mention of that which Eusebius wrote cap. 14 and cap. 30. he maketh mention of that which Eusebius wrote cap. 2. as wrytten by himselfe therefore it is like Eusebius wrote this fragmente The sixt reason that moueth me to annexe this as parte of the booke is the shortenes of the booke for if we end at the 18. chapiter where the fragmente beginneth the booke may seeme to be no booke but rather an entrance or beginning of a booke Eusebius in the beginning of this 8. booke cap. 2. promised to wryte of martyrs thinkest thou Gentle reader that he woulde be so briefe and make so short a treatise where occasion was ministred to wryte not one booke onely but rather 3. bookes if he were disposed omitting nothing as he promised li. 1. ca. 1. touching the martyrs of his time to write of all the martyr doms suffred vnder Diocletian Maximinian and Maximinus Last of all this fragment endeth in very good order He promiseth to discourse of Maximinus the tyrantes recantation the which Eusebius performeth in the booke followinge For looke howe the. 8. booke endeth with the same the. 9. beginneth Therefore Eusebius was the author of this fragment CAP. XIX Howe the. 4. emperours Diocletian Maximinian Maximinus Constantius ended their liues THe author of this former edict not long after his foresayd coÌ„fession being rid of that his lamentable plight departed this life He is reported to haue bene the chiefe autor of the cala mity which befell vnto the christians during the time of persecution a good while agoe before y â— whurly burly raised by the rest of the emperours to haue gone about to peruert the christians which liued in warefare but aboue all such as were of his owne familye to haue depriued some of their martiall dignity renowne to haue encreated some others reprochefully without al shame Moreouer to haue persecuted some of them to the death and last of all to haue prouoked y â— other his fellowe emperours to persecute all christendome the ends of which emperours if that I passed ouer with silence I shoulde greatly offende The empire being deuided into foure parts foure seuerall princes bearing rule they two which were first proclaimed emperours and prefer red in honor before the rest hauing not raigned fully two yeares after the persecution deposed theÌ„ selues as we haue sayd before led thence forth the rest of their liues priuatly after y â— vulgare sorte of men hauing such an end as followeth the first hauing gotten y â— chief honor due to y â— imperiall scepter primate by creation after long great greuous disseases consumed wasted away by a litle a litle so died The seconde secondarily ruling the empire being priuey in consciâ—ce to many his lewd mischiuous practises committed in his life time hanged himselfe by the procuremeÌ„t of a wicked spirite which ledd him thereunto The later of them two which immediatly succeeded these whome we haue termed y â— author ringleader of y â— who le persecution suffred such tormeÌ„ts as we haue meÌ„tioned before CoÌ„stantius who weÌ„t before him by vertue of his prerogatiue in y â— imperiall dignity being a most mild curteous emperour as I sayd before led a worthy life during his whole raigne not onely because y t in other things he behaued himself most curteously most liberally towards al meÌ„ but also in y â— be was no partener w t y â— enemy in the persecutioÌ„ raysed against vs nay rather he maintained preserued such as were of y â— godly vnder his dominioÌ„ he neither rifled neither destroied the holy churches neither practised any other mischief preiudiciall to the christian affairs he obtained an end both blessed thrise happy he alone in his kingdome to y â— comfort of his naturall sonne successor in the empire a prince in all things both most sage religious enioyed a noble a glorious death His sonne forthwith entring into his raygne was by the soldiers proclaimed chief emperour Augustus who imitated that diligently his fathers stepps as a paterne of piety to the embracing of christian religion such an end at seuerall times had the aforesayd foure emperours of y â— which he alone mentioned a litle before together with others his emperiall associats published vnto the whole world by his writteÌ„ edict the aforesayd confession CAP. XX. Of the martyrs in Palastina IT was the ninetenth yeare of Diocletians raigne and the moneth Zanthicus the which the Romaynes call Aprill the feast of Easter theÌ„ drawing nigh Flauianus being gouerner of Palaestina wheÌ„ the emperours edicts were euery where proclaimed in y t which it was commaunded y t the churches should be destroyed that the holy scriptures should be burned y t such as were of creditt should be contemned y t such as led a priuate life if they retayned the christian professioÌ„ should be depriued of their freedome such were the contents of the first Edict but in the proclamation which immediatly folowed after it was added y t the pastors throughout all congregations should first be imprisoned next withall meanes possible constrained to sacrifice to be short the first of the martyrs in Palaestina was Procopius who before he had bene any while imprisoned stepping forth at the first iumpe before the tribunall seat of the presidents being commaunded to doe sacrifice vnto their gods made answere that to his knowledge there was but one only God to whom as y â— selfe same God had coÌ„maunded he was bound of duely to sacrifice And when as they commauÌ„ded him to offer sacrifice for y â— prosperous state of the foure emperours he recited a certaine verse out of a poet which pleased theÌ„ not for the which immediatly he was beheaded the verse was this Not many Lordes auayle vs here let one beare rule and raygne This was y e first spectacle exhibited at Caesarea in Palaestina the eight day of the moneth Desius before the seuenth of the Ides of Iune called of the Romaynes the. 4. day of the sabaoth After him there suffred many of the inhabiters of the same citie of the chief gouernours of y â— ecclesiasticall affayrs who endured that cherefully most vitter torments gaue the aduenture of most valiaÌ„t enterprises other some fainting for feare were quite discouraged at the first all the rest tried the experience of sundry torments one scurged from top toe an other wrested vntil y â— his ribbs brake a sunder in the squising bonds by reason whereof it fell out that some had their hands strooke of thus together they enioyed such an end as befell vnto them according vnto the secret wisedome iudgement of God one was led by the hand lugged to the altar his hands violeÌ„t stretched to toutch their detestable sacrifices in the end let go for a sacrificer an other when y â— he had neither approched neither toutched such
endeuored with all might possible to ouerthrow for when he tooke vpon him the patronship of that councels decrees he supposed it was his bounden duety to foresee lest the canons and decrees of that councell shoulde any kinde of way be impayred Wherefore being now busied with this controuersie he layd aside the quirks of logicke and fledd for ayde and asistance vnto Almighty God he gaue him selfe to continewal fasting and left no prayer vnrepeated such a kind of seruice deuotion he solemply embraced He got him into the Church of Peace for so they called the Church he locked in him selfe and finished such kinde of seruice as pleased him best he gott him to the Altare and downe he fell on his bare knees before the communion table praying vnto God w t teares that trickled downe his cheekes in which kinde of order he continewed many dayes and many nights He called for helpe at the handes of God and his petition was graunted His prayer was thus Graunt I besech thee o Lorde sayth he that if the opinion of Arius be true I my selfe may neuer see the ende of this sett disputation but if the fayth which I holde be true that Arius the author of all this mischiefe may receaue due punishment for his impious deserte This was the zealous prayer of Alexander The Emperour being desirous to knowe the minde and disposition of Arius sent for him to his pallace demaundes of him whether he woulde subscribe vnto the Canons of the Nicene councell He without any more adoe very cheerefully putts to his hande When as for all that he dalyed both craftely and lewdely with the decrees of that councell The Emperour maruelling at this put him to his othe he falsely and faynedly sware also The crafty â—uglinge which he vsed to bleare their eyes in subscribing as I haue hearde was this Arius wrote his opinion in a peece of paper of his owne the same he caryeth vnder his arme comming to the booke he takes his othe that he veryly beleeued as he had written This which I write of him I haue hearde to be moste true But I gather playnly that he sware after his subscription out of the Emperours letters The Emperour beleeuing verily that he dealt playnely commaundes Alexander Bishop of Constantinople to receaue him to the communion It was vpon a saturday the day after Arius looked to be receaued into the Church and communion of the faythfull â–ª but vâ—ngeance lighted forthwith vpon his lewde and bolde enterprises When he had taken his leaue and departed out of the Emperours hall he passed through the middes of the citie with great pompe and pontificality compassed with the faction and trayne of Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia that wayted vpon him As soone as he came nigh Constantines market for so was the place called where there stoode a piller of redd marble sodaine feare of the haynous faules he had committed tooke Arius and withall he felt a greate laske Syrs sayth Arius is there any draught or iakes nigh when they tolde him that there was one in the backe side of Constantines market he gott him thither straight The mans harte was in his heeles he looked pitiously together with his excrements he voydeth his gutts a greate streame of bloode followeth after the sclender and small bowells slyde out bloode together with the splene and liuer gusheth out â–ª immediatly he dieth like a dogge Those iakes are to be seene vnto this day at Constantinople behinde as I sayd before Constantines markett and the porch shambles All passengers as many I say as goe by are wonte to pointe at the place with the finger to the ende they may call to remembrance and in no wise forgett the miserable ende of Arius that died in those iakes This being done terror