pinacle of the temple and shouted vnto him and sayd Thou iust man at vvhose commaundement vve all are in so much that this people is seduced after Iesus vvho vvas crucified declare vnto vs vvhich is the dore of Iesus crucified And he aunsvvered vvith a lovvde voyce vvhy aske ye me of Iesus the sonne of man vvhen as he sitteth at the right hand of the great povver in heauen and shal come in the clovvdes of the aëer VVhen as he had persvvaded many so that they glorified God at the testimony of Iames and sayd Hosanna in the highest to the sonne of Dauid then the Scribes and Pharises said among them selues vve haue done very il in causing such a testimony of Iesu to be brought forth But let vs clime vp and take him to the end the people being stroken vvith feare may renounce his faith And they shouted saying O O and the iust also is seduced and they fulfilled the Scripture vvhich sayth in Esay Let vs remoue the iust for he is a stumbling blocke vnto vs. VVherfore they shall gnavve the buddes of their ovvne vvorks They climed vp threvv dovvne headlong Iustus saying let vs stone Iames Iustus And they vvent about him vvith stones for after his fall he vvas not fully dead but remembring him selfe fell on his knees saying I beseech thee Lord God and Father forgiue them for they vvote not vvhat they doe And as they vvere a stoning of him one of the Priestes the sonne of Rechab â–ª the sonne of Châ—raâ—im vvhose testimony is in Ieremy the Prophet cryed out cease vvhat do you This iust man prayeth for you And one of them that vvere present taking a fullers clubb vvith vvhich they pounce purge their clothes stroke Iustus on the heade and brayned him so he suffred martyrdome vvhome they buried in that place â–ª his piller or picture as yet remayneth hard by the temple engrauen thus This man vvas a true vvitnesse both to the Ievves and Gentiles that Iesus vvas Christ And Vespasianus immediatly hauing ouerrun Iudaea subdued the Ievves These at larg recorded by Aegesippus are correspondent with these thinges which Clemens wrote This Iames was so famous and renowmed among all for his righteousnes that the wise among the Ievves imputed the cause of this sodayne besteging of Ierusalem after his martyrdome which no doubt therfore happened vnto them to be for the presumptuous offence practised against him Iosephus sticked not to testifie the same in these wordes These thinges happened vnto the Ievves in vvay of reuenging the death of Iames the Iust vvhich vvas the brother of Iesu vvhome they cal Christ. For the levves slevve him vvhen he vvas most iust The same Iosephus describeth his death in the twentieth booke of Antiquities saying Casar hearinge the death of Festus sendeth Albiâ—us President into Iudaea But Ananus the yonger vvhome vve reported before to haue taken vpon him the high priesthoode vvas a very presumptuous and heady cockbrayne he claue vnto the sect of the Saduces vvhich vvere mercylesse in iudgment among all the Ievves as vve signified before Ananus then being such a one hauing gotten opportunity to his thinking in so much that Festus vvas deade and Albinus not yet come called vnto him a counsell commaundinge the brother of Iesu called Christ vvhose name vvas Iames vvith certayne others to be brought forth accusing them that they had transgressed the lavve and deliuered them to be stoned As many in the city as vvere iust and due obseruers of the lavve tooke this fact greeuously sending priuely vnto the King and beseeching him to vvrite vnto Ananus that thence forth he attempt not the like In so much that his former fact vvas vnaduisedly and impiously committed Certayne of them mett Albinus comminge from Alexandria and enstructed him hereof that it vvas not lavvefull for Ananus to summone a counsell contrary to his commaundement Albinus thus persvvaded vvrote fumishly vnto Ananus threatning reuengement vpon him for this fact And king Agrippa vvhen he had gouerned the high priesthoode three moneths depriued him placing in his rovvme Iesus the sonne of Damaeus Thus farre toutching Iames whose epistle that is reported to be which is the first among the vniuersall Epistles Yet haue we to vnderstande that the same is not voyde of suspicion for many of the auncient writers make no mention thereof like as neyther of that which is vnder the name of Iudas being one of the seuen called vniuersall for all this we knowe them to be publickly reade in most Churches The translator for the remouing of all suspition concerning the canonicall Epistle of Iames. TOutching this Iames whose Epistle hath bene suspected take this lesson of Ierome agaynst Heluidius disce Scripturae consuetudinem eundem hominem diuersis nominibus nuncupari learne the maner of the Scripture which calleth one and the same man after diuerse names he is called in Math. 10. Marke 3. Act. 1. Iacobus Alphaei and numbred among the 12. Apostles Though Ierome lib. 5. cap. 17. vpon the Prophet Esay call him decimum tertium Apostolum and Dorotheus Bishop of Tyrus do terme him one of the 70. Disciples He is called Iacobus frater Domini Iames the brother of the Lord in Math. 13. 27. Marke 6. 15. Galat. 1. and in this present history â–ª but in what sense he might be called his brother being his mothers sisters sonne reade Ierome agaynst Heluidius which handleth that question purposely He is called Iacobus Iustus and Oblias in the former chapiter of Eusebius This history reporteth him to haue bene placed by the Apostles Bishop of Ierusalem and there to haue gouerned the Church the space of 30. yeares for oft in the Scriptures he is founde at Ierusalem as Act. 1. 15. 21. 1. Corinth 15. Galat. 1. 2. Concerning his epistle and other parcells of holy Scripture that they were not generally receaued no maruell at all considering the malice of the Deuill in obscuring those thinges which proceade from the holy Ghost Eusebius writeth that besides the Epistle of Iames the Epistle of Iude the latter of Peter the 2. and 3. of Iohn with the reuelation were called into controuersy so that some reiected them some cleaued vnto them tanquam certis indubitatis Scripturis as certayne and vndoubted Scriptures Ierome in Catalog Eccles Scrip of Iames writeth thus vnam tantum scripsit epistolam quae ipsa ab alio quodam sub nomine eius aedita asseritur he wrote one epistle which is thought to haue bene published by an other vnder his name if this be the whole no danger at all The Canons commonly called the Apostles Canone 84. haue decreed this of the Epistle of Iames together with the other parcells of holy Scripture that it was to be receaued for Canonicall so hath the councell of Laodicea vnder Damasus cap. 59. about the yeare of our Lord 371. And the third councell of Carthage vnder Siricius about the yeare 417. cap. 47. Innocentius the first
Symeon was then diuersly by them accused to be a Christian for the space of many dayes he was scourged so that the Iudge and his company was maruelously amazed and in the ende he dyed a deathe agreeable with the passion of Christe but let vs heare the Historiographers owne wordes Certayne sayth he of the Heretickes accused Symeon the sonne of Cleopas that he linealy descended of the stocke of Dauid and that he vvas a Christian he suffered martyrdome being a hundreth and tvventy yeare olde vnder Traian the Emperour and Atticus the Consul The same Aegesippus reporteth how that his accusers enquiry being then made of such as came of the royall bloude among the Ievves were founde to haue their originall of the Regall Iewish trybe whosoeuer wayeth this with him selfe he will confesse that this Symeon was of them whiche both hearde and sawe the Lorde in that he liued so long a tyme and in that the Gospell maketh mention of Marie Cleopas whose sonne we haue sayde this Symeon to haue bene before Agayne the same Historiographer writeth how that certayne others of the posterity of some one of them called the brethren of our Lorde namely Iude were alyue vntil the same tyme yea after the testimony of them whiche vnder Domitian were tried for the true faythe of Christe for thus he writeth â–ª they come and gouerne vvhole Churches as martyrs being also of the kindred of Christ VVhen peace novve had possessed the Churches they remayne aliue vnto the tyme of Traian the Emperour vntil the afore sayd Symeon the Lords consingermaine the sonne of Cleopas vvas il entreated of Heretickes accused vnder Atticus the Consul often scourged tollerated such martyrdome that all vvondred the Consul him self marueiled hovv that he being a hundred xx yeares old vvas able to endure that bitter torment to be short in the end he vvas by commaundement crucified Vnto the afore said the same Historiographer annecteth this â–ª vnto those tymes the Church of God remained a pure an vncorrupted virgin for such as endeuored to corrupt the sound rule the right preaching of the vvord if then there vvere any such hidd them selues vnto that time in some thicke miste â–ª or dongeon of darkenes but after that the sacred company of the Apostles vvas vvorne and come to an end that that generation vvas vvholy spent vvhich by special fauour had heard vvith their eares the heauenly vvisedome of the sonne of God â–ª then the detestable error of conspiracy