Epiphanius Menas in whose time a worthie miracle was wrought succeeded him in the byshopricke There was an olde custome at Constantinople that if there remained many portions of the pure immaculate body of Christ our God yong children which went to schoole shoulde be called to eate them When it was done a certen mans childe in religion an Hebrewe or Iewe in trade of life a glasiar kept company with the other children who after y t his parents demaunded the cause that made him tarie so longe behinde tolde them plainely the matter as it was and howe that he eate for companye with the other boyes The Hebrewe hearing this boyled within for anger was all set on rage and furie he tooke the boye and threw him into the firie fornace where he vsed to make his glasse The mother missinge the childe sought him out yet coulde not finde him she went throughout the citie and to euery streete calling vpon God with deepe sighes and lamentable teares The third day after as she sate at the doore of her husbands shop being nowe pitifully wasted with weeping she gaue out sighes and withall called the boy by his name the childe knowinge the mothers voyce aunswered her out of the fornace The mother burst open the doores and in she went she was no sooner in but she espied her child in the middes of the hot burning coales yet preserued that the fire toutched him not The childe being asked whether he felt not great heate and howe it came to passe that he was not burned to ashes made aunswere sayinge A woman clad in purple came very oft vnto me reached me water to quenche the firie flames which compassed my body last of all gaue me meate as oft as I was an hungred Iustinian hearinge of this thought good that the boye with his mother shoulde be baptised and that the father which refused to become a Christian shoulde be hanged on the gallowes at a place called Sycae And so an end of that CAP. XXXVI The Bishops of the famous cities about that time liuing WHen Menas had runne the race of his mortall life Eutychius succeeded him in the Byshopricke of Constantinople after Martyrius Bishop of Ierusalem came Salustius and him succeeded Helias Peter followed Helias and after Peter Macarius crept into y ◠Byshoprick when as yet the Emperour had not geuen him his consent He was afterwards deposed for the report went of him that he defended the opinions of Origen In the seae of Alexandria when Theodosius as I sayd before was deposed Zoilus gouerned the Bishopricke and after his desease Apolinarius CAP. XXXVII Of the fist holy and generall councell and wherefore it was summoned AFter the desease of Euphraemius Domninus was chosen Bishop of Antioch Now therefore when Vigilius was Byshop of old Rome Menas at the first Bishop of newe Rome whome Eutychius succeeded Apolinarius Bishop of Alexandria Domninus Bishop of Antioch Eustochius was Bishop of Ierusalem Iustinianus summoned the fift councell vpon such an occasion as followeth When the patrons of Origens opinions preuayled in many places but speciallye at Newe Laura so did they call it Eustochius imployed his wholl care and industry to the banishing of them He made a voyage into Newe Laura droue them all out of that coaste and in so doing he seemed to put to flighte the common plague and destruction of them all They beinge scattered abroade into sundrye cuntreys perswaded many to embrace theyr opinions There fauored them Theodorus syrnamed Ascidas Bishop of Caesarea the heade citie in Cappadocia who was continewally with Iustinian one that was bothe faithfull and necessarie When this Theodorus incensed the Emperours courte and pallace againste Eustochius makinge relation vnto them as of an haynous and horrible matter Eustochius sente Rufus Abbot of Theodosius Monastery and Conon Abbot of Saba to Constantinople bothe which partly for theyr vertue and excellency and partly also for the biggenesse of theyr Monasteries were counted chiefe and principall of the Monkes which inhabited the desertes There accompanied them also other religious men not much inferiour vnto them for worthines These men as theyr speciall drifte called into controuersie the opinions of Origen the behauiour of Euagrius and Didymus But Theodorus Byshop of Caesarea in Cappadocia beinge