astonishment amazed the mindes of Eusebius his confederats that followed him The report thereof was bruted abroad not onely throughout the whole citie but in maner as I may say throughout the whole world The Emperour by this meanes cleaued the more vnto christian religion and sayd that the Nicene Creede was ratified and confirmed to be true by the testimony of God him selfe and reioyced exceedingly at the thinges which then came to passe His three sonnes he made Caesars seuerally one after an other euery tenth yeare of his raygne His eldest sonne whom after his owne name he called Constantine the tenth yeare of his raygne he made Emperour ouer the westerne partes of the empire the seconde sonne whome after his graundfathers name he called Constantius the twentieth yeare of his raygne he made Emperour ouer the Easterne partes of the empire The third and yongest of all called Constans he consecrated Emperour the thirtieth yeare of his raygne CAP. XXVI The sicknes the Baptisme the death and funerall of Constantinus magnus THe yeare after Constantine the Emperour being threescore and fiue yeare olde fell sicke and leauing Constantinople sayled to Helenopolis vsing for his healthe the hott baths that were nighe the towne When that he sickned more and more he differred bayning of him selfe left Helenopolis and gott him straight to Nicomedia â–ª Abiding there in a certayne manour without the towne walls he was baptized in the fayth of Christ In the which baptisme he greatly reioyced made his last will testament appoynted his three sonnes heyres of the empire distributed to theÌ„ their seuerall inheritances as he had in his healths time he bequetheth to Rome and to Constantinople many famous monuments he putteth the Priest by whose meanes Arius was called from exile of whome we spake a litle before in trust with his testament charging him to deliuer it to no mans hand saue to his sonne Constantius whome he had made Emperour of the East His will being made and his life lasting a fewe dayes after he died At his death there was none of his sonnes present Wherefore there was a Post sent into the East for to signifie vnto his sonne Constantius the deathe of his father * The Emperours corps his familiares and dearest friendes chested in a coffin of golde and carryed it to Constantinople there they sett it in an high lodging of the pallace doing thereunto great honor and solemnitie vntill that one of his sonnes was come When that Constantius was now come from the East they sett forth the corps with a princely funerall and buried it in the Apostles Churche for so was it called the which Church Constantine buylded lest that the Emperours and Priestes shoulde be bereued of the Apostles reliques The Emperour Constantine liued threescore and fiue yeares he raygned 31. and died the two and twentieth day of May Felicianus and Tatianus being Consuls the second yeare of the two hundreth seuenty and eyght Olympiade This booke compriseth the historie of one and thirtie yeares The ende of the first booke of Socrates THE SECONDE BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF SOCRATES SCHOLASTICVS CAP. I. The proeme where
THE AVNCIENT ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORIES OF THE FIRST SIX HVNDRED YEARES AFTER CHRIST wrytten in the Greeke tongue by three learned Historiographers Eusebius Socrates and Euagrius EVSEBIVS PAMPHILVS Bishop of Caesarea in Palaestina vvrote 10 bookes SOCRATES SCHOLASTICVS of Constantinople vvrote 7 bookes EVAGRIVS SCHOLASTICVS of Antioch vvrote 6 bookes VVhereunto is annexed DOROTHEVS Bishop of Tyrus of the liues of the Prophetes Apostles and 70 Disciples All which authors are faithfully translated out of the Greeke tongue by MEREDITH HANMER Maister of Arte and student in diuinitie Last of all herein is contayned a profitable CHRONOGRAPHIE collected by the sayd Translator the title whereof is to be seene in the ende of this volume with a copious INDEX of the Principall matters throughout all the Histories ANCHORA SPEI Imprinted at London by Thomas Vautroullier dwelling in the Blackefriers by Ludgate 1577. TO THE RIGHTE HONORABLE THE GODLY WISE AND VERTVOVS LADIE ELIZABETH COVNTESSE OF LYNCOLNE vvife to the right noble Edvvarde Earle of Lyncolne Lorde highe Admirall of England one of the Queenes Maiesties priuie counsail and Knight of the most honorable order of the Garter MEREDITH HANMER vvisheth encrease of honor continewance of Godly zeale perfection of wisedome and health in Christ Iesus THE holy Apostle and Euangelist Sainct Iohn one that leaned on our Sauiours breaste right honorable Ladie when he sawe a noble woman whome he tearmeth a Lady walking in the way of trueth and willingly embracing the gladsome tidmges of the Gospell reioyced exceedingly and wrote vnto her an Epistle wherein he commendeth her vertues exhorting her to obserue the olde commaundement of louing one an other and to take heede of deceauers though in all poynctes I am founde farre inferior nay in nothing comparable at all vnto the blessed Apostle yet your honors vertues doe counteruaile or rather surpasse the other Ladies Godlinesse seeinge the seede of Christianity was in her but newely sowen and true zeale of religion firmely rooted these many yeares in your Ladiships mind Notwithstanding my inferior condition be it lawfull though not of worthinesse at least wise of fauour for me to imitate the blessed Apostle to wryte vnto your honor not any exhortation of myne owne whiche peraduenture woulde be very simple but the exhortation of the Apostles and Disciples of our Sauiour the martyrdomes of Saynctes and such as serued God in trueth and vpright conuersation the inuincible courage and constancie of zealous Christians the Godly sayinges and sentences of true professors the wise and politicke gouernemente of common weales by Catholicke Emperours and Christian princes the carefull ouersight of the flocke of Christ by reuerend Bishops and learned Prelats the confutation and ouerthrowe of heretickes with the confirmation of the trueth â—y holy councells and sacred assemblies and to say the wholl in one worde as the principall drifte of myne Epistle to presente vnto your Ladiship these auncient Ecclesiasticall Historiographers to wit Eusebius Socrates Euagrius Dorotheus Whose histories are so replenished with such godly doctrine that I may very well say of their all as a learned wryter reporteth of Eusebius that they are able to perswade any man be his mind neuer so farre alienated from the trueth to become a zealous Christian Wherefore my good Lady seeing that as Plato sayth running witts are delighted with poetrie as Aristotle wryteth effeminate persons are rauished with musicke and as Socrates telleth vs histories agree beste with staide heades I present vnto your honor these histories agreeing very well with your disposition and beinge the frutes of my trauell and studie Ruffinus sayth that he wrote his historie to delight the reader to occupie the time and to remoue the remembrance of the calamities meaning the persecution which then lately had happened As for Christian pleasure and Godly delightes what can be more pleasaunt then the reading of the Ecclesiasticall histories toutching the time I knowe it full well you spende it as it beseemeth your calling to speake of calamitie vnlesse we beholde the miserie and lamentable estate of other Realmes and dominions presentlye there is geuen no suche occasion for it can not be remembred that the subiectes within this realme of Englande had the Gospell so freely preached Clerkes so profoundely learned Nobility so wise and politicke all successes so prosperous as in this happie raygne of our most vertuous noble Princesse Queene Elizabeth and therefore are we greatly bounde to praise God for it Yet if ye call to memorie the corruption of late dayes the blindnes of such as woulde be called Gods people the lamentable persecution of the English Church then may ye reade them after calamitie But notwithstandinge the premises it is not my drifte to salue such sores neither to prouide medicens for such Maladies God of his prouidence hath continewally bene so carefull ouer his Church that his seruants were neuer left desolate Though Elias complayned that he was left alone yet were there thousandes vvhich bovved not their knees to Baal S. Paul telleth vs there is of Israel a remnant left Our Sauiour speaking of his Church though it be not of the greatest multitudes yet is it accordinge vnto his Epitheton a litle flocke And sure I am there may be found a righteous Abraham in Chaldaea a iust Lot in Sodome a godly Daniel in Babylon a deuout Tobias in Niniue a paciente Iob in Husse and a zealous Nehemias in Damasco There is found wheate among tares graine in the huske corne among chaffe a kearnel within the shale marrow within the bone a pearle within the cockle and a rose amonge the thornes There was a Ionathas in the court of Saul to fauour Dauid there was an Obadia in the Court of Achab to entertayne the Prophets there was an Abedmelech in the Court of Sedechias to entreate for Ieremie and in the Court of Diocletian there were many yonge Gentlemen namely Petrus Dorotheus Gorgonius with many others which embraced the Christians suffred death for the testimony of Christ as your honor may reade in these Ecclesiastical histories which I haue not therfore commended vnto you for the remembrance of any calamitie at all But as for the Court of our most gracious Queene a sight both ioyfull and comfortable where there resortes so many learned Clerkes so many Godly persons so many graue Matrons so many vertuous Ladies so many honorable personages hauinge so noble a heade to gouerne them all There the Christian is no Phoenix the godly is no blacke swanne for the Gospell is freely preached and the professors thereof had in honor and estimation Wherefore in so godly a place to be so vertuously disposed at vacant times as to reade these auncient histories wil be a commendation vnto your honor an encrease of knowledge a confirmation of the faith a maintenance of zeale and a liuely beholdinge of Christ Iesus in his members Here you may see the modesty and shamefastnes of Christian maydens the constancie of zealous women the chast mindes of