through deceate of such as deliuered straung doctrine tooke rooting and because that not one of the Apostles suruiued they publish boldely vvith all might possible the doctrine of falsehoode and impugne the open manifest and knovvne trueth Thus of these thinges hath this Historiographer written Now to that which by order of history we are bound vnto CAP XXX How Traian caused to cease the inquisition for Christians SO greate a persecution was raysed agaynst vs in sundry places that Plinius secundus a notable President made relation thereof vnto the Emperour being very much moued with the number of martyrs which suffred death for the testimony of their fayth signifying withall that they committed no haynous offence that they transgressed no law sauing that they rose before day and celebrated Christ with hymnes as God forbidding adulteryes slaughter with such other like abominable factes conforming all thinges agreable vnto the lawes After which reporte it is written that Traian commaunded by edicte that the Christian nation shoulde not be enquired for but if happily they were founde they ought to be punished by which edicte the vehement heate of that greuous persecution was somewhat delayed yet neuerthelesse there was scope enough left for such as were willing to afflicte vs. so that in one place the people in an other place the Princes and rulers of the regions layde wayte for our men whereby seuerall persons suffred martyrdome in their prouinces and sundry of the faithful sundry kindes of death without open or manifest persecution which history we haue selected out of the latine Apollogye of Tertullian whereof we haue alleadged before by interpretation thus Although vve haue knovvne the inquisition directed for vs to be inhibited it vvas by reason of Plinius secundus President of the prouince vvhich hauing condemned some of the Christians and depriued some others of their dignities vvas moued vvith the greatnes of the multitude and doubted vvhat vvas best to be done he made the Emperour Traian priuy thereof saying that he founde nothinge in them that vvas impious but that they refused the vvorshippinge of Idoles signifyinge this vvithall that the maner of the Christians vvas to ryse before daye to celebrate Christe in Psalmes as God and to the ende their discipline might straitly be obserued to forbid shedding of bloude adultery fraude trayterous dealing such like for aunsvvere hereunto Traian vvrote againe that there shoulde be no inquisition for the Christians but if they vvere mett vvith to be punished And thus went the affayres of the Christians then CAP. XXXI Of Euarestus the fourth Bishop of Rome AMonge the Bishops of Rome when as the afore sayd Emperour had raigned three yeares Clemens committed the ministery vnto Euarestus and finished his mortall race when he had gouerned the Churche and preached the worde of God the space of ix yeares CAP. XXXII How after Symeon Iustus succeeded the thirde Bishop of Ierusalem and of the famous Bishops then liuing â–ª Polycarpus Papias Ignatius and his Epistles AFter Symeon had such an ende as before we haue reported a certayne Ievve called Iustus one of that infinite number which of the circumcision beleued in Christ was placed in the Bishops seae of Ierusalem And vnto that time Polycarpus a Disciple of the Apostles liued in Asia beinge placed Bishop of the Churche of Smyrna by suche as sawe the Lorde and ministred vnto him the same time florished Papias Bishop of Hierapolis a man passing eloquent expert in the Scriptures And Ignatius likewise vnto this daye amongest most men famous the seconde Bishop by succession after Peter of the Churche of Antioch the reporte goeth that this Ignatius was sent from Syria to Rome for the confession of his faith to be foode for wilde beastes who passing through Asia and curiously garded with a greate troope of keepers confirmed the congregations throughout euery citye where he came with preaching of the worde of God and wholsome exhortations and specially geuing charge to auoide the heresies lately sprong and at that time ouerflowing and to cleaue stedfastly vnto the traditions of the Apostles which for the auoyding of error and corruption he thought very necessary to be diligently written And being at Smyrna where Polycarpus was Bishop he wrote an epistle vnto the Church of Ephesus making mention of Onesimus their Pastor An other vnto the Church of Magnesia lying on the riuer Meander â–ª making mention of Dama their
members all had one minde and the same readinesse of fayth the celebration of the diuinitie amonge all was one Moreouer the orderly seruice of such as gouerned the Churches and publique ministration of the holy thinges appoynted of them for the purpose comely rites and ceremonies of the Churches were celebrated â—â—â—e with psalmodies and other songes of praise deliuered vs from aboue there with diuine and misticall ministration as the secret pledges of the Lords passion were solemnized and withall men and women of euery age with all might that in them lay with cheerfull minde and will in prayer and thankesgeuing honored God the autor of all goodnes to be short the gouernours of the Churches as many as were present with solemne Sermons euery one as much as in him lay set forth and extolled the solemne meeting and assemblies There went vp into the pulpitt one among all the rest counted very sage expert in the words of God well exercised in preaching who chose a parcell of Scripture discoursed at large as it were in the gathering together of the members and vniting of the congregations whome many learned clerkes and famous Bishops hearde with quiet and atteâ—tiâ—â— eare This preacher therefore in the presence of Paulinus a Bishop that passed all other for rare and singuler gifts by whose meanes and procurement also the famous temple of Tyrus in Phoenicia was buylded with moste gorgeous furniture vttered this Sermon in such sort as followeth CAP. IIII. A solemne Sermon in prayse of the buylding of the Churches but expressly directed vnto Paulinus Bishop of Tyrus OYe friendes and Priestes of the most high God which are bewtified with holy robes and the heauenly crowne of glory with the sacred oyntment and priestly atyre of the holy ghost and thou the ornament of the newe holy temple of God which art honored of God him selfe with wisedome of auncient yeares yet hast brought to passe noble deeds and enterprises with fresh and florishing vertue to whome God him self comprehending the whole world hath graunted this great honor that thou shouldest build and repairs on earth this house vnto Christ the onely begotten and his first begotten word vnto his holy and noble spouse whome one may very wel call ether a new Beseleel chief builder of Gods tabernacle or Solomon king of a new and more mighty Ierusalem or else a new Zorâ—babel which hast purchaced farre greater glory vnto the temple of God then it had before and O you the sucklinges of the holy stocke of Christe the house of good literature the schoole of wisedome the honest and godly audiencâ— of pietye It was lawefull for vs of olde to laude God with hymnes and songes which haue heâ—â—â—â— out of holy Scripture the mainelous wonders of God and the miraculous bountifulnes of the Lorde shewed towards mankind being to this ende instructed that we should say â–ª O God vve haue heard vvith our eares our fathers haue declared vnto vs the vvorkes thou hast vvrought in their dayes of olde but nowe haue we learned it not by hearing neither by reheatsall and rumor of the high arme and heauenly hande of our God and high King but by deedes and as I may so say with the eyes them selues beholding the thinges of olde to be certayne and true we may sing an mother hynme of victory and to good purpose shoute and saye like as vve haue hearde so haue vve seene in the citye of the Lorde of hosts in the citye of our God â–ª I meane in an other citye then this lately buylded and exected vnto God vvhich is the Churche of the liuing God the piller and grounde of all trueth of the which a certayne other testimony of holy Scripture thus happely reporteth Glorious thinges are spoken of thee o thou citie of God In so much as then we are gathered by the benefitt of Almighty God through the grace of the onely begotten vnto this Churche let euery one of vs here presently assembled together prayse and laude God and with all crye and saye I vvas glad vvhen they sayd vnto me vve vvill goe vp into the house of the Lorde and agayne Lorde I haue loued the bevvty of thy house and the place vvhere thine honour dvvelleth And not onely he which sitteth but also altogether with one spirite and with one minde honoring the Lorde let vs then singe and saye greate is the Lorde and vvorthy to be praysed in the citye of our God euen vpon his holy hill for he truely is greate and his house greate highe wide and bewetifull in comparison of the sonnes of men greate is the Lorde vvhiche alone doth vvonderfull thinges greate is the Lorde doing greate thinges vnsearcheable things glorious and excellent things vvhereof there is no number great changing moments and times remouing and ordayning things raysing the poore out of the dust and lifting the needy out of the