desirous to bringe them from that argumente proposed the cause of Theodorus Bishop of Mopsouestia Theodoritus and Ibas neyther did he this without the prouidence of almighty God who disposed all the circumstances so notably to the end euery prophane and wicked opinion of whether side so euer it were might be rooted out First of all when the questiō was propounded whether it were lawefull to accurse the deade or no Eutychius then presente a man very well seene in holy Scripture yet none of the famous personages or of great authority Menas was then aliue whome he succeeded in the bishopricke and at that time he sate to answere for the Bishop of Amasia when he perceaued that the councell went not a right but rather the wrōg way he tolde them plainely there was nothinge to be doubted in that question neyther any thing that required deliberation at all That kinge Iosias not onely executed the Idol Priestes then aliue but caused also the tumbes of suche as were lately deseased to be digged vp These wordes of Eutychius beinge so well applied pleased them all and satisfied them fullye Iustinianus also hearinge of this
of the siege of Ierusalem coÌ„prising the ecclesiasticall historie from the Apostles vnto his time Euseb lib. 4. cap. 8. there is a counterfet volume of 5. bookes vnder his name the translator whereof they say S. Ambrose was nay it is liker that Ambrose him selfe was the author  Beniamin Iohn in the 19. and laste yeare of Traian Epiphan haeres 66. Mathias Philip. Sennecas Iustus 2. Leui. Ephrem  Xystus was b. of Rome after Alexander about the 3. yeare of Adrian Anno Domini 121. he was b. ten yeares and diâ—d the 12. yeare of the sayde Emperour Euseb li. 4. cap. 4. 5. Iustus was b. of AlexaÌ„dria after Primus where he coÌ„tinewed 11. yeares Euse lib. 4. cap. 4. 5. Nazaraei were Iewes which beleued inchrist so called them selues of Nazareth they contraried the Iewes in that they confessed Iesus Christ to be the sonne of God they erred in Christian religion for that they addicted them selues wholy to the obseruation of the whole lawe Epiphan haeres 29.     Ioseph Iudas continewed vnto the 11. yeare of Antoninus Epiphan haeâ—es 66. Cornelius was b. of Antioche after Heros Euseb li. 4. cap. 19. about the 12. yeare of Adrian     Egesippus saith of him self that he came to RoÌ„e in the time of Anicetus continewed there vnto the time of Eleutherius Anno Domi. 179 Euseb lib. 4. cap. 11.  From the passion of our Sauiour vnto the 18. yeare of the Emperour Adrian there were 15. Bishops in the Churche of IerusaleÌ„ all Iewes in the which yere after the vtter ouerthrow the siege and conquering of the citie vnder the sayd Aelius Adrianus IerusaleÌ„ was called Aelia after his name and beganne to be inhabited of straunge nations Euseb lib. 4. cap. 5. 6.    Cayni were heretickes whiche honored Cayn and tooke him for their father they highely estemed of Esau Chore Dathan Abyram with the Sodomits they called Iudas the traitor theyr cosin honoring him for betrayinge of Christ affirminge that he forsawe howe great a benefitt it woulde become vnto mankind They read a certen Gospell wrytten as they sayde by Iudas they reuiled the lawe and denyed the resurrection Epiphan haeres 38. August de haeres 130.  Iustinus Martyr liued vnder Adrian he wrote an Apologie vnto Adrian to Antoninus Pius Emperours he wrote also against Marcion which liued at that time he was martyred vnder Verus the Emperour Euse lib. 4. cap. 8. 11. 12 16. but as Epiphan haeres 46. writeth it was vnder Adrian  Marcus of the gentils the first b. of IerusaleÌ„ Euseb lib. 4 cap. 6. lib. 5 cap. 11.  Telesphorus succeeded Xystus in the seae of Rome ann Dom. 130. where he continewed 11. yeares Euseb lib. 4. cap. 5. 10. Eumenes was b. of AlexaÌ„dria after Iustus coÌ„tinewed there 13 yeares Euseb lib. 4. cap. 5. 11. Sethiani were heretickes deriuing theyr pedegrewe of Seth the sonne of AdaÌ„ whome they honored and called Christ and Iesus that in the begining of the worlde he was called Seth but in the later dayes Christ Iesus Epiphan haeres 39. sayth that he disputed with some of theÌ„ in Aegypt that the last of them were in his time August lib. de haeres 140. Anno 18. Adriani Meliton b. of Sardis florished about this time he dedicated an Apologie vnto the Emperour Verus in the behalfe of the christians he wrote many notable tracts Euse eccl hist lib. 4. cap. 13 25.  