Iosep bell Iud. lib. 6. cap. 1. 2. Their estate was miserable the famyne lamentable the slaughter out of all measure such as came out of the city were hanged on gibbetts such as fledde away were taken of the fugitiues tvvo thousand had their bowels ript to see whether they had swalowed vp any golde lib. 6. cap. 15. report came vnto Titus that from the 14. of Aprill vntill the 14. of Iune there were brought out at one gate of the city fiftene thousande one hundred and foure score Ievves which dyed of famine bell Iud. lib. 6. cap. vlt. The temple is sett on fire the priestes the women and children with other people which hid them selues in vautts in walls and in corners of the temple which also were burnt to ashes came to six thousande lib 7. cap. 11. Titus tooke the citye the souldiours killed vntill they were weary Titus commaunded all that wore armour to be slayne such as were olde weake and feeeble the souldiours dispatched the yong the lusty and profitable they shutt vp in a certayne place of the temple for further consideration Many were solde for a smale price there were many to be solde but few to bye all the theeues robbers and seditious persons within the city he commaunded forth with to be dispatched the chosen yong men of goodly bodyes and tall stature he reserued for triumphe seuentene thousand of elderly yeares he sent bound to Aegypt for slauery druggery â–ª many others through out the prouinces he allotted for spectacles and teeth of wild beastes â–ª as many as were vnder sixtene yeres â–ª of age were solde â–ª of such as were shutt vp in the temple for further consideration during the time of this deliberation and disposed order there dyed tvvelue thousande of famine Iosep bell Iud. lib. 7. cap. 15. 16. The number of the captiues during the tyme of the warres mounted to foure score and seuentene thousande The number of all that dyed during the siedge within Ierusalem came to tenne hundred thousande no maruell at all that the city could comprise so many for at the feast of the Passeouer Cestius being Lieuetenant of Iudaea sent Neroworde that the high priestes had numbred at his request all that came to offer which came to seuen and tvventy hundred thousande lib. 7. cap. 17. and suche was the wofull and miserable ende of the Iewes Iosephus moreouer lib. 7. bell Iud. cap. 18. writeth of Ierusalem that it was taken at sondry tymes before his wordes be these Ierusalem vvas taken the 2. yeare of the raigne of Vespasian the 8. day of September it vvas taken fiue tymes before then agayne destroyed Asochaeus King of the Aegyptians after him Antiochus then Pompeius after these Herode and Sosius tooke the city and kept it â–ª and before that tyme the King of Babylon by conquest destroyed it a thousande three hundred three score yeares eyght moneths and six dayes after the building thereof The first founder of this city vvas the most potent Prince of the Chananits called after his contrey language The iust king â–ª for such a one he vvas in deede â–ª therfore he first ordayned a priesthood vnto God and hauing first buylded the temple he termed the city Ierusalem vvhich afore vvas called Solyma Leobius King of the Ievves hauing vanquished the Chananits deliuered the city to be inhabited of his ovvne people the vvhich vvas ouerthrovvne by the Babylonians foure hundred three score foure yeares and three monethes after From Leobius the King vvhich vvas the first Ievve that raygned in it vnto the ouerthrovv vnder Titus there vvere one thousande one hundred seuenty and seuen yeares Yet for all that neyther did antiquity preuayle neyther great riches profit neyther the fame dispersed throughout the whole worlde fauour them neyther the great glory they put in their religion helpe them at all that the city shoulde not perishe Discite iustitiam moniti non temnere Christum CAP. IX Of Iosephus and his commentaries in the ninth and tenth chapiters folowing BEsides all this I thinke it good not to be ignorant of Iosephus him selfe that hath stoode vs in so great steade for the furnishing of this our present historye whence and of what kindred he came which circumstance he him selfe sheweth saying thus Iosephus the sonne of Mattathias a priest of Ierusalem vvhich him selfe also at the first impugned the Romaynes and vvas necessarily present at the finall ende of their vvofull miseryes because of the Ievves of that tyme. This man was famous not onely among his owne nation but also among the Romaynes so that at Rome he was thought worthy the honor of a grauen picture and the bookes which diligently he wrote were thought worthy of the publike librarye He wrote tvventy bookes of Iudaicall Antiquities he testifieth him selfe therefore worthy of creditt that he gathered in seuen bookes the Romayne vvarres of his tyme and published it both in the Greeke and Hebrewe tongues Certayne others worthy the reading passe vnder his name for example Tvvo volumes of the Antiquitie of the Ievvish nation where he aunswereth Apion Grammaticus and certayne others which at that tyme impugned the Ievves and endeuored to disgrace the natiue lawe of the Iewishe nation In the first he layeth downe the number of the bookes of the olde testament deliuered by tradition and receaued without gainfaying of the Ievves saying as foloweth CAP. X. How Iosephus mentioned the bookes of the old testament and diuers of his owne THe bookes of the holy Scripture sayth he are not innumerable amongst vs disagreeing dissenting one from an other but only xxij contayning the circumstances of all times and vvorthy of creditt fiue of these are Moses vvorkes contayning the lavves the state of man continevved vnto his death the tyme of them contayneth litle lesse then three thousand yeares The Prophetes vvhich liued after Moses comprised in thirtene bookes the famous actes of their tymes from the death of Moses to Artaxerxes vvho after the death of Xerxes vvas king of Persia The other foure containe Hymnes vnto God and admonitions for the amendment of mans life From Artaxerxes vnto our tymes there are continuall bookes yet not of such creditt as the former in so much there is not diligently layd dovvne a continuall succession of the Prophets It is very apparent vvhat affection vve beare vnto our Scriptures because there is novv so much time past and yet none of vs dare presume either to adde any thinge thereto or to diminish anything therefro or to alter any thinge thereof this is engrassed in the sevves from their youth vp that they persvvade them selues this doctrine to be the vvritinges of God and to perseuere in the same and vvillingly if necessity so constrayne to dye in the quarrell these wordes I haue thought commodiously to haue bene by vs alleadged out of his commentaryes this writer hath published one other and no simple volume of the rule of reason whiche some haue fathered vppon
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
him selfe in a certaine place reporteth when as none occupied the rowme of Catechizing at Alexandria because that euery one was fayne to flye away by reason of the threatning thunderbolts of persecution diuers of the Gentils came to him to heare the preaching of the word of God whereof he sayth the first to haue bene Plutarch who besides that he liued well was crowned with martyrdome The seconde was Heraclas y ◠brother of Plutarch who after he had profited very much and sucked at his lippes the iuyce of christian religion and heauenly philosophy succeeded Demetrius in the bishopricke of Alexandria Origen went nowe on y ◠eyghtenth yeare when he catechized in the schoole of Alexandria at what time he happely prospered whilest that vnder Aquila Lieuetenant of Alexandria in the heate of persecution he purchased vnto him selfe a famous opinion among all y ◠faithful in that he chearefully embraced all the martyrs not only of his acquaintance but such as were vnto him vnknowen he visited not only such as were fettered in deepe dungeons close imprisonmēt neither only such as looked for the last sentence of execution but after iudgment geuen sentence pronounced he was present with the martyrs boldly accompanying them to y ◠place of execution putting him selfe in great peril oftentimes boldly embracing kissing saluting them so that once the furious rage of the fonde multitude of the Gentiles had stoned him to deathe if the diuine power of God had not maruelously deliuered him y ◠same diuine celestial grace of God at other times againe againe so oft as can not be told defended him being assaulted of the aduersaryes because of his noble hardines prompt mind to publish the doctrine of Christ so extremely was he dealt withall of the Infidels that souldiers were commaunded to watch his house in compasse for the banishing of the multitude that came to be instructed of him in the Christian faythe The persecution daily preuailed and was so vehemently bent against him that he could no where passe safely throughout Alexandria but often chaūging lodging◠he was from euery where pursued bicause of the multitude which frequented vnto him for instructions sake for his workes expressed moste notable rules of the most true christian philosophie they say as he taught so he liued and as he liued so he taught Wherfore the diuine power of God specially preuayling with him 〈◊〉 infinite number were sturred vp by his zeale when he perceaued many Disciples to frequent 〈◊〉 to him that the charge of the schoole was now by Demetrius the Bishop committed vnto him alone he supposed the reading of humanitie to be out of season and transformeth the schoole as altogether vnprofitable by reason of profane literature humanitie opposite vnto sacred letters to the exercise of godly discipline againe after good aduise taken for necessary prouision he soulde the profane writers which he had diligently perused lay by him enioyning the buyer to pay him daily foure halfepence of the set price wherwith he contented him selfe this philosophicall trade continewed he y ◠space of many yeares cutting of from him self all occasion of youthly concupiscence ▪ for throughout the whole day he tooke no small labor in this godly exercise the greater part of the night also he spent in meditating of holy Scripture and in his philosophicall life as much as lay in him he vsed fasting taking his reste at certayne temperate tymes of the yeare not on his bedde but very warely on y ◠bare ground specially aboue al other places he supposed y ◠sayings of our Sauiour in the Gospell to be obserued which exhorted vs not to weare two