myre he hath deposed the mighty from their seates and exalted the meeke out of the earth he hath filled the hungry vvith good things and hath broken the armes of the proude thus hath he confirmed the memory of the thinges rehearsed of olde not onely to the faythfull but also vnto the Infidels it is the Lorde of all the maker of the whole worlde the Almighty the moste excellent the one and the onely God which doth wonderfull and greate thinges vnto whome we obediently doe singe a newe songe euen vnto him vvhich alone doth maruelous thinges because his mercy endureth for euer vvhich smote great Kings slevv mighty Kings because his mercy endureth for euer because that vvhen vve vvere brought lovve the Lorde vvas mindefull of vs and deliuered vs from our enemies with these prayses let vs not cease to celebrate God the vniuersall father but also the seconde person author of all goodnes exhibited vnto vs the bringer of the knowledge of God the teacher of true pietye the rooter out of the wicked the dispatcher of all tyrants the gouernour of our whole life let vs whose case was lamentable honour him sounding continewally with mouth and minde I meane our Sauiour Iesu for he alone the onely most excellent sonne of the most excellent father according vnto the will of his father wherewith he loued man most willingly like a passing cunning Phisicion for the health of the pacients tooke vpon him our nature whiche laye as it were in a bottomlesse pitt of perdicion the beholding of whome in this case was very greeuous and the handling vnpleasant and of the miseries of others he heaped vnto him selfe greate miseryes he saued not onely such as were sicke with fore botches and festered woundes but also such as laye amonge the deade he him selfe by him selfe hath deliuered vs from the moste darke dungeons of death there was not so much power geuen to any other in heauen whiche coulde without offence and vndoubtedly minister the saluation of so many castwayes but he alone tooke vpon him
vvell of the Ievves as Gentils This same vvas Christ. And though Pilate by the iudgement of the chief rulers amongest vs deliuered him to be crucified yet there vvanted not them vvhich from the beginning loued him he appeared vnto them aliue the third day after his passion as the holy Prophets haue foretolde yea these an innumerable more maruelous thinges of him to this day the christian people vvhich of him borovv their name cease not to encrease Now when as this Historiographer by blood an Ebrue borne hath of olde deliuered in writing these the like thinges concerning Iohn Baptist our Sauiour Christ what refuge now remaineth but that they be condeÌ„ned for impudent persons which of their owne braine haue fayned comentaryes contrary to these allegations and of these thinges also thus much CAP. XIII Of the disciples of our Sauiour that there were more then 12. Apostles and 70 disciples THe names of the Apostles are apparent vnto euery one out of the holy Euangelists but the cataloge of the 70. disciples is no where to be founde Barnabas is sayde to be one of the number whome the Actes of the Apostles remembred and no lesse did S. Paul writing to the Galathians Amonge these they number also Sosthenes which together with Paul wrote to the Corinthians The history also of Clemens in the fift of his Hypotypose on affirmeth Cephas to he one of the 70. of whome Paul sayde vvhen as Cephas came to Antioche I vvithstoode him to his face because he vvas culpable This Cephas was of the same name with the Apostle And Mathias who of the Apostles was elected in the rowme of Iudas the traitor and Barsabas also who is sayde by the same lott to haue bene worthely preferred to the number of the 70. disciples Also Thaddaus whome Thomas by the commaundement of Iesu sent to cure Agbarus is counted one of the number concerning whome I will forth with declare a certayne historye which came to our handes Thou shalt finde by diligent obseruation that there were more then 70. disciples of our Sauiour for prouf wherof thou maiest vse the testimony of Paul which sayeth that after Christs resurrection from the dead he appeared first to Cephas then to the tvvelue After them to more then fiue hundred brethren at once vvhere of he sayth some to haue fallen a sleepe but more to haue remayned aliue at that tyme when he wrote these thinges Afterwards to haue appeared to Iames which was of the disciples and one of the brethren of Christ. last of all as though besides these there were more Apostles after the maner of the twelue such as Paul him selfe was he addeth saying he vvas seene of all the Apostles but of this so farre The Translator toutching the doubt rising about him whom Paul reprehended at Antioche whether he was Peter the Apostle or Cephas one of the seuenty WHereas Eusebius in the former chapiter affirmeth Cephas to be one of the number of the 70. disciples and the same to be reprehended by Saynct Paule at Antioche it seemeth repugnant to the playne wordes of holy Scripture deliuered vnto vs by the holy Ghost The aduersaryes of the trueth thought better to erre with Eusebius by saying that Cephas was rebuked by Paule and not Peter rather then that they woulde graunte Peter whome they terme the Prince of the Apostles to be controlled of Paule supposing hereby a presiding to ensur agaynst the prymacye of the Pope or liking of this opinion as a bare shift to stoppe the sclannderous mouth of Porphyrius which here took occasion to reprehende the Christians for their sedition but let vs confesse the trueth and shame the deuill The wordes of Saynt Paul are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhen Peter came to Antioche I vvithstoode him to his face and a litle after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I sayde vnto Peter in the presence of them all Augustine and Ierome had great conâ—â—â—tion about the interpretation of this place but nerâ—â—â—â—her denieth the party to be Peter â—â—t 〈◊〉 giue vnto the historiographer the credit dâ—â— vnto him he might call Peter Cephas as our Sauiour sayd in the Gospell vnto Peter thou shalt be called Cephas which is a Syrian word sounding in greeke or latine nothing else but Peter or Petra a rocke In that he calleth him an other from the Apostle I doe not see how it can stande Ierome denieth any other Cephas knowen of vs sauing Peter The conclusion is this Eusebius calleth the person reprehended by Paul Cephas The holy Ghost in the Scripture calleth him Peter Eusebius sayth he was an other from the Apostle The holy Ghost in discourse calleth him Peter the Apostle in the same chapiter to whome the Apostleship of Circumcision was committed and most like to be the Apostle for there that is at Antioche he was first placed Bishop CAP. XIIII The history concerning the Prince of the Edessaeans The epistle of Agbarus vnto Christ and the epistle of Christ vnto him agayne THe history toutching Thaddaeus of whom we spake before was after this sorte After that the diuinity of our Lorde Sauiour Iesus Christ was made manifest vnto al men through the working of miracles he drewe vnto him an innumerable sorte of straungers farre distant from Iudaea affected with sundry diseases and euery sorte of maladyes hoping to recouer their health of which number king Agbarus gouerner of the famous nations inhabiting beyond the riuer Euphrates greuously diseased in body incurable by mans cunning hearing the renoumed fame of Iesu the wonderfull workes which he wrought agreable vnto the same published of all men made petition vnto him by letters that he would voutchsafe to deeme him worthy of deliueraunce from his disease Iesus though not presently yelding vnto his petition voutchsafed to aunswere him by an epistle that shortly he would sende one of his disciples which shoulde cure his disease promising with all that he shoulde not onely cure his disease but as many of them as belonged vnto him which promise not longe after he performed for after his resurrection from the dead and ascention into heauen Thomas one of the twelue Apostles sent his brother Thaddaeus accompted among the 70. disciples of Christ by diuine inspiration into the city Edessa to be â— preacher and Euangelist of the doctrine of Christ by whome all thinges which concerned tâ—â— promise of our Sauiour were performed The reader hath an approued testimony of these thinges in writing taken out of the recorded registery of the princely city Edessa for there are found enrolled in their publique registery things of Antiquity which were done about Agbarus time yea and preserued vnto this day There is no reason to the contrary but that we may heart the letters themselues copied out of their registery translated by vs out of the Syrian tongue into these wordes The epistle of Agbarus vnto our Sauiour AGbarus gouerner of Edessa vnto Iesu the good