Cassianus    Marcion of Pontus encreased the doctrine of Cerdon he liued in the tyme of Iustinus Martyr whiche wrote a booke against him he met Polycarpus asked of him knowest thou vs Polycarpus answered I know thee for the first begotteÌ„ of Satan Euseb lib. 4. cap. 11. 14. He sayd the soule onely should be saued not the bodie He thought that Cain with the Sodomites and Aegyptians c. were saued when Christ went downe to hell Irenaeus lib. 1. cap. 29. Epiph. haeres 42. writeth of him that he was a bishops sonne who wheÌ„ he had destoured a virgine was by his owne father excommunicated the churche afterwards he â—led to Rome Being there because they admitted him not into the church he beganne to preache detestable doctrine that there were three beginnings good iust and euill that the new testament was contrary to the olde he denied theresurrectioÌ„ of the body 141. Antoninus Pius succeeded Adrianus in the empire he wrote vnto the coÌ„mons of Asia in the behalfe of the Christians he raigned 22 yeares and odde moneths Philippus b. of Gortina was famous and wrot against Marcion the heretick Euse lib. 4. ca. 24    Hyginius was b. of Rome after telesphorus in the first yeare of Antoninus Pius Anno Dom. 141. where he continewed 4. yeare Euseb lib. 4. cap. 10. 11. Pius was b. of Rome after Hyginus anno Dom. 144. and continewed 15. yeeres Euseb lib. 4. cap. 11. Anicetus was b. of Rome after Pius An. Dom. 159. he had confereÌ„ce with Egesippus which cam thither to him He gouerned the church 11. yeares and dyed the 8. yere of Verus Euseb lib. 4 cap. 11. 19. Marcus was b. of Alexandria after Eumenes he gouerned the Church 10 yeares Euseb lib. 4. cap. 11. Barchochebas a captayne of the Iewes alluding vnto his name affirmed that he was the lyght or a starre come downe from heauen to comfort the Iewes He led theÌ„ to rebellion so that as Dion Cass in Adriano writeth there were slayne of them aboue fiftie thousand Euseb lib. 4. cap. 6. Cerdon gatte him from Syria to Rome when Hyginus was b. there and taught that God preached of the lawe prophets was not the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ Moreouer he sayde that Christ was knowen the father of Christ vnknowen he denied the resurrectioÌ„ and the olde testament Euseb lib. 4. cap. 10. 11. Epiphan haeres 41.    Publius   Celadion b. of Alexandria after Marcus and continewed 14. yeares Euseb li. 4. cap. 11 19. Valentinus was openly knowen at Rome in the tyme of Hyginus he liued vnder Pius coÌ„tinewed vnto Anicetus Euseb lib. 4. cap. 10. 11. Irenaeus confuted this heresie at large Epiphanius sayeth that Valentinus thought Christ to haue brought a bodie downe froÌ„ heauen to haue passed through the virgine Marie as through a conduyte haeres 31. Marcellina was of Carpocrates opinion and liued at Rome in the tyme of Anicetus she worshipped offred incense vnto the images of Iesus and Paul c. August lib. de haeres Epiphan haeres 27. 144.    Maximus    Montanus whereof the Montanists are called taught in Phrygia hereof it is that the heresie is called Phrygian Epiphan sayth it begannne aboute the 19. yeare of Antoninus Pius which succeeded Adrian This Montanus was taken in Phrygia for the holy Ghost Priscilla and Maximilla his womeÌ„ for Prophetisses He forbad mariadge and
Alexandria Meletius b. of Pontus florished at one time Euseb lib. 7. cap. 5.   Paulus Samosatenus the heretick succeeded Demetrianus he was excommunicated depriued by the 2. synode helde at Antioche in the time of Valerianus Eus lib. 7. cap. 26. 29. Dionysius was b. of Rome after Xystus An. Do. 265. coÌ„tinewed 9. yeares Euseb lib. 7. cap. 26. 29.   273. Aurelianus was emperor after Quintilius in the beginninge of his raigne he was well affectioned towards Christian religioÌ„ so that the hereticke Samosatenus was through his helpe banished the churche but in the end he persecuted the church of God wheÌ„ as he went about to subscribe vnto an edict against the Christians the crampe tooke him so that he was not able to holde penne in hande â–ª he raygned 6. yeares Euseb lib. 7. cap. 28. 