coates neyther shoes neither to care for the time to come with a greedy or couetous desire for he endured colde and nakednesse more chearefully then became his yeares suffered such extreame neede necessitie which greatly amazed his familier friends offended many that willingly woulde haue supplied his want and necessity for the paynfulnes they sawe him take in setting forth the heauenly doctrine of Christ Iesus our Sauiour but he being geuen to pacient sufferance passed many yeares without the wearing of shoes ioyning naked foote to bare grounde and he is sayde moreouer for the space of many yeares to haue abstained from wine other such like necessary sustenance onely excepted so that he ranne in great danger lest that through weakenes of lymmes fayntnesse of body he shoulde destroy cast away him selfe this philosophicall trade of life being wondred at of others stirred vp a great many Disciples to imitate the like trade and study so that of the faythfull vnfaithfull of the learned and wise the same not of the meaner sort a great number became zelous and earnest followers after his doctrine in so much that the heauenly worde of God taking deepe roote in their faythfull mindes florished and continewed stedfastly during the persecution of that time so that some of them were apprehended and suffered martyrdome CAP. III. Of the martyrs that suffered out of the schoole of Origen THe first of them was Plutarchus remembred a litle before whome Origen accompanied to the place of execution not without great danger of his life when as his owne citizens went about to practise violence towards him as being author of Plutarchus death yet the wisedome of God deliuered him then The next of the disciples of Origen after Plutarchus was Serenus who is sayd to be the seconde Martyr which gaue triall and proofe of the faith he receaued that by fire The third Martyr out of the same schoole was Heraclides the fourth after him Heron. of the which two latter the first was a Catechumenist the second lately baptized but both beheaded ▪ as yet out of the same schoole came forth the fift champion a seconde Serenus who after pacience in great torments and greeuous payne was beheaded and of the women also Rhais as yet a Catechumenist baptized as Origen him selfe reporteth in fire departed this life CAP. IIII. The martyrdome of Potamiaena a virgine Marcella her mother and Basilides a souldier BAsilides shal be numbred the seuenth among the former Martyrs which led forth the renowmed virgine Potamiaena to execution of whome vnto this day a great fame is blased abroade among the inhabitants of that prouince how that for the chastitie of her body and puritie of minde she stroue very stoutly with her louers she was endued with ripenes of mind and goodly bewty of body when she had suffered infinitely for the faythe of Christ last of all after great and greeuous and dreadfull and terrible torments to be tould of together with her mother Marcella she is burned with fire and consumed to ashes ▪ the report goeth that Aquila the iudge commaunded her whole body to be scurged ouer and that very sore and threatned her he woulde deliuer her body shamefully to be
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
read your fidelity may proue how the aforsayd matter may exquisitly be â—ifted and ended after the rule of equity Your industry is not ignorant but that I attribute so much reuerence vnto the catholicke church that I woulde haue you suffer in any place no schisme or dissention at all The diuinity of the great God kepe you most honorable many yeares The coppy of the emperours epistle by the which he commaunded a second Synode to be summoned for the remouinge of the dissention and debate risen betwene the byshops Constantinus the emperour vnto Chrestus byshop of Syracula sendeth greeting Heretofore truely vvhen as some vvickedly peruersly vvent about to seuer themselues from the religion of the sacred and celestiall povver and from the catholicke opinion I purposing that such contentions of theyrs should be cut of haue wrytten ordained that certaine byshops shoulde be cited from Fraunce againe that they should be called from Aphricke which of the other part conteÌ„tiously stifly striue among theÌ„selues the byshop of Rome also being present to the end whatsoeuer this dissention nowe raysed seemeth to be it might in theyr presence with great industry diligence be sifted out and redressed But in so much as as it commonly cometh to passe diuerse of them being negligent forgetfull of their owne saluation the reuerence due vnto the most holy opinion ceasse not as yet to dilate theyr enmytie being altogether vnwilling to consent vnto the sentence already geueÌ„ they definitiuely affirme that few of theÌ„ brought forth theyr sentences and iudgements before they had narrowly sifted out all that was to be enquired to haue stepped forth toe swiftly to hastely toe geue iudgement of all these things this came to passe that they whose part it was to maintaine brotherly vnity concord shamefully yea vvickedly disagre amoÌ„g theÌ„ selues minister an occasioÌ„ of moccage vnto men whose minds are farre alienated from the most sacred religioÌ„ VVherefore I must be carefull that that which should voluÌ„tarily haue bene appeased after that iudgemeÌ„t was geuen nowe at length in the presence of many be ended finished Because that we haue commauÌ„ded diuerse byshops out of sundry prouinces to meete in the Calends of August at the city of Orleance we thought good to wryte vnto thee that thou takinge of the famous Latronianus liuetenant of Sicilia an ordinary vvagan together vvith some tvvo of them of the seconde order vvhome thou shalt thinke good to choose moreouer vvith three seruants vvhich shal be able to serue thee in thy iourney hasten within the compasse of the same days vnto the sayd place that by the meanes of thy faythfull industry vvith the peaceable and vniforme wisedome of the rest which there shall meete this dissention which hitherto wickedly endured with a certaine shamefull winching repininge all beinge heard which may be sayd of ether partes varyinge amonge them selues whome we haue likewise commaunded to be present may novve at length be closed vp with religion and fayth and brotherly concorde that ought to be required of vs all The almighty God kepe thee in health many yeares CAP. VI. A coppy of the Emperours epistle by the which hâ— graunted money vnto the Churches COnstantinus the emperour vnto Cecilianus byshop of Carthage sendeth greetinge In so much as it pleased vs to minister some thing for expences sake vnto some certaine ministers of the approued most holy religion throughout euery the prouinces of Aphricke Numidia Mauritania I haue sent letters vnto Vrsus the renowmed liuetenant of Aphricke signified vnto him that he shoulde cause three thousande pholes of siluer to be tolde vnto thy fidelity Therefore as soone as thou hast receaued the sayd some of money see the same distributed vnto all the aforesayd accordinge vnto our writt sent by Osius If thou perceaue ought to be wantinge so that our vvill herein tovvardes all may not be accomplished demaunde of Heraclas our tresoror as much as assuredly thou thinkest lackinge This I gaue him in charge vvhen he vvas present that if thy fidelitie required any money of him he shoulde without any more a doe deliuer the same vnto thee And for as muche as I vnderstande that some troublesome persons were disposed to peruerte by some lewde corruption the people of the most holy and Catholicke Churche I geue thee to vnderstande that I gaue forth such iniunctions in presence of Anilinius the liuetenante and Patricius the gouernoures vicegerente that amonge all other thinges they should specially haue due regarde hereof and that they should in no wise permitte such a thinge to fall out vvherefore if thou perceaue some such men to persist in this theyr folly without anymore a doe haue recourse vnto the sayde iudges and make them priuey thereof that they consider of these as I charged them vvhen they vvere present The diuinity of the great God long preserue thee CAP. VII A coppy of the epistle by the which he fraunchised the byshops from payinge taxe or tribute WE greete you most honorable Anilinus Because that diuersly it appeareth if that the religion wherein great estimation of holynes is maintained be sett at nought greate dangers vvill ensue to the publicke affayres and againe if the same be orderly handled maintained greate prosperity and speciall felicity will followe vnto the Romaine empire and the affayrs of all men the goodnes of God exhibiting the same it seemed good vnto vs that those men which labor in this godly religion with due holynes and diligent obseruatioÌ„ of this lawe shall receaue recoÌ„pence of their trauels wherefore our pleasure is that they of the prouinâ—e coÌ„mitted to thy charg which in the catholick church where Cecilianus gouerneth minister in this holy religion whome we commonly tearme clergie men be wholy free exempt from all publicke burthens lest by any error or cursed svvaâ—uinge they be withdrawen from the seruice due vnto God But rather may occupy themselues about theyr profession without any molesting at all who while they accoÌ„plishe the great ministery of the holy seruice doe seeme to profitt very much the publicke affayrs Farewell most honorable Anilinus To be short such things hath the deuine celestiall grace of our Sauiour at the appearinge thereof graunted vnto vs such greate benefits were bestowed by reason of our peace vpon all men and thus weÌ„t our affayres in ioy and solemnycies CAP. VIII The ingratitude of Licinnius towards Constantinus and his cruelty towardes the Christians The sight of these things was intollerable for y â— deuel enemy of honesty worker of malice to behold neither in like sort did y â— things which happened vnto the forsayd tyrants suffice Licinnius better to aduise him selfe Who while he enioyed a prosperous raygne the second honor next after the emperour Constantinus the greate and was hyghly reuerenced for his affinytye and kynrede with Constantinus layinge aside the example of good princes imitated the
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
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