giuen him but he receaued it not saying In somuch that vve haue forsaken our ovvne hovv can vve receaue other mens These things were done the three and forty yeare which being translated worde for worde out of the Syrian tongue we thought not amisse to printe in this place The censure of the Translator toutching the aforesayd Epistles BE it true or be it false that there were such epistles it forceth not greatly as the effect and contentes thereof is not to be preferred before all other writing in trueth so of the contrary it is not to be reiected for falshoode and forged stuffe Ierome with other graue writers affirmeth such circumstances to haue bene Eusebius whose creditt herein is not smale reporteth the same to haue bene taken out of their recordes in the city of Edessa regestred there in the Syrian tongue and by him translated out of the Syrian into the greeke tongue I sidorus and Gelasius the first of that name bishop of Rome about the yeare of our Lorde 494. together with 70. other Bishops decreed that the Churche of God should receaue the same epistles for no other then Apocrypha one thing I may not here runne ouerwith silence but admonishe the Reader of how that late writers namely Damascenus and that fabulous Historiographer Nicephorus haue added vnto this history fabulous reportes howe that Abgarus gouernour of Edessa sent his letter vnto Iesu and with all a certayne paynter which might vewe him well bring vnto him backe againe the lively picture of Iesu the which painter as they reporte being not able for the glorious brightnesse of his gracious countenance to bring his purpose to effect our Sauiour him selfe tooke an handkerchef and layde to his deuine and liuely face and by the wiping of his face his picture was therein impressed the which he sent to Abgarus Nicephorus patcheth other fables therunto first he sayth that the King of Persia sent a paynter vnto Iesu which brought vnto him the picture of Iesu and also of Mary his mother Agayne that the Edessaeans in the time of Iustinianus the Emperour being besieged and brought to such a narrowe straicte that there remayned no hope of deliuer ance but a present foyle and ouerthrowe in the same lamentable plight to haue runne vnto this picture for a refuge wher as they say they fouÌ„d preseÌ„t remedy beleue it who wil. Eusebius who searched their records who layde downe the copye of the Epistles who translated faythfully all that he founde there toutching Christ neyther sawe neyther heard of any such thing for he promised in the preface to his history to omitt nothing that shoulde seeme pertinent if the other writers founde it why did not Eusebius finde it if the other writers thought expedient to publishe the same why did Eusebius omitt it nay it was not there founde at al but forged therefore recount them for fables the first that reported them was a hundred yeares after Eusebius The ende of the first booke THE SECONDE BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF EVSEBIVS PAMPHILVS BISHOP OF CAESAREA IN PALAESTINA CAP. I. Of the ordayning of Disciples after the ascention of Christ IN the former booke as by way of proëme we haue published which necessaryly did concerne the Ecclesiastical history ioyntly contriuing the declaration of the diuinitie of the worde of saluation of the auncient principles of our doctrine of the antiquitie of Gospelike policy among Christians of his late appearing among men of his passion and election of the Apostles Now it remayneth that we vewe those things which ensued after his assumption so that partly we note them out of the sacred scriptures partly out of prophane historyes knitting to our historye those thinges which we haue firmely committed to memory First of al the Apostleship is allotted vnto Matthias in the rowme of Iudas the traytour which as it is manifest was one of the disciples of the Lorde there were also seuen approued men ordayned Deacons through prayer and laying on of the Apostles handes for the publique administration of the Churches affaires ioyned with Stephen which first after the Lorde as soone as he was ordayned as though he were appoynted for this purpose is stoned vnto death by them which slewe the Lord and for this cause as the first of the triumphing Martyrs of Christ according to his name he beareth a crowne After him folowed Iames called the brother of Christ and counted the sonne of Ioseph This Ioseph was thought to be the father of Christ to whome the virgin was betrothed vvhiche before they came together vvas founde to haue in her vvombe of the holy Ghost as the holy Gospell declareth This Iames whome of olde they priueledged for his vertue with the syrname of Iustus is sayd to be the first which occupied the bishoplike Seae at Ierusalem Clemens in the 6. of his hypotyposeon writeth thus Peter saith he and Iames and Ihon after the assumption of our Sauiour though they vvere preferred by the Lorde yet chalenged they not this prerogatiue vnto them selues but appoynted Iames the Iust Byshop of Ierusalem The same Clemens in the 7. of his Hypotyposeon also maketh mention of him thus the Lorde after his resurrection endued vvith knovvledge Iames the Iust Ihon Peter They deliuered the same vnto the rest of the Apostles the Apostles aftervvards vnto the 70. disciples of vvhich number vvas Barnabas There vvere tvvo Iameses the one termed Iust vvhich vvas throvvne dovvne hedlonâ— from the pinacle and brayned vvith a fullers clubbe * the other beheaded Of him that vvas â—…d Iust Paul made mention saying I savve none of the Apostles saue Iames the brother of the Lorde Those thinges which the Lorde promised the King of the Osroënians then were performed Thomas by diuine inspiration sent Thaddaeus vnto the city Edessa to be their preacher and an Euangelist of the doctrine of Christ as a litle before out of the recordes we haue alleaged But he after his comming and hauing cured Agbarus by the word of God astonished all them with his straunge miracles workes which he wrought brought them to the worshipping of the diuine power of Christ and ordayned disciples of the doctrine of our Sauiour From that time vnto this day the whole city of the Edessaeans addicted vnto the name of Christ shew forth no smale argument of the great goodnes of our Sauiour towardes them But these thinges be premised taken out of their auncient historicall recordes and now let vs returne vnto the sacred Scripture The first and the greatest persecution being raysed of the Ievves agaynst the Church at Ierusalem about the tyme of the martyrdome of Stephen and al the distiples the 12. onely excepted being dispersed throughout Iudaea Samaria certaine of them as the holy Scripture beareth witnesse came vnto Phaenices and Cyprus and Antioche but these as yet dated not to deliuer vnto the Gentiles the word of fayth but shewed it onely vnto the Ievves At that
writing of these things entreated of the firste preachers of the Gospell and the rites deliuered them of the Apostles of olde it is manifest to euery man CAP. XVIII The commendation of Philo the cataloge of his workes whereof many are not extant THis Philo flowed in wordes he was deepe of vnderstanding highe and profounde in the contemplation of holy Scripture he compiled a diuerous and variable exposition of the Scriptures prosecuting after his order and maner aswell the tract of the booke of Genesis with the Allegoryes thereof as the summe in the chapiters contayned laying downe the questions incident and solutions to the same entitling his booke the questions and solutions incident in Genesis and Exodus There are besides extant of his seuerall tractes of his Problemes Namely tvvo bookes of Husbandry so many of drunkenes and certayne others hauing their proper and peculiar title whereof one is vvhat the sobre minde prayeth or vovveth also of the confusion of tongues of vvandring and finding of Conuenticles vnto discipline of that vvho can be heyre of the goods of God or vvhat diuision can be of equalls and contraryes of the three vertues whereof Moyses with others hath written Moreouer of them vvhose names are changed and vvhy they vvere changed where he witnesseth him selfe to haue written agayne and againe of testaments There is extant a volume of his of banishment and of the life of a perfect vvise maÌ„ according vnto righteousnes or of vnvvritteÌ„ lavves Agayne of Gyaunts or that the Godhead is not changed â–ª of dreames which according vnto Moyses are giuen from aboue fiue volumes And thus much of them which he wrote on Genesis that came to our handes We haue also knowne vpon Exodus fiue bookes of questions and of the tabernacle and of the tenn commaundements and foure bookes of them vvhich by nature of lavves may be referred vnto the tenn commaundements of the sacrifices of beastes vvhat kindes of sacrifices there be of that vvhat revvardes are set forth to the good and godly in the lavv vvhat punishmentes and curses to the vvicked There are founde also certayne seuerall bookes of his as of Prouidence and of the Ievves of Politickes and of Alexander and concerning that that brute beastes haue reason Agayne that he is a slaue vvhich is vvicked and there foloweth an other booke that he is free vvhich is godly After these he wrote of the life contemplatiue or vvorshippers whence we borowed those thinges which we alleadged concerning the Apostolike mens liues the interpretations of the Hebrue names in the lawe and Prophetes are attributed vnto his industrye This Philo comming to Rome in the time of Caius wrote a booke of the impiety of Caius wittely cloking it with the title of vertues which