29. Malchion in open disputation confuted Samosatenus the heretick at Antioch Euseb lib. 7. cap. 28. A seconde synod was held at Antioch vnder Aurelianus wher Samosatenus the hereticke was coÌ„deÌ„ned depriued the church Euseb lib. 7. cap. 28. 29. Zambdas b. Ierusalem Euseb li. 7. cap. 31. Domnus the sonne of Demetrianus was by the 2. held synod at Antioch appoiÌ„ted to succeede Samosatenus in the seae of Antioch Euseb lib. 7. cap. 29. Felix was b. of Rome after Dionysius continewed 5. yeare Euseb lib. 7. cap. 29. 31.  Origeniani were hereticks called after one Origen not he that was the great clarke of Alexandria they condemned mariage yet liued they beastly their maner was to haue among them religious women like Nunnes whom they defiled yet vsed meanes to keepe them from swellinge Epiphan haeres 63. From Christ vnto the ende of Au relianus the Empâ—roure when Manes the heretick liued there are 276. reares after Epiphan hare 66. Taâ—itus was Emperour 6. moneths Eutro lib. 9. Euseb chron       Origeniani againe were hereticks which so called theÌ„ selues of Origen Adamantius the greate clerke of Alexandria they taught as Epiphan sayeth haeres 64. that there was no resurrection that Christ was a creature the holy ghost a like that the soules were suste in heauen came downe into the bodyes as it were into prison that in the ende the deuells shoulde be saued Epiphanius as I reade in Socrates eccle hist â–ª lib. 6. cap. 11. was become the enemie of OrigeÌ„ through the spite malice of Theophilus bishop of Alexandria The deuell bare Origen a displeasure he procured heretickes to father vpon him lewde opinions He complayneth him selfe in a certain epistle how that hereticks corrupted his works PaÌ„philus Martyr the great friende familiar of Eusebius wrot an Apologie in his behalfe Euseb lib. 6. cap. 3. 18. 20. 26. reporteth of the famous men that fauoured Origen Socrates eccle hist lib. 6. cap. 12. writeth in his commendation Athanasius gaue of him a notable testimonie Chrysostome woulde in no wyse be brought to condeÌ„ne either OrigeÌ„ oâ— his works Socrat. li. 6. ca. 11. 12. 13. Buddas otherwise called Terebinthus was a litle before Manes the hereticke he taught about Babylon that he him selfe was borne of a virgine that he was bred and brought vp in the Mountaynes He wrote 4 bookes one of mysteries 2. intitled the gospell 3. Thesaurus the 4. a summarie Through witchcraft he tooke his flight into the aâ—r to offer sacrifice but the deuell threwe him downe broke his necke so that he dyed miserably Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 17. 279. â—lorianus was Emperoure 80. dayes Eutrop li. 9. Euseb chron Probus was emperour 6. yeres Euseb lib. 7. cap. 29. Anatolius b. of Laodiceaslorished vnder Probus Carus IeroÌ„ catalog  Hermon b. of Ierusalem the last before the persecution vnder Dioletiam Euse lib. 7. ca. 31 Tim. eus was b. of Antioche after Domnus Euseb lib. 7. cap. 31. Eusychianus was bishop of Rome scarce 10. moneths Euseb lib. 7. cap. 31. Gaius was b. of Rome an Dom. 283. 15 yeares Euse lib. 7. cap. 31.   285. Carus was Emperour scarse 3. yeares Euse lib. 7. cap. 29. The infiite number of martyrs which suffred in the persecutioÌ„ vnder Dioâ—letian are to be scene throughout the 8. booke of Eusebius ecclesiasticall history  These a of Ierusalem was alwayes honored and the succession contine wed vnto the daies of Eusebius him selfe Euseb lib. 7. ca. 18. Cyrillus b. of Antioche Euseb li. 7. cap. 31  Theônas was b. of AlexaÌ„dria after Maximinus coÌ„tinewed 11. yeares Euseb li. 7. cap. 31.  287. Dioâ—letian was Emperour and persecuted the church of god In the 19. yeare of his â—aigne he began to ouerthrow the churches burne the bibles persecute the Christians When he had raygned together with Maximianus who persecuted with him 20 yeares he deposed him selfe voluntarily and lyued a priuate life FroÌ„ that tyme vnto his ende he pyned and wasted away with diseases But Maximinia hanged him selfe Euseb lib. 7. cap. 29. lib. 8. cap. 2. 3. 14. 