by occasion thereof he wrote vnto his friends after this maner VVhat auaileth it I beseech you vnto the Catholicke church for the furtheraÌ„ce of pietie godlines now to propose questioÌ„s of the faith to intitle their creede with the names of the Consuls which then were in office for Vrsacius Valeus and Gormanius haue wrought that which was neuer done or heard of among the Christians when they had written such things as they thought necessarily to be beleued of them they layd downe the Consulls the moneth and the day that it might easily appeare vnto all vvise men their faith not to haue bene before the raigne of Constantius Euery one of them hauinge respect vnto their ovvne hereticall doctrine haue layde dovvne their seuerall censures Furthermore vvhen they take penne in hand to pronounce vvhat they thinke of the Lorde they name vnto them selues an other Lorde to vvete Constantius for it vvas he that opened them the gapp vnto impietie And vvhile they denied the sonne of God to be aeternall for they fell into such outragious impietie they became deadly foes vnto the Christia faith yet they intitled the Eniperour sempiternall But peradueÌ„ture they tooke example of the holie prophets vvho noted vnto vs the times they lyued in for to intitle their creeds with the names of Consulls If they presume to alleage them as a president to their doynges they are foully deceaued and bevvray very much their owne ignorance and folly For though the Prophets made mention of the tymes they lyned in as vve reade in Esay and Oseas who lyued in the dayes of Ozia Ioathan Achaz and Ezechâ—a as vve reade in Ieremie who prophecied in the dayes of Iosia as vve reade in Ezechiel Daniel who florished vnder the raigne of Cyrus Darius and as vve find in other prophecies reuealed vnto the vvorld at other times yet vvere not they the first founders of the seruice of God sacred religion It vvas long before their times it vvas from enerlasting it vvas before the foundacions of the vvorld vvere layd the which verily God him selfe by Christ hath prepared for vs. The tymes vvhen theyr fayth had her originall â–ª they dyd not signifie for there had bene faithfull men longe before them but those vvere the dayes vvhen such promises of God prophecies of thinges to come vvere preached by them The promises verily concerned chiefly the incarnatioÌ„ of our sauiour the circumstances thereof and such thinges as vvere annexed therevnto signified plainely the thinges that should happeÌ„ both to Iewes to Gentils Moreouer in the aforesayd specified times their faith as I sayd before had not her first foundatioÌ„ beginning but the prophets theÌ„ selues for they liuing theÌ„ foreshewed such things to come But these our fouthsaiers neither writing of stories neither prophecying of things to come do write This Catholicke faith was published adding immediatly thervnto the names of the Consulls the moneth of the yeare the day of the vveeke Euen as the holy men of old haue declared both the times of the matters they wrote of and the yeares of their owne ministerie so these men haue noted vnto vs the dayes when their faith first beganne I would to god they had only vvritten their owne beliefe for now they haue assigned an originall or beginninge of their faith and they fall a reasoninge of it as if it had neuer bene heard of before They vvrite not This is our beliefe but in this fort This Catholicke faith was published VVherfore their bold pressipteous enterprise bewraieth their barren wirles braines and their nevve founde faith is no othervvise in playne vvordes then the Arian heresie So they vvrote then they beganne to beleeue from that tyme forth they determined to reueale theyr faith in no other sense then vve reade in Luke the Euangelist There vvas geuen out then a commaundement from Augustus Caesar that the vvhole vvorlde should be taxed that commaundement vvas not geuen before but then tooke place from those dayes forth and vvas published by him vvhich vvrote it So vvhen these men doe vvryte This faith is nowe published they shevve theyr errour nevvly inuented and not to haue bene before But if they adde the vvorde Catholicke they plunge them selues vnvvares in the hereticall pudle of the Cataphrygians so that they singe after theyr note The Christian faith was reuealed vnto vs The Christian faith beganne of vs. And as they tooke Maximilla and Montanus for theyr Lorde so these men in steede of Christ haue chosen Constantius If the fayth beganne in those dayes in the tyme of theyr Consulships vvhat shall become of the auncient fathers and blessed martyrs VVhat shall become of them vvhome these men them selues instructed in the fayth and departed this lyfe before these Consulls Hovve shall they rayse them from the deade to roote out of theyr mindes their former religion and to plant afreshe their late inuention of faith They are so senselesse and so voyde of vnderstandinge that they can doe nought else saue forge out fayned causes the vvhich beynge as they are both fonde slender vpon slippery foundations may casilie be confuted and ouerthrovven These were the contents of Athanasius his epistle the which he sent vnto some of his familiar friendes the studious may at theyr pleasure examine it with them selues and knowe throughly such thinges as he hath discoursed of both subtly and substantially We haue onely alleadged a portion thereof lest we shoulde seeme ouer tedious Toutchinge the premises we haue moreouer to vnderstande that the Councell deposed Valens Vrsacius Auxentius Germanius Caius and Demophilus because they refused to renounce and accurse the hereste of Arius Wherefore takinge their depasition impaciently they runne vnto the Emperour and shewe him the forme of faith that was read in the Councell The Councell also wrote vnto the Emperour an epistle wherein they signified vnto him what they had decreed the which beynge translated out of the Latine into the Breeke tongue is vsually read as followeth The Epistle of the Councell assembled at Arminum vnto the Emperour According vnto the commaundement of God and the edict of your gracious highnesse vve haue thought good to ratifie vvith our consent such canons as of olde did concerne the Christian faith For vve haue met together out of all the cyties throughout the vvest partes of the vvorld to the ende the faith of the most holie and Catholicke church may be the more famous and the aduersaries thereof the better knovven After deliberation and good aduisement taken it seemed best vnto vs firmely to retayne and in retayninge to holde fast vnto the ende that faith vvhich hath bene continevved hitherto from tyme out of memorie vvhich hath bene preached of the Prophets Euangelists Apostles through the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ vvho is the protectour of your empire the coÌ„seruer of your health It seemed very absurd nay vve thought it an haynous offence to alter ought of
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
against the Emperour for banishing many Priestes and Bishops which refused to communicate with Eudoxius the Arian Not long after in the aforesayd consulship the foure and twentieth of August Valentinianus created his sonne Gratianus Emperour The yeare following being the seconde Consulship of Valentinianus and Valens the eleuenth of Octobre there was in Bithynia a greate earthquake which ouerthrewe the citie of Nice It was the twelf yeare after the ruyne of Nicomedia Immediatly after many peeces of Germa a citie in Hellespontus were turned vpside downe w t an other earthquake for all these dreadfull sights were behelde in the open face of the worlde the lewde disposition of Eudoxius the Arian Bishop and the peruerted minde of the Emperour Valens was nothing moued to incline vnto piety and right reformation of true religion for they obserued no meane but furiously raged against all such as helde the contrary faith and opinion These earthquakes were no otherwise to be taken then for manifest tokens of the schisme tumults then raysed in y ◠church And though many of the priestly order were depriued of their dignities yet of all the rest Basilius Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia and Gregorius Bishop of a small and meane citie bordering vpon Caesarea by the prouidence of God for their great pietie were not banished their natiue soile Of whome I shall haue occasion hereafter to discourse more at large CAP. XI How the sect of Macedonius being put to their shifts by reason of the Emperours displeasure sent their letters vnto Liberius Bishop of Rome where they subscribed vnto the fayth of one substance WHen as at that tyme such as cleaued stedfastly vnto the clause of one substance being the true Christians were vexed aboue measure the Macedonians also were pursued of the wicked and godlesse persecutors These men partly for feare and partly for their fayth being brought to their witts ende wrote letters and sent messengers from their bishopricks one vnto the other signifying that of necessity they must flie for refuge both vnto the Emperours brother and to Liberius Bishop of Rome and subscribe rather vnto their fayth then condescende to communicate with Eudoxius the Arian Wherefore they sende Eustathius Bishop of Sebastia one that had bene often times deposed Siluanus Bishop of Tarsus in Cilicia and Theophilus Bishop of Castabala a citie likewise of Cilicia these men are charged not to disagree as toutching the faith with Liberius but to communicate with the Churche of Rome and to ratifie by their subscriptions the faith of one substance When these men had receaued their letters which impugned the faith at Seleucia in all the hast they post to olde Rome They shewe not them selues vnto the Emperour for he was in Fraunce busily occupying him selfe about the battell against the Sarmatians but deliuer their letters vnto Liberius Liberius refuseth to geue their letters the reading he tolde them they were Arians and therefore in no wise to be entertayned of the Church because they had abrogated the creede of the Nicene councell Unto whome they make answere that his words were true yet that they repented them afterwards of their folly that they acknowledge the trueth that of late they had condemned the opinion which affirmeth the sonne to be vnlike the father that they confessed the sonne in all thinges and in all respects to be like the father and that the clause of likenes differed nothing from the sense of one substance When they had made this protestation