booke being read before the Romayne Senate in the tyme of Claudius was so well thought of that his bookes were chayned in the publique library as famous Monuments At the same tyme when Paul had trauayled in compasse from Ierusalem to Illyricum Claudius vexed the Ievves when Aquila Priscilla with certayne other Ievves were expulsed Rome and camâ— to Asia where they had their conuersation together with Paul who then confirmed the Churches whose fundations he had lately layed Whereof the holy Scripture in the Actes of the Apostles sufficiently enstructeth vs. CAP. XIX VVhat calamity happened vnto the Iewes in Ierusalem vpon Easter day WHen Claudius as yet raygned so great a sedition and sturre was raysed in Ierusalem about the feaste of Easter that of them onely which were pressed in the porches of the temple crushed and trodden to death vnder foote there were slayne thirty thovvsand Ievves and that festiuall day was vnto the whole nation a day of mourning Lamentation being raysed throughout al their dwelling places And this Iosephus doth write worde by word Claudius assigned Agrippa the sonne of Agrippa King of the Ievves When Felix was sent to be Lieuetenante of the whole prouince of Samaria Galilaea and the region beyonde Iordane VVho after he had raygned thirtenth yeares and eyght moneths dyed leauing Nero to succeade him in the Empire CAP. XX. VVhat calamity happened at Ierusalem vnder Nero the sedition betweene priest and people The death of Ionathas the high priest VNder Nero Felix being procurator of Iudaea there was then raysed a sedition betweene the Priestes which Iosephus in the twentyeth booke of Antiquities describeth thus there rose dissention betvveene the high priestes and inferior priestes and chiefe of the people at Ierusalem Euery one gathering vnto him a company of Russians and cutters plaied the captayne they skirmished among them selues they vexed one another they slynged one at another but there vvas none to bridle them And these things frely vvere done in the city as though there had bene no President So impudent and past all shame vvere the high priestes become that they stucke not to sende and take avvay from the barne floores the tythes due vnto the inferior priestes so that in the ende it fell out that the priestes vvere seene to perishe for pouertye The violence of these seditious persons prenayled beyonde all right and reason Agayne the same Historiographer writeth that at Ierus 〈…〉 about that time there rose a certayne multitude of theues or robbers which slewe them by day that mett them in the streetes and especially on the holy dayes confounding them selues with the multitude and carying weapons couered vnder their garmentes they wounded the chiefe men and when the wounded fell downe they drewe them selues to them that were incensed agaynst the theeues and so brought to passe through the cloking of their prankes they could not be apprehended To be briefe he writeth that Ionathas the high priest was slayne of them first and dayly after him many and the feare to haue bene greater then the calamity it selfe because that euery man euery houre looked for death as in warre CAP. XXI Of the sedition that the Aegyptian Sorcerer moued whereof the Actes make mention COnsequently aftâ—r these he annexeth other thinges saying vvith a greater plague did the Aegyptian being a false prophet afflict the Ievves VVhen he came vnto those partes and chalenged vnto him selfe being a sorcerer the credit of a Prophet he gathered together about a thirty thovvsand of seduced people vvhome he guyded from the vvildernes vnto mount Oliuet vvhence he might make an embushment vpon Ierusalem and if he obtayned his purpose to exercise tyranny partly vpon the Romayne vvatch and partly vpon the people â–ª vsinge to his vvicked enterprise the company of headye and vvilfull svvashebucklers But Felix preuenting his violence mett him vvith armed Romayne souldiers vvith vvhome all the rest of the people conspired ready to reuenge them selues of them After their meeting and assault geuen the Aegiptian vvith a fevv fledde his vvay and many of his adhaerents vvere foyled and taken aliue Thus farre Iosephus in the seconde of his historyes I thinke it also very expedient to conferre with these that
about the yeare of our Lord 408. in his Epistle to Euxperius cap. 7. and Gelasius the first about the yeare 494. together with seuenty Bishops haue receaued them for Canonicall of this minde is Ierome ad Paulinum Augustine de doctrina Christiana lib. 2. cap. 8. so that from that tyme vnto this day they were generally allowed and receaued for Canonicall Scripture Thus much I thought good heere to note leste that the simple Reader snared by the subtlety of Satan which in these perillous dayes throweth in bones for the true Christians to gnawe vpon shoulde doubt of any part or parcell of holy Scripture that might tende to his confusion CAP. XXIIII How that after Marke Anianus was appoynted Bishop of Alexandria WHen Nero had raygned the space of eight yeares first after Marke the Apostle and Euangelist Anianus tooke the gouernment of the church of Alexandria a man both vertuous and renowmed in all respects CAP. XXV Of the persecution which happened vnder Nero when as Peter and Paul suffred martyrdome at Rome NEro now setled in his seate fell into abominable factes and tooke armour agaynst the seruice due vnto the vniuersall and almighty God How detestable he was become it is not for this present tyme to declare for there be many that haue paynted out his willful malice which may easily appeare if we consider the furious madnes of that man through the which after that beyond all reason he had destroyed an innumerable company he fell into such a sucking vayne of slaughter that he abstayned not from his most deare and familiar friendes Yea he tormented with diuerse kindes of death his owne mother his brethren his wife many of his nearest kinsfolkes as if they had bene enemyes and deadly foes vnto him but it behoued vs to note this one thing of him aboue the rest that he was counted the first enemy of all y â— Emperours vnto the seruice of God of him doth Tertullian in Romayne letters write thus reade your authors there shall you finde Nero chiefely to haue first persecuted this doctrine at Rome vvhen the vvhole East vvas novv subdued he became cruell vnto all men vve boast and bragge of such a famous persecutor for they vvhich knevve him may easily perceaue that this our doctrine had neuer bene condemned by Nero had it not bene passing good This enemy of God wherein he was first espied set vp him selfe to the destruction of the Apostles for they write that Paule was beheaded and Peter crucified of him at Rome and that maketh for the credit of our history which is commonly reported that there be churchyardes vnto this day bearing the name of Peter and Paul In like maner Gaius a Romayne and an Ecclesiasticall person and after Zepherinus Bishop of Rome writing vnto Proclus captayne of the heresye which the Cataphrigaeans helde speaketh thus of the tombes wherein the Apostles were layde I sayth he am able to shevve the banners of the Apostles for if thou vvilt vvalke vnto Vaticanum or the vvay Ostiensis thou shalt finde their victorius banners of such as haue builded this Church And that they were both crowned w t martyrdome at y â— same time Dionysius bishop of Corinthe affirmeth in his epistle vnto the Romaynes And you obtaining so goodly an admonition haue coupled in one the buylding of the Romayne and Corinthian churches for they both enstructed vs vvhen they planted our church of Corinthe CAP. XXVI How the Iewes were wonderfully vexed at Ierusalem vnder Florus and of the sturre in Syria raysed agaynst them LIkewise such as taught together in Italy suffred martyrdome the same tyme and that this history may bring with it the more creditt Iosephus declareth that after the manifolde miseries which happened vnto this nation many and the same innumerable and of them that were among the Ievves in estimation were scorged in the city of Ierusalem by the commaundement of Florus and nayled to the tree He writeth that Florus was Liuetenant of Iudaea when as the warres being begonne of olde encreased the twelfe yeare of the raygne of Nero. Agayne because of the rebellion of the Ievves throughout all Syria there rose such a tumulte that the Gentiles without all compassion as deadely foes destroyed the Ievves which inhabited the cities so that the cities were seene full of sepulchres olde men and yong men slaine in the streetes women lying all along hauing that vncouered which nature commaunded to be kept in secrete and the whole prouince miserably afflicted with vnspeakeable calamityes and greater was the feare sayth he of that which was like to ensue then the harme already committed such was then the state of the Ievves The ende of the seconde booke THE THIRDE BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF EVSEBIVS PAMPHILVS BISHOP OF CAESAREA IN PALAESTINA CAP. I. In what contreyes the Apostles preached Christ. WHen as the Iewish affayres thus did stande the holy Apostles and Disciples of our Sauiour were dispersed throughout the worlde Thomas as by tradition we receaue chose Parthia