19 Socrates lib. 1. cap. 2. Arnobius florished in the time of Diocletian Ierom. catalog There was a councell of 300. bishops called together at Siunessa where Marcellinus b. of Rome was condemned for de nyig Christ and sacrificing to Idols tom 1. concil  Dorotheus b. of Antioche Marcellinus was bishop of Rome about the 10. yeare of Diocletian Anno Dom. 295. Euseb li. 7. cap. 31. He denied Christ offered sacrifice vnto Idols in the persecution vnder Diocletian was condemned of 3. hundred bishops 30. priests afterwardes he repented him and was martyred vnder Diocletian tom 1. concil   307.     Tyrranus b. of Antioch Euseb lib. 7. cap. 31.    Constantius and Maximinus ruled the empire after the deposition of Diocletian Constantius dyeth at yorke in Englande when he had ruled 16. yeares Anno Do. 310. Euseb lib. 8. ca. 14. in chronic LactaÌ„tius the disciple of Arnobius florished in the time of Diocletian in his olde age he was the maister of Crispus the soÌ„ne of Constantius Ierom. A councel was helde at Ancyra in Galatia in the time of Vitalis wher with certaine conditions such as sacrificed were receaued and the deacons that can not containe suffred to Marie tom 1. concil   Aboute this time Licinia an holie mayde of Rome dying made Marcellus b. of that seae her heire and executor gaue him al her great substance from that time forth sayth Polydor lib. 6. de inuent cap. vlt. the bishops of Rome wer greatly enriched Peter was b. of Alexandria about the 7 yeare of Diocletian where he coÌ„tinewed 12. yeares he was beheaded crowned a martyr in the persecution vnder Diocletian Euseb lib. 7. ca. 31. Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 3. Manes the hereticke whereof the Maniches haue theyr appellation had his originall in persia as Epiphan haeres 66 wryteth about the 4. yeare of Aurelianus he called him self Christ the comsorter Hechose vnto himselfe 12. Apostles He sayd that Christ was
not truly borne but phantastically Euseb li. 7. cap. 30. Socrates lib. 1. ca. 17. sayth of him that at the fâ—sthe was called Cubricê° afterwards chauÌ„ging his name he went into Persia founde the bookes of Buddas and published them in his owne name he taughte that there were manye Gods that the sunne was to be worshipped that there was fatall destenie that the soules wente from one body into another The king of Persia his son fel sick Manes through sorceâ—y tooke vpoÌ„ him to cuâ—e him killed him The king caused him to be clapt in prison but he brake prison fled into Mesopotamia ther was he takeÌ„ and flayd aliue his skinne filled with chaff and hanged at the gates of the citie 310. ConstaÌ„tinus Magnus the sonne of Constantius borne in Brytayne was there proclamed Emperour after the desease of his father He maketh Licinius who maried his sister his felowe Emperour At the same time Maxentius played the tyrant at Rome and Maximinus in the East He sawe in the aër the signe of the crosse he fully perswaded him selfe to fight agaiÌ„st the tyrants and in the behalfe of Christian religion Pamphilus martyr suffered vnder Maximus Ierom There was a couÌ„cel helde at Neo caesarea where among other things it was decreed that none should be made priest before he were 30. yeares olde tom 1. concil   Marcellus was b. of RoÌ„e after Marcellinus a very short whyle some take hiÌ„ for the former and so it may be for Euseb made no mention of him yet in Damas Pont. I find that he gouerned 5. yeares Achillas was b. of AlexaÌ„dria after Peter Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 3. Hierax taught in Aegypt that there was no resurrection he abhorred mariage he sayd the children that dyed before the yeares of discretion were daÌ„ned he thought that Melchisedech was the holy ghost Epiphan haeres 67. 311. Suidas sayth that from Christ vnto Constantinus Magnus there are 318. yeres the which is true after Eusebius computation if we take the time after the ouerthrowe of the tyrants when heru led alone  Antonie the Monke florished in the dayes of CoÌ„stantine he wrote seuen epistles the which are at this daye to be seene he liued 100. 5. yeares Ierom catalog Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 17. A councell was called by Constantine at Rome in the time of Miltiades to reforme the variaÌ„ce betwen Caecilianus b. of Carthage and his colleges Euseb lib. 10. cap. 5. Macarius was b. of Ierusalem after Hermon he was the meanes with Helena that the crosse of Christ was founde there he was at the councel of Nice Constantinus Magnus wrot vnto him sundry epistles Socrat lib. 1. cap. 6. 