by word of mouth he requireth them to doe the same in writing They immediatly exhibite vnto him a supplication where in the forme of faith published and established by the councell of Nice was comprised And lest that I seeme ouertedious vnto the reader my purpose is to omitt the letters they wrote from one company to an other namely from Smyrna in Asia from Pisidia Isauria Pamphilia and Lycia onely here to lay downe the supplication which Eustathius sent from his lodging vnto Liberius it was written as followeth Vnto their Lorde and brother their fellow minister Liberius Eustathius Theophilus Syluanus sende greeting in the Lorde To the ende vve may remoue all suspicion of heresie and partaking vvith sects vvhatsoeuer which heretofore haue molested the quiet estate of the catholick church presently we do allow of the synods assemblies of bishops which mett at Lampsacum Smyrna at sundry other places maintaining the right soūd faith that these our words may seeme for no other thē our true meaning we are legats haue brought letters vnto your holines vnto al the bishops of Italie to the other churches whatsoeuer of the west contrey whereby it shall manifestly appeare that vve are of the Catholick faith that vve defende the sacred Canons of the Nicene councell established in the happy raygne of the holy Emperour Constantine by three hundred and eyghteene Bishops the which vnto this day haue bene continewally obserued and vnuiolably retained where the clause of one substance was godly enterlaced to the ouerthrowe of the poisoned opinion of Arius for by subscribing with our owne hands we doe plainly protest that we are of no other opinion then these fathers were of but that heretofore presently also we embrace the same faith with them mind firmely to continew therin vnto our last houre Moreouer we cōdemne Arius his detestable opinion his disciples his complices the whole heresie of Sabellius all the Patropassians Marcionists Photinians Marcelliās to be short the wicked sect of Paulus Samosatenus VVe pronounce these mens doctrine for accursed together with all that holde with them all heresies like wise which are contrary vnto the aforesayd sacred faith generally godly framed by those holy fathers assembled in the city of Nice VVe accurse also the forme of faith that was repeated at the councell of Ariminum partly for that it repugneth the Nicene Creede partly for that diuers vvere fraudulently brought to subscribe vnto the same at Constantinople through vviles periury mistaking the title for they tooke Nice a city of Thracia for Nice in Bithynia The beliefe faith vve are of of them likewise vvhose legats vve are is as followeth VVe beleeue in one God the father almighty maker of all things visible inuisible in one onely begotten God our Lorde Iesus Christ the sonne of God begotten of the father that is of the substance of the father God of God light of light very God of very God begotten not made being of one substance with the father by whom all things were made either in heauen or in earth who for vs men for our saluation came downe from heauen was incarnate made man he suffred rose againe the third day he ascended into heauen shall come againe to iudge both the quicke the dead And we beleue in the holy Ghost such as say there was a time when he was not or that he was not before his
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
dispatched out of the way as many christians as met them When the day appeared y ◠sunne was vp the authors of this horrible murther were knowen well inough Cyrillus vnderstanding of y ◠circumstance was wonderfully incēsed against them got him straight with great power into y ◠synagoges of y ◠Iewes for so were their churches called executed presently some of the Iewes some other he banished the citie other some he bereaued of their substance Wherefore the Iewes which inhabited Alexādria since the raigne of Alexander king of Macedonia were then banished the citie dispersed ouer all contreyes Adamantius a phisicion one of the scattered Iewes got him vnto Atticus Bishop of Constantinople became a christian dwelled afterwards in Alexander Orestes the Liuetenāt of y ◠citie tooke in very ill part y ◠deede of Cyrill was very sory y ◠so noble a citie should be depriued of so great a multitude of men Wherefore he certified the Emperour of all the doings there Cyrillus like wise painted forth in paper the traiterous conspiracy of y ◠Iewes sent it in wryting vnto the Emperour yet neuertheles he laboured to become friends w t Orestes for so y ◠citizens of Alexandria did aduise him But when Orestes woulde not as much as once heare the motion of recōciliation betwene them Cyrill reached into his hand y ◠newe testament supposing verely he would reuerence the booke remember himselfe the better When y ◠the mind of Orestes could not be turned neither any good moode found in him but y ◠deadly enmity grew betwene thē such a calamity ensued thereof as I mind hereafter at large to declare CAP. XIIII Howe the monkes inhabiting the deserts of Nitria came to the citie of Alexandria for to defend Cyrill of the stur that rose betwene them Orestes the Liuetenant DIuerse of the Monkes inhabiting the mounte Nitria being feruently disposed lately also tried when as Theophilus the Bishop had armed thē against Dioscorus his brethren gaue themselues contentiously to partakinge purposed of theyr owne accord to maintaine the quarell of Cyrill Wherefore to the number of fifty Monkes leauing their monasteries came to Alexandria compassed the Liuetenant as he rode in his charriot conferred with him called him a sacrificer an Ethincke with sundry other contumelious languages He supposing with himselfe y ◠Cyrill had wrought this conspiracy against him cried out that he was a christian that Atticus bishop of Constantinople had baptized him But when as the Monks weyed not his words one of them whose name was Ammonius tooke the Liuetenant on the heade w t a stone The Liuetenant being sore wounded with the blowe the bloode ranne about his cares The sergeantes and such as garded the person of the Liuetenant seeing the stones flie about their eares fled away fewe onely excepted and held downe their heads among the multitude In the meane while the people of Alexandria came about them and in the Liuetenantes behalfe set vpon the Monkes in the ende these Monkes ranne all away Ammonius onely excepted Him they tooke and brought before the Liuetenant He openly according vnto the lawes reasoneth w t him of the matter pronounceth against him the sentence of Iustice and tormented him as longe as breath remained in his body All these circumstances shortly after were opened vnto the Emperours Cyrill also certified him of the same matter though in an other sorte He tooke the corps of Ammonius and buriedit in a certaine church calling him not Ammonius but Thaumasius In the church he extolled the noble courage of this mā the great combat he endured for godlines and commaunded he shoulde be called a martyr But the modest and grauer sorte of christians allowed not of Cyrills doings herein for they knew y t Ammomus died not in torment because he would not deny Christ but suffred dewe punishmēt for his rash enterprises Wherefore Cyrill him selfe suffred at length this hainous offence by a little and a litle to fall into the dust of obliuion Neither was the cōtention quarel betwene Cyrill and Orestes put vp as yet for there ensued an other calamytye not much vnlike this the which I am nowe about to declare CAP. XV. Of Hypatia a woman which excelled in Philosophie THere was in Alexādria a womā whose name was Hypatia y ◠daughter of Theon the Philosopher which profited so much in profound learning y ◠the excelled all the Philosophers of y ◠time and not onely succeeded in Plato his schoole the which exercise Plotinus continewed but also expounded vnto as many as came to heare her the precepts doctrine of all sorts of Philosophers wherefore as many as gaue their studie to the knoweledge of philosophicall discipline flocked vnto her lessons from euery contrey Moreouer for her graue courage of minde the which she gathered out of the fountaines and bowells of philosophicall literature for her modest and matronlike behauiour she sticked not to present her selfe before Princes magistrates Neither was she abashed to come into the open face of the assembly All men did both reuerence and had her in admiration for the singuler modesty of her mind Wherefore she had great spite enuy owed vnto her and because she conferred oft and had great familiarity w t Orestes the people charged her that she was the cause why the Bishop Orestes were not become friends To be shorte certen heady rash cockbraynes whose guide and captaine was ` Peter a reader of y ◠church watched this woman cōming home frō some place or other they pul her out of her chariot they hale her into the church called Caesarium they strip her starke naked they rase the skinne and rent the flesh of her body w t sharpe shells vntill breath departed out of her body they quarter her body they bring the quarters vnto a place called Cinaron and burne them to asses This hainous offence was no small blemishe both to Cyrill and to the church of Alexandria For the professors of christiā religion should be no fighters they ought to be farre frō comitting of murther bloodshed w t other such horrible offēces These things came thus to passe the fourth yeare of Cyrills consecratiō the tenth consulship of Honorus and the seuenth of Theodosius in the moneth of March and on the ember dapes CAP. XVI Howe the Iewes conspired againe against the Christians and were foyled SHortly after the Iewes for their horrible practises against the professors of the christiā faith suffred punishment dewe for their desert in a certaine place called Inmestar betwene Chalcis and Antioch in Syria At the time of their playes and enterludes they committed many absurd and shamefull acts at length through frensie and furious motion they remoued reason out of her seate much like madd men they contumeliously derided in their playes not onely the Christians but also Christ Jesus him selfe they scoffed
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