Andrew Scythia Iohn Asia where he made his abode and dyed at Ephesus Peter is reported to haue preached to the dispersed Ievves through out Pontus Gallacia Bithynia Cappadocia and Asia who about his latter time tarying at Rome was crucified with his head downewards which kind of death he him selfe desired What shall I say of Paul which from Ierusalem to Illyricum filled all places with the Gospell of Christ And at the last suffred martyrdome at Rome vnder Nero These thinges are manifestly and word by word declared by Origen in the third tome of his Commentaryes vpon Genesis CAP. II. VVho was the first Bishop of Rome LInus first after the martyrdome of Peter and Paul was chosen Bishop of Rome Paul about the latter end in the salucation of the epistle which he wrote vnto Timothe from Rome maketh mention of him saying Eubulus saluteth thee and Pudens and Linus and Claudia CAP. III. Of the Epistles which the Apostles wrote THe Epistle of Peter which is in number the first hath bene receaued without controuersy The elders of olde without any doubting haue alleadged this in their workes but the latter Epistle we haue learned not to be allowed And yet because it seemed profitable of many it was reade amongest the rest of the Scriptures but the Actes which are called Peters and the Gospell vnder his name and the preaching of his published vnder his name with the reuelation termed his are no where receaued as canonical scripture neither hath any auncient or newe writer alleaged testimonies out of them but in the processe of our history we thought good to signifie together with the diligent annotation of successions what ecclestasticall writers there florished in their seuerall tymes and what contrary allegations they vsed and what writinges they lawfully receaued and what they reiected But of the writinges attributed to Peter whereof we acknowledge one Epistle lawfully receaued and neuer doubted of among the
Alexandria in his seconde booke after he had remembred the reuelation of Sainct Iohn receaued by tradition of olde he reporteth of this man thus Cerinthus vvhiche founde the Cerinthian heresie â–ª gaue his figment a name for the further creditt thereof his kinde of doctrine vvas this â—he dreamed the kingdome of Christ shoulde become earthly and sett vppon those thinges vvhich he lusted after novv being couered vvith his fleshe and compassed in his skinne that is the satisfying of the belly and the thinges vnder the belly vvith meate vvith drinke vvith mariage and that he might the more colerably bring his deuelish deuices to passe he dedicated thereunto holy dayes oblations and slaughter for sacrifices so farre Dionysius but Irenaus in his first booke against the heresies layeth downe certayne more detestable opinions of his And in his thirde booke he reporteth a historye worthy the memorye as receaued by tradition of Polycarpus saying that Iohn the Apostle on a certayne time to bayne him selfe entred into a bathe and vnderstandinge that Cerinthus there vvithin bayned him selfe also started a side and departed forthe not abiding any tariance vvith him vnder the same â—ouffe signifying the same to his company and saying let vs speedely goe hence lest that the bathe come to ruyne vvherein Cerinthus the enemy of the truth baineth him selfe CAP. XXVI Of Nicolas and such as of him are called Nicolaïtes AT the same time the heresie of the Nicolaïtes spronge whiche lasted not longe after wherof the reuelation of S. Iohn made mention they boast that he was one of the Deacons ordayned together with Stephen of the Apostles to minister vnto the poore Clemens Alexandrinus in his thirde booke of stromatôn reporteth thus of him This Nicolas sayth he hauing a beautifull vvoman to his vvife after the ascention of our Sauiour vvas accused of ielousie and to cleare him selfe of that cryme brought forth his vvife and permitted him that lysted to marye her but his follovvers say that their doing is agreable vvith that saying that is the fleshe is to be brydled and so follovving that doing and saying vvithout all discretion they sinne vvithout all shame in silthy fornication but I heare that Nicolas accompanied with none other then his proper wife allotted vnto him by wedlocke and of his children his Daughters to haue endured virginity his sonne to haue remained vncorrupt the case being thus in y â— he brought forth his wife for ielousie ouer the which he was accused into the middest of the Apostles it was to cleare him oâ— the â—â—â—me layde to his charge and to teache the brydling of the fleshe by contayning and refrayning voluptuous lust and pleasure He woulde not as I suppose accordinge vnto the precept serue two masters lust and the Lorde they say that Mathias after this maner commaunded by instruction the fleshe to be ouercome and tamed yelding vnto it not one iote which might tende vnto pleasure and that the soule hereby shoulde take encrease by fayth and knowledge Thus much shall seeme sufficiently spoken toutching them which then depraued the truth and sodainely came to naught CAP. XXVII Of the Apostles which liued in wedlocke CLemens whose wordes lately we alleadged after the premises against them which relece and rebuke mariage reciteth the Apostles which liued in wedlocke saying VVhat doe they condemne the Apostles for Peter and Philip employed their industry to the bringing vp of their children Philip also gaue his Daughters to mariage And Paul in a certaine epistle sticked not to salute his vvife vvhiche therefore he ledd not aboute that he might be the redier vnto the ministation In so much then that we haue made mention hereof it will not seeme tedious if we alleadge an other historye worthy the notinge which he wrote in his seuenth booke after this manner they say that Sainct Peter going to his house and seeing his vvife ledd to be executed reioyced greatly because of the calling and cryed out vnto her vehemently exhorting and comforting her calling her by her name and saying O vvoman remember the Lorde such vvas the mariage of the godly and the entire affection of faithfull friendes And thus muche as pertinent to my purpose hereof I thought good here to alleadge CAP. XXVIII Of the death of Iohn and Philip the Apostles OF the deathe of Paule and Peter the tyme eke and the manner their resting place also after their departure hence we haue spoken of before and of Iohn toutchinge his appoynted tyme we haue tolde before but of his resting place or tombe we are enstructed by Polycrates his epistle this Polycrates was Bishop of Ephesus whiche he wrote vnto Victor Bishop of Rome where he remembreth also Philip the Apostle and his Daughters after this maner foâ— in Asiâ— sayth he greate pleadges of Christian religion rested them selues â–ª vvhiche shall rise the laste daye at the comming of the Lorde vvhen he shall come from heauen vvith glorye to seeke out all the Sainctes â–ª Philip one of the tvvelue Apostles â–ª resteth in the dust of the earthe at Hierapolis and tvvo of his Daughters vvhiche ledd their vvhole lyfe in virginitye the thirde vvhose conuersation vvas directed by the holy Ghoste resteth at Ephesus And Iohn vvhiche leaned on the breaste of our Sauiour vvho beinge also a Priest vvore the garment petalum A martyre and a doctor rested at Ephesus thus much of their endes In the Dialogue of Gaius mentioned before Proclus agaynst whom be proposed the question testifieth agreeable vnto that before of the death of Philip and his Daughters saying After this the foure Prophetisses the Daughters of Philip vvere at Hierapolis in Asia their sepulchre is there to be seene and their fathers also â–ª so farre he â–ª Luke in the Actes of the Apostles maketh mention of the Daughters of Philip dwelling at Caesarea in Iudaea with their father which were endued with the gift of prophecye saying VVe came to Caesarea and entred into the house of Philip the Euangelist vvhiche vvas one of the seuen and there made our abode this Philip had iiij Daughters vvhiche vvere virgines and Prophetisses â–ª thus much of the Apostles and apostolicke tymes and the thinges deliuered vnto vs by holy Scriptures of the canonicall and disalowed Scriptures though read of many in many Churches of the forged and farre from the Apostolicall rule as farre forth as we could learne Now to that whiâ—â— followeth â–ª CAP. XXIX The martyrdome of Symeon Bishop of Ierusalem AFter Nero and Domitian vnder that Emperour whereof we minde now to entreate the rumor went euery where throughout the cityes that persecution was raysed agaynst vs Christians through populare seditions in the which we learned that Symeon the sonne of Cleopas the seconde Bishop of Ierusalem ended his life with martyrdome hereof is Aegesippus a witnesse whose wordes we haue oft alleadged for he writing of certayne Hereticks geueth vs to vnderstand how that the afore sayd