9. Vitalis was b. of Antioch after Tyranus Eusebius a Grecian b. of Rome after Marcellus 1. yeare 7. moneths Euseb chro tom 1. concil Alexander was b. of AlexaÌ„dria after Achil las by preachinge of the trinitie somewhat curiously he gaue occasioÌ„ to Arius one of his clergie to fall from the faith Socrat lib. 1. cap. 3. He was at the councel of Nice Meletius b. of some citie in Aegypt sacrificed to Idols in the time of the persecution vnder Diocletian and was deposed by Peter b. of Alexandria he rayled at Peter after his death he reuiled Achillas laste of all he fell to backbiting of Alexander to take part with the AriaÌ„s the true churche was called the Catholike churche but he called his church the churche of martyrs the Councell of Nice condemned him toke from him all authoritie that belonged to a bishop and there vpon the Meletians were deuided from the church Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 3. 6. Ephiphan haeres 68.   Ammon a monke yet maried Didymus Arsenius Pior Isidorus Pambo Petirus Macarius Euagrius were famous about that time Socrat. lib. 4. cap. 18. Osius b. of Corduba in Spayne a graue father was sent by ConstaÌ„tine to reconcile Alexander and Arius he was at the councell of Nice the Arians in the councell of Siâ—miuÌ„ scurged his bare sides because he woulde not subscribe vnto theyr hereticall opinions Socrat lib. 1. ca. 4. 5. 9. li. 2. cap. 26. Constantine called a councell at Orleance to remoue the dissention risen betwene Byshops Euseb lib. 10. cap. 5. Alexander b. of Alexandria called there a councell of many bishops where he condemned Arius accursed his heresie writinge vnto the bishops throughoute christendome what opinions he held Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 3.   Meltiades was b. of RoÌ„e after Eusebiê° in the time of CoÌ„staÌ„tinus Magnus ann Dom. 312. coÌ„tinewed 6. yeres Euseb chron eccle hist lib. 10. ca. 5.         Siluester was b. of Rome after Meltiades an Dom. 314. continewed 20. yeares Euse chron WheÌ„ Constantine offred him a goldeÌ„ scepter he refused it as a thiÌ„g not fitte for the priestly function Sabell   330. He â—oyled Maxentius vpoÌ„ the riuer Tiberis Liâ—â—â—ê° ouercame Maximinê° theyâ—oyntly published edicts in the behalf of the christians In the end â—iâ—imus rebelled against him ConstaÌ„tinus ouercame him ruled alone restored peace vnto the whole worlde gaue money vnto the church deliuered the bishops from paying taxe or tribute he wrote vnto Paphnutius b. of the vpper Thebais had one of his eyes pulled out in the tyme of persecution Constantine was woÌ„t to kisse the emptie place he was presente at the councell of Nice and turned the wholl assemblie from separating maried priestes froÌ„ theyr wiues Socrat lib. 1. ca. 5. 8 Spiridion a man of great fame in in those dayes was at the councell of Nice though he were a bishoppe yet kept he sheepe in the fieldes Athanasius being a yong man was at the couÌ„cell of Nice looke more of him in the colume of the bishops of AlexaÌ„dria A generall couÌ„cell was called at Nice in Bithynia of 318. bishops by CoÌ„staÌ„tinus Magnus as Nicephorus sayeth the 20. yere of Constantine an Dom. 328. some saye 326. some other 324 in the tyme of Siluester b. of Rome where they coÌ„demned Arius debated the coÌ„trouersie of Easter layde downe the forme of faith coÌ„monly called the Nicene Creede ratified the clause of one substance and wrote vnto the churche of Alexandria that they had deposed Arius Socra lib. 1. cap. 5. 6.  Philogonus was b. of Antioch after Vitalis dyed a martyr Nicephor  Athanasius was b. of AlexaÌ„dria after Alexander and the breaking vp of the Nicen councell beinge a heathen boye he played the parte of a Christian bishop in a certeÌ„ play which prognosticated he woulde proue a no table man being deacon he weÌ„t to the councel of Nice and disputed against the Arians Socrat lib. 1. cap. 5. 11. being byshop the Arians falsly accused him of bribery treason that he sent of his clergie into Mareôtes which beate the altare with theyr feete ouerthrew the Lords tablebrake the holy cup and burned the bible they accused hiÌ„ of murther magick and to answere vnto those crimes he was