of Antioch vnto the Shiriffe of Sommerset a learned historiographer vnto on that is no lesse studious of great fame vnto one that is of as good report a furtherer of religion vnto a fauourer of such as professe the same It is tolde me of trueth nay I haue found my selfe sufficient triall of your curtesie and vertuous disposition VVhen I trauelled novve tvvo yeares agoe at the request of a deare friende and kinsman of mine in your countye of Sommerset and savve the good vvill you bare vnto your neighbours and tenauntes the entire loue and affection they ovved vnto you againe I called to remembraunce the sayinge of Eberhardus Duke of VVittenberge in the Parlament helde at VVormes of all the princes of Germanie in the time of Maximilian Euerie of the nobylitie commended his ovvne cuntreye the Princes of Saxonie praysed their myne pittes and quarries their precious mettalls the Dukes of Bauaria sette foorth the maiesticall buyldinge and portly Cyties vvythin their dominions the Duke Palatine extolled the fertylitie of his soyle the plentifulnesse of his grape and the pleasauntnesse of his vvyne Duke Eberhardus holdinge his peace harkning to the rest vvas requested of Friderick Duke of Saxonie to say somevvhat for his ovvne cuntrey I knovve not saith he vvhat commendation I shoulde geue my cuntrey but sure I am of this one thinge that I may safely lay my heade and sleepe in the lappe of any subiect vvithin my dominions by day or by night at home or abroade as muche to say he gouerned his cuntrey so vertuously that the commonalty vvould liue and die vvith him the vvhich sying of his by the censure and opinion of all the princes deserued the greatest prayse If I may speake vnfainedly vvhat I thought I tooke his case to be yours the iudgment he gaue of his dominions to be the report you giue of your cuntrey and novve I thinke the godly rule of his people thē to be presently the politick gouernment of your shiriffvvike you remember I am sure naye I see it in you my selfe hovve the painter setteth forth the portracture of the emperours of Germanie holding a booke in the right hand a svvord in the left the booke betokeneth knovvledge of the lavve the svvorde execution of iustice many there are novve a dayes vvhich sue for suche offices in mine opinion they are not the fittest men they respect not the afore saide conditions but their ovvne lucre and the making vp of their bags for that yeare Iouianus refused the empire of the vvhole vvorld vvhen it vvas offred him Ambrose vvoulde in no vvise be made byshoppe of Millaine Eusebius could not be persvvaded to take the byshoprick of Antioch Constantinus magnus vvrote of him that in so doing he vvas vvorthie to be byshop of the chiefest Churche vnder heauen it vvas against your vvill that you tooke the office vpon you I knovve it full vvell therefore you deserue the greater prayse and commendation Novve that you are in office hearken vvhat a learned Poët seeing his friende chosen magistrate vvrote vnto him it vvas in such sort as follovveth Da capias quaeras plurima pauca nihil By interpretation geue much take litle seeke nothing he meant by extortion Aristotle bad Alexander remember that gouernment vvas not insolencie oppression and iniurie but execution of iustice helping vvith counsell and maintaining of right Ernestus Duke of Luneburge vvas mindefull of his calling vvhen he caused a burning candle to be stamped in his coyne vvith these letters in compasse A. S. M. C. alijs seruiens meipsum contero vvhile I serue other mens turnes I vvast my selfe avvay I presume that of your good nature you vvill take the premises in good part considering they proceede of good vvill and frendly remembrance for the great curtesie I haue receaued It is the part of a friende not onely to be thankefull for the benefits bestovved vpon him and to commend vertuous disposition vvhere he findeth the same but also exhorte his friende to goe on in vvell doing and vvish the continuance thereof If that herein I haue discharged some part of my duetie take it vvell in vvorth accept it vvith as louing a minde as the Translator vvas vvillinge to take penne in hand to commende it vnto you vvith a preface Farevvell from London the 4. of September 1576. Yours in the Lorde MEREDITH HANMER THE PREFACE OF THE TRANSLATOR VNTO THE READER TOVTCHING EVAGRIVS AND HIS HISTORIE EVagrius a noble man of Antioch a learned writer and continewer of this Ecclesiasticall historie may not lightly be ouerskipped with out commending of his prayse and vertues to immortall memorie and rehearsing of them to the encouragement of all studious nobilitie to the profite of the louing reader and the furtherance of christian profession his honor was nothing impaired his blood nothing blemished at all in that he being a tēporall man acquainted him selfe with ecclesiasticall affaires Sabellicus writeth that Bartolomevve the Apostle came of a noble race forsoke the brauery of courtiers and became the follower of Christ Peter Dorotheus and Gorgonius being pages vnto the Emperour Diocletian in great creditte and of noble parentage bad court farewell weyed litle their honor made lesse accompt of the Emperour forsoke their owne liues rather then they woulde forsweare Christ The treasurer together with the lieuetenant of a certaine towne in Phrygia chose rather for the trueth in Christ with fire to be consumed to ashes then here to enioy all worldly treasure Audactus a noble man of Italie preferred the garland of martyrdome before all the glorie and pompe of this transitorie life A noble man of Nicomedia rent in pieces a wicked proclamation in the face of all the foure Emperours Astyrius a Senator of Rome thought it no staining of his honor to take vp on his shoulders the deade bodie of a blessed martyr and prouide for it a funeral Iouianus Valentinianus and Valens noble men and afterwards Emperours one after the other threwe away their sword girdles left their offices departed the court of Iulian the Apostata rather then they woulde deny Christ Yet S. Paule saith that not many wise men according vnto the fleshe not manie mightie not manie noble men are called true it is in respect of a greater number of the contrary or rather we may say that these were not fleshly minded their disposition was not carnall their wisedome was not worldly how great a comfort is it vnto christian profession when princes become fosterers when Queenes become nurces and noble men become fauourers of the christian faith In some countries we see that noble men most of all spend their time in studie and learning It is not decent in some countries for the pesants sonne the farmour the frankline or howsoeuer ye terme him to forget his fathers rusticall toile forthwith addict him self to the gentlemans trade The Pope most commonly calleth noble men to his colledge of Cardinals Dukes and Earles yongest
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
forwardes either we geue other men leaue to commit them to letters or peraduenture we our selues seeing that in this present volume we haue promised to discourse of other matters will entreat of them in an other seuerall worke yet thus much will I now say that Tamochosroes was ouerthrowne in the front of the host not with the fortitude of the Romaine armie but with the onely pietie of the Captaine and his faith in God that Adaarmanes was foyled with plaine force of armes and after great losse of his power put to flight yea and that not onely when Alamundarus captaine of the Barbarian nation called Scenetae â–ª betrayed Mauricius in that he would not come ouer the riuer Euphrates and ayde him against Scenetae which fought against him these Scenetae are so swifte on horsebacke that they can hardly be taken yea though their passage be stopt but when it standes them vpon they farre outrunne the ennemie but also when Theodorichus Captaine of the Scythians durst not tarye within their reache but shewed them immediatly a faire paire of heeles together with his souldiers CAP. XXI Of the signes prognosticating the raigne of Mauricius THere were signes which went before and foreshewed that Mauricius should be crowned Emperour As he offered frankencense very late in the night within the chauncell of S. Maries Church which the people of Antioche doe call the temple of Iustinian the curteine or canapie was all sette on fire and therewith he fell into such a dumpe that he feared the vision exceedingly Gregorie Bishop of that Citie standing by sayd that without all peraduenture the vision was sent from aboue and foreshewed the brightnesse of glory and the great renowne that was to befall him Christ moreouer appeared towardes the East seeking vengeaunce on the ennemies In that vision also was the raigne of Mauricius plainely prognosticated for of whom I pray you sought he that vnlesse it were of the Emperour and of such a man as serued him in holinesse As I searched out the truth and certainetie of these things his parentes tolde me other things worthie of memorie and the knowledge of the posteritie in time to come His father remembred that what time Mauricius was conceaued he sawe in his sleepe a mightie Vine to burgeine out of his chamber and that there hunge thereon infinite clusters of ripe grapes Hys mother tolde that when shee was deliuered the earth breathed vppe of her selfe a redolent sauour that was straunge and varied it selfe by turnes Also that a griesly ghost commonly called a Goblin or a Hegge tombled the infant from place to place as though he would deuoure him yet had no power to hurt him Symeon likewise that dwelt in a pillour not farre from Antioche a man of great wisedome and experience sufficiently adorned with all diuine giftes gaue forth many tokens both in worde and deede which plainely declared that Mauricius would be crowned Emperour concerning which Symeon if ought seeme expedient to be wrytten the next booke shall performe it CAP. XXII The coronation of Mauricius and Augusta VVHen Tiberius was redy to yelde vp the ghost and now come vnto deathes doore he gaue vnto Mauricius who then was proclaimed Emperour his daughter Augusta in mariage the Empire for dowrie who for all that his life during the terme of his raigne was prolonged but for a short space yet because of his noble actes which conueniently may not presently be committed to wryting he left vnto the common weale both an immortall memorie of his name and a passing inheritaunce to witte Mauricius whom he proclaimed Emperour neither only this but he gaue them also his owne title for he called Mauricius Tiberius and Augusta