vvere furiously prouoked prosecuting vs vvith like hatred that the Scripture might be fulfilled vvhich saith â–ª he that is vvicked let him be vvicked still and he that is iust let him vvorke righteousnes still for as many as vvere choked vp vvith the noysome stinche of the prison vvere throvvne to be deuoured of dogges charging a continual vvatch day and night that none of them shoulde be buried of vs and they gathering together the reliques of the Martyrs bodies some vndeuoured of beastes some vnburned by fire partly torne and partly burned vvith the heades and stumpes of others vncouered vvith earthe committed them for the space of many dayes vnto the custody of souldiers others fretted and â—umed snarling at them vvith the gnashing of their teeth seeking further reuengement of them others derided and skoffed them magnifying their Idolls as causers of this our calamitie And such as vvere of a milder nature and somevvhat sorovved at our suffering vehemently reuiled and sayd vvhere is their God and vvhat profited them this religion vvhich they preferred before their liues and such vvas the variable and deuelish disposition of the infidells to our great sorovve because that it vvas not lavvfully permitted for vs to bury the deade bodies of the Martyrs neither stoode the night vnto vs in any steade for that purpose nether vvoulde the keepers bovve for money neither bende at our prayer but kept the brused carkases of the Sainctes as if some great commoditie grevve vnto them by keeping them vnburyed Againe after a fewe lynes thus they write To be short after that the bodyes of the blessed Sainctes had bene euery kinde of vvay spitefully and scornfully entreated lying vvhole six dayes along vnburied at length they vvere burned to ashes the ashes also they gathered scattered in the riuer Rhodanus vvhich passed by so that no iote or relique thereof shoulde longer remaine vppon earthe this they did to the ende they might ouercome God and hinder the reuiuing of the Sainctes lest that as they sayd there shoulde be any further hope of the resurrection vvhereof say they the Christians being fully persvvaded bring amongst vs straunge nevve religion they contemne punishment hasten them selues chearefully vnto death Novv let vs see vvhether they can rise and vvhether their God can helpe and deliuer them from our handes CAP. II. How the blessed Martyrs of God recâ—â—â—ed after repâ—â—â—ance such as fell in 〈◊〉 â–ª SUch were the calamities which happened vnto the Churches of Christ vnder the sayd Emperour whereby me may 〈◊〉 by all likely hoode what befell vnto other prouinces neither shal it be amisse if out of the same epistle we alleadge farther testimony concerning the mercy and mekenesse of the foresayd Martyrs written in this manner They vvere such follovvers of Christ vvho vvhen he vvas in the forme of God thought no robbery to be equall vvith God that being sett in such a glory they suffered torments neither once nor tvvyse but often and againe being reskued from the beastes hauing the prynt of hott irons and skarres and vvoundes in their bodies neither called they them selues Martyrs neither permitted others so to terme them but if any of vs so named them in our epistles they sharply rebuked vs they attributed the name of martyrdome vvith full minde vnto Christ vvho vvas the faythfull and true Martyr the first frutes of the deade the guyde vnto life they called to minde their miserable torments vvhich ended the race and course of this life vvith blessed martyrdome and saide They novv are Martyrs vvhome Christe voutchsafed to receaue vnto him by confession and through the passage of this persecuted life to seale their martyrdome among the number of the blessed Sainctes but vve are meane and base and humble confessours they beseached the brethren vvith vvatrish eyes and vvett cheekes to pray incessantly for their happy endes they expressed liuely the povver of martyrdome vvhile they resisted the Heathens vvith libertye and boldenesse shevving their noble corage through pacience their constancy vvithout feare or trembling and being called Martyrs of the brethren refused it vvith the fulnesse of the feare of God And a litle after thus they writâ— they humbled them selues vnder the mighty hande of God by the vvhich they are novv highly exalted they rendred vnto all men an accompt in the defence of their fayth they accused none loosed all and bounde no man they prayed for their persecutors after the example of Stephan that perfect Martyr vvhich sayde Lorde lay not this sinne to their charge if he prayed for them that stoned him hovv much more for the brethren Againe a litle after they say the greatest combatt they had vvith him meaning the serpent vvas for the syncerity of loue so that the roring lyon being foyled before novv quickened and sturred vp such as he thought to haue had deuoured they shevved no insolent atrogancye tovvards them that fell but ministred vnto such as vvanted of their aboundance being affectioned vvith motherly pity and compassion tovvards them and sheading many teares vnto God the father for their sakes they craued life and he graunted it them vvhich life they communicated to their neighboures and so they passing as Conquerours in all thinges embracing peace and shevvinge the same vnto vs departed this life vvith peace and posted vnto the heauenly celestiall paradise leauing no griefe behinde them vnto the mother no sedition or vvarre vnto the brethren but ioye and peace and concorde and loue I suppose these thinges not to be vnprofitably spoken of vs toutching the loue of the blessed Martyrs towardes the brethren that fell whereby we may note the vnnaturall and mercylesse mindes of such as after these examples greeuously afflicte the members of Christ CAP. III. Of the vision that appeared vnto Attalus the Martyr in his sleepe THe same epistle of the foresayd brethren contayneth an history worthy of memory which without let of the enuious may be layd downe to the knowledge of the Reader and it is thus There vvas among them one Alcibiades vvho liued beastly and miserly feeding only on breade and vvater VVhen he had so determined vvith him selfe to liue in prison it vvas reuealed vnto Attalus after his torment on the Theatre that Alcibiades behaued not him selfe aright in that he vsed not the lavvfull creatures of God and thereby also gaue an occasion of falling vnto others hereof vvhen Alcibiades vvas persvvaded he vsed all indifferently and praysed God for they vvere not destitute of the grace of God but had the holy Ghost for their directer of these thinges thus much When as Montanus and Alcibiades and Theodotus then fresh and first of all of many throughout Phrygia were thought to be endued with the gyfte of prophecye for many other miraculous operations wrought by the diuine power of God in many places perswaded them that these had also the gifte of prophecye and because of them sedition was raysed agayne the
the Lorde vvrought these thinges phantastically vve vvill leade them vnto the practised examples of the Prophetes and proue out of them that they all prophecied of him after this manner and that these thinges vvere done in deede and that he vvas the onely sonne of God VVherefore in his name they that be his true Disciples receauing grace of him bende their vvhole might to this ende that euery one after the quantitie of the talent receaued doe benefitt the other brethren some soundely and truely expell deuills so that they being deliuered of their euill spirites embraced the fayth and vvere receaued into the Church others haue the foreknovvledge of thinges to come they see diuine dreames propheticall visions others cure the deseased and sickly restore them to their health by their laying on of handes Novv according to our former saying the deade vvere raysed to life and liued together vvith vs many yeares for the gracious giftes of the holy Ghost are innumerable vvhich the Church dispersed throughout the vvhole vvorlde hauing receaued disposeth dayly in the name of Iesus Christ crucified vnder Pontius Pilate to the benefitt of the Gentyles seducing none neither selling to any at any pryce as she hath receaued them freely so freely she bestovveth them Againe in an other place Irenaeus writeth as vve haue hearde of many brethren in the Churche vvhich had the gift of prophecying vvhich vvere able through the holy Ghost to speake vvith sundry tongues vvhich coulde reueale the secretes of men vvhere it so behoued and expounde the darke mysteries of God thus much of the diuersity of giftes which florished among the worthy men vnto that time CAP. VIII VVhat Irenaus wrote of and concerning the holye Scriptures canonicall and the septuagints translation FOr as much as in the beginning of this our treatise we haue promised in their seuerall places to alleage the testimonies of the auncient ecclesiasticall elders and writers which they haue written to our knowledge deliuered to the posteritie toutchinge the canonicall scriptures of bothe the olde and newe testament nowe we will endeuour to performe the same And beginninge with Irenaeus firste of all let vs see what he hath written of the newe testament his wordes are these Matthewe deliuered vnto the Hebrues the historie of the Gospell vvritten in theire ovvne tongue VVhen Peter and Paul preached at Rome and planted the churche after their departure Marke the disciple and interpreter of Peter also deliuered vs in vvritinge suche thinges as he had hearde Peter preache and Luke accompanyenge Paul comprised in one volume the Gospell preached of him After these