Constantina but what famous acts they did the next booke God willing shal declare CAP. XXIII A supputation of the times from Iustinus the second Emperour of that name vnto Mauricius TO the ende we may diligently note the succesuÌ„on of the times we haue to learne that Iustinus the yonger raigned by him selfe alone twelue yeres tenne moneths and odde dayes together with Tiberius three yeres and eleuen monethes so that his whole raigne comes to sixteene yeres nine moneths and odde dayes Tiberius was Emperour by him selfe alone foure yeres with Iustinus three yeres and eleuen moneths so that if we number the yeres from Romulus vnto the raigne of Mauricius they will appeare iust according vnto the supputation which went before and this present rehearsall CAP. XXIIII Areâ—itall of such as continewed their histories one after an other from the beginning vnto his time AS touching the order and continewance of times agreeable vnto the Ecclesiasticall historie it is come to passe by the goodnesse of God that we haue it at this day compendiously deliuered vnto vs by the workes of such famous historiographers as haue wrytten the sayd historie vnto the posteritie following for Eusebius Pamphilus hath wrytten from the birthe of Christ vnto the raigne of Constantinus Magnus Socrates Theodoret and Sozomenus haue continewed the times from Constantine vnto Theodosius Iunior of which Emperours doings this woorke also of oures hath somewhat discoursed As for the diuine and prophane histories from the beginning of the world vnto this day they are orderly continewed by painfull wryters And first of all Moises beganne to wryte as it is declared of them which compiled these things together of the things that were done from the creation of the world euen as he had truely learned of God in mount Sina Againe others folowed him shewed the redy way to attaine vnto our religion and committed to wryting the actes done since his time Moreouer Iosephus wrote a very large storie full of euery kinde of good matter What fabulous things so euer are reported to haue bene done either by the Grecians or Barbarians of olde time who either were at ciuill warres within them selues or waged battaile with foraine enemies or if any other thing can be remembred since the first molde of man was cast all I say besides sundry other wryters is laid downe by Characes Theopompus and Ephorus As for the Romaine historie comprising in maner the artes of the whole world or if any other thing fell out by reason of their ciuill discord or of quarelles risen betweene them and foraine nations it is exquisitely handled by Dionysius Halicarnassaeus who began hys story from the time of the people called Aborigines and continewed it vnto the raigne of Pyrrhus king of Epitus from theÌ„ce vnto the ouerthrow of Carthage Polybius Megapolitanus hath excellently discoursed all which treatises though occasioned at diuers and sundry times Appianus with graue iudgement hath contriued into order and compacted together adding thervnto of his owne such things as were worthy of memorie after their dayes vnto his time Diodorus Siculus wrote vnto the time of Iulius Caesar Dion Cassius likewise continewed his storie vnto the raigne of Antoninus of Emesa the like matter and order hath
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
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
â—ords by Eusebius Pamphilus and recited towardes the later ende of this chapter by Socrates the which we haue presently layde â—wne in different letters * Arius accursed with his complices * Eusebius Theognis being Arians do recant Eusebius writeth thus froÌ„ the couÌ„cell of Nice vnto the churche of Caesarea in Palaestina whereof he was bishop The Creede which Eusebiê° PaÌ„philus him selfe made exhibited vnto the councell of Nice wherevnto the bishâ—ps added the clause Of one substaÌ„ce Maâ— 28. The Emperour CoÌ„stantine coÌ„mandeth the clause Of one substaÌ„ce to be added vnto Eusebiê° Creede he expoundeth him selfe the meaninge thereof The Creede layd down by 318. bishops in the couÌ„ceâ— of Nice the which Eusebius in thesâ— wordes sendeth to Caesarea Of the substance Begotten not made The sonne to be of one substaÌ„ce with the father Before Arius time the clause of one substaÌ„ce was knowen Cap. 9. in the Greeke The synodiâ—all epistle of â—he councell â—f Nice The blasphemous opinions of Arius that cursed hereticke toutchinge the blessed sonne of God This Meletiê° as Socrates sayde before cap. 3. in time of persecutioÌ„ denyed the faith sacrificed to idols therefore he was excoÌ„municated and being in this takinge he tooke part with the Arians who for coÌ„panie together with Aâ—â—â—s in this councell is coÌ„demneâ— The questioÌ„ of Easter coÌ„cluded vpon in the councell of Nice VVhy the Meletians are seuered from the churche The wanton booke which Arius wrote and intituled Thalia CoÌ„stantinus Magnus vnto the church of AlexaÌ„dria CoÌ„stantinus vnto the bishops people c. CoÌ„stantinus the Emperour vnto the churches c The epistle of Constantine vnto Eusebius Pamphilus The epistle of Constantine vnto Eusebius * After the name of CoÌ„stantinus Bizantium was called Constantinople The epistle of Constantine vnto Macarius concerning the sepulchre of our Sauiour feuÌ„d there the buylding of a Churche in that place Eusebius â— of Nicomedia and Theognis were Arians * Licâ—â—â—us Cap. 10. in the Greeke * A Canon toutching such as in persecution had denyed Christ * Peter Martyr in 2. Sam. cap. 24. noteth howe that Constantine in these wordes â—kofâ—eth at Acesius for his intollerable pride singularitie in that he along with his sect woulde be iâ— heauen * The reporter was Auâ—anon a Nouatian as it cap. 9. following Cap. 11. in the greeke Paphnutiuâ— â–ª * Paphnutius a single man yet a fauorer of priestes mariadges in the counsell of Nice Hebr. 13. * Cap. 12. in the Greeke Spyridion â—â—â—ne the daughter of Spyridion uffinus hist â— 1. cap. 5. ap 13. in â— Greeke Eutychianus though he was a nouatian yet was he a rare maÌ„ both for life and learning Auxanon a nouatian hereticke Osius Viton Vincentius Alexander Eustathius Macarius Harpocratio Cynon * Anno 32â— some say 326. some 〈◊〉 theâ— 328. Cap. 14. in the Greeke The recâ—tation of Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia and Theognis bishop of Nice which were Aâ—â—an hereticks exhibited vnto the chiefe byshops Cap. 15. after the greeke Athanasius byshop of Alexandria Ruffinus lib. â—hist ca. 14. Alexander b. of Alexandria made Athanasius deacon Athanasius beinge deacoÌ„ was at the councell of Nice Cap. 16. after the greeke Constantinople called Newe Rome but of olde Byzantium Cap. 17. in the greeke Helen the mother of Constantine was the daughter of Coel kinge of Englande Helenopolis Psal 78. The Idole oâ— Venus set vâ— where Chriâ—â— was buried The crosse of Christ was founde out by a miracle Newe Ierusalem The nayles were founde The good deedes the vertuous life and godly ende of Helene Cap. 18 in the greeke Serapis had 〈◊〉 his temple 〈◊〉 elle or faâ—â—ome signiâ—inge the â—easure of â—e water in â—epth which â—as thought 〈◊〉 his power 〈◊〉 ouerflowe â—he Barbarians beinge â—â—ercome in â—â—â—aill receaâ—d the faith Christ Gens 18. ConstaÌ„tinus abrogated the most filthie lawes of the Heliopolits and brought theÌ„ to the christian faith The temple of Venus ouerthrowen The deuell was faine to flye out of the Idole The tente of Constantine like the tabernacle of Moses Exod. 33. Cap. 19. in the greeke The increase of christian religioÌ„ vnder Constantine The middle Indians were not christened asore the raygne of Constantine that is 300. odd years after Christ Frumentius was consecrated Byshop by Athanasius and sent to conuert the Indians Ruffinus ecclâ—ist li. 1. ca. 9. Cap. 20 in â—he Greeke The seae Eukinus deuiâ—leth Europe â—om Asia The kinge of the Iberians child is cured The queene of the IberiaÌ„s is healed The kinge of the Iberians was conuerted vnto the â—ayth Cap. 21. in the greeke Antony the eâ—emite * Cap. 22. in the Greeke The manichees blased their heresie a litle before the raygne of Constantine Anno. 281. Euseb lib. 7. cap. 30. The originall and authors of the heresy of the Manichees Buddas otherwise Terebynthus an hereticke dâ—eth miserablie Manes the heretick his detestable opinions The miserable death of the hereticke Manes Cap. 23. in the Greeke Hatred and heresie ioyned togethâ—â— Eusebius Pâ—philus was no Arian * Cap. 24. in the Greeke The councell of Antioche where Eustathius was deposed â—usebius PaÌ„â—hilus reâ—uâ—th to be â—ishop of â—ntioch for â—e which â—e Empeâ—ur CoÌ„stanâ—e did high â— commend â—m â—â—phronius Arian yet â—â—â—hop of â—â—tioch * Cap. 25. in the Greeke Constantine was informeâ— of Arius his recantation when he wrot this * Cap. 26. in the Greeke â–ª The recaÌ„taâ—tioÌ„ of Arius and Euzoiâ— geueÌ„ vp vnâ— the Emperour together with tâ— forme of their faith where they disseÌ„ble boâ— with God man wriâ—iâ— one thing meaning aâ— other as it appeareth the chaptâ—â— following Mat. 28. Cap. 27. in the Greeke Athanasius would not receaue Arius into the church of Alexandria Constantine â—â—rote this to Athanasiê° b. â—f Alexâ—dria 〈◊〉 the behalf â—f Arius the â—ereticke â—ho deceaâ—ed theÌ„ both â—hanasius is â—â—ely 〈◊〉 of extorâ—n â—anasius â—alsely accused of treason Ischyras a false minister forging orders vnto him selfe Athanasius is falsly charged with the misdemeanure of his clergy Athanasius is falsely accused of muâ—thâ—r and magicke * Cap. 28. aâ— ter the gâ—eâ— Macarius â— minister bâ—ing falsely â—…cused by 〈…〉 Arian Meletian herâ— tikes is thâ— shamefull dealt wiâ—â— Cap. 29. after the Greeke * Cap. 30. in â—e greeke â–ª â—he accuser â— Athanas 〈◊〉 ranne aâ—…ay for shaÌ„e Cap. 31. in â—â—e Greeke * Cap. 32. in the Greeke Cap. 33. in the greeke The councel held at Tytê° being most of Arians do depose Athanasius coÌ„meÌ„d in their letters to the Church of Alexandria the heretick Arius Cap. 34. in the greeke The epistle of Constantine vnto the Bishops assembled at the councell of Tyrus Cap. 35. in the Greeke Athanasius is accused by the Arians * Socrat. li. 2. cap. 2. in the epistle of CoÌ„ staÌ„tinus sayth so Cap. 36. in the greeke Asteriê° an arian heretick The error of Marcellus Cap. 37. in the greeke Arius raiseth sedition in Alexandria The prayer of Alexander Bishop of câ—stantinople *