Iohn the disciple of our Lorde vvhich also leaned on his breaste published a Gospell vnto the posteritie remaining at Ephesus This hath he written in his thirde booke And in the fifte of the same argument he reasoneth of the reuelation of Sainct Iohn and the calculation of Antichristes name These thinges beinge thus vvhen as in all true and auncient copies this numbre is layde dovvne and they also testifie the same vvhiche savve Iohn vvith their eyes and the vvorde it selfe teacheth vs that the number of the beastes name according vnto the numbring of the Gentiles is declared by the letters expressed in the vvord it selfe A litle beneath of the same thus he sayth VVe doubte nothing of the name of Antichrist of the vvhich vve affirme sure certenly for if his name at this present vvere openly to be published no doubt it had bene done by him vvhich pronounced the reuelation â–ª neither vvas the reuelation seene long agoe but vvelnighe in this our age vnder the end of Domitians raigne thus muche he sayed of the reuelation of Sainct Iohn He hath made mention of the firste Epistle of Iohn citing thence many testimonies also of the former of Peter and he not onely knewe but allowed of the booke of Hermes intituled Pastor sayeng That vvritinge hath very vvell pronounced vvhich saithe before all thinges beleue there is one God vvhich hath created and made perfect all thinges c. Hee hath vsed also certaine sentences selected out of the booke of VVisdome of Solomon where he sayeth The sight of God bringeth incorruption incorruption dravveth a man vnto God He cyteth the woorkes of some one Apostolicke elder whose name he passeth ouer with silence yet pronounceth his interpretation of holy scripture Moreouer he remembred Iustinus Martyr and Ignatius alleaging their writinges for testimonies he hath promised to confute Marcion in a seuerall volume but of the translation of the olde testament by the septuagintes heare what he writeth in these wordes God then vvas made man the Lord himselfe hath saued vs geuing vs a Virgine for a signe not as some saie vvhich presume to interprete the Scriptures beholde a damsell shall conceaue and bring forth a sonne as Theodotion the Ephesine and Aquila of Pontus translated vvhich vvere both Ievvish proselytes vvhom the Ebionites folovving haue taught that Christ vvas borne of Ioseph and Marie After a fewe lynes he addeth sayinge Before the Romaine empire grevve to be of suche force vvhen as yet the Macedonians helde Asia Ptolomaeus the sonne of Lagus fullie minded to erect a librarie at Alexandria and to replenishe the same vvith all such good bookes as vvere extant requested of the Ievves inhabiting Ierusalem that they vvould sende him their bookes translated into the Greeke tongue they forasmuche as they vvere as yet subiect vnto the Macedonians sent vnto Ptolomaeus seuentie elders from among them very skilfull in their bookes and both the tongues God no doubt disposinge this thinge after his pleasure Ptolomaeus for tryals sake fearing if they conferred together they vvould conceale the truth reuealed in their bokes commaunded them seuerally euery man by himselfe to vvrite his translation and this in euery booke throughout the olde testament VVhen as they all came together in presence of Ptolomaeus and conferred the translations one vvith an other God vvas glorified and the Scriptures diuine in deede vvere knovven for all they from the beginninge to the endinge had expressed the selfe same thing vvith the selfe same vvordes and the selfe same sentences so that the Gentils then present pronounced those scriptures to haue bene translated by the instincte and motion of the spirite of God neither may it seme maruailous vnto any man that God brought this to passe for vvhen as in the captiuitie of his people vnder Nabuchodonosor the scriptures vvere perished the Ievves returning into their ovvne region after seuenty yeares in the tyme of Artaxerxes King of Persia he inspyred Esdras the priest of the tribe of Leâ—â— that he restored agayne all the sayinges of the former Prophetes and delyuered vnto the people the lavve geuen by Moses thus farre Irenaeus CAP. IX Of Iulianus Bishop of Alexandria and Pantaenus there professor of diuinitie WHen Antoninus had raigned ninetene yeares Comodus tooke the rule of the imperiall scepter in the first yeare of whose raigne
the power of the deuill neuer afterwards appeared which also seemed in the sight of the beholders a notable miracle Astyrius on a time being present at the miracle perceauing that many at the sight thereof were amazed pitied their erroneous estate lifted his eyes vp vnto heauen and prayed Almighty God in Christ Iesus his name that Satan the seducer of that people might be bewrayed and refrayned from the seducing any longer of mortal men which when he had prayed as the reporte goeth forth with the sacrifice swomme on the top of the water and the beholders ceased to wonder so that from that time forth there was no such miracle seene in that place CAP. XVII Of the image of the woman cured of the bloudy flixe the image of Christ and of some of the Apostles IN so much we made mention of this citye Paneas in Caesarea Philippi I thinke I shall offend if I passe ouer with silence a certaine historye worthy of memorie among the posteritie in time to come The report goeth that the woman whose bloudy flixe we learne to haue bene cured by our Sauiour in the Gospell was of the aforesaid citye and that her house is there to be seene and a worthy monument yet there to continewe of the benefitt conferred by our Sauiour vpon her that there standeth ouer an high stone right ouer against the dore of her house an image of brasse resembling the forme of a woman kneeling vpon her knees holding her handes before her after the maner of supplication Againe that there standeth ouer against this an other image of a man molten of the same mettal comely araied in a short vesture and stretching forth his hand vnto the woman at whose feete in the same piller there groweth vp from the grounde a certayne vnknowen kinde of herbe in height vnto the hemme of the brasen images vesture curing all kind of maladies This picture of the man they report to be the image of Iesus it hath continewed vnto our time and is to be seene of trauellers that frequent the same citye neyther is it any maruell at all that they which of the Gentiles were cured by our Sauiour made and set vp such thinges for that we haue seene the pictures of his Apostles to wete of Paul of Peter and of Christ him selfe being grauen in their colours to haue bene kept and reserued for the men of olde of a heathenish custome were wonte to honour after this manner such as they counted Sauiours The censure of the Translator toutching the afore sayd images TOutching the trueth of this historye we may not doubt but that there was such a towne such a woman and of such a disease cured by our Sauiour the holy Euangelistes doe reporte it and that there were such images resembling Christ and the woman monuments of memorye and not of superstition and that there was such an herbe of so wonderfull an operation we cannot denye insomuch that many doe testifie of the same some by heare saye and some other that they sawe it yet thus much we may note with Eusebius in the same chapiter that the originall erection of these and such like images was deriued from the Gentiles who of a heathenishe custome were wont to adore such as of olde tyme had benefitted them with the setting vp of their pictures for monuments in remembraunce of them Toutching the miraculous operation of the herbe we may assure our selues that it proceadeth neyther by vertue of the picture neyther by the prayer of the other being both dumbe pictures but by some secrete permission of the wisedome of God eyther to reduce the infidels at that tyme to the beliefe of the storye or to admonishe the Christians that health was to be looked for onely of Christ and no other Aduocate after the death of Eusebius Sozomenus lib. 5. ecclesiast hist cap. 20. reporteth that Iulian the Apostata tooke downe the image of Christ and set vp his owne in the same place which with violent fire that fell from heauen was clefte a sunder in the breast the heade broken of with the â—eâ—ke and stickt in the grounde for Iulian had taken downe the image of Christ not to withdrawe the people from idolatrye but in malice and despite of that newe religion and erected vp his owne image to the intent the people shoulde worship it purposely to deface Christ euen as they doe nowe that willingly breake Gods commaundement to vpholde and mayntayne their owne traditions Therefore God strooke Iulianus image from heauen with lightening and rent it in peeces so that there remayned of it as Sozomenus writeth reliques long after This God did not that he was pleased with the setting vp of pictures but in token of his wrath and displeasure against Iulian for comittinge so dispitefull a deede CAP. XVIII Of the Bishops seae of Ierusalem THe Bishops seae of Iames who first by our Sauiour and his Apostles was placed Bishop of Ierusalem whome the holy Scriptures doe honour with the title of Christes brother was vnto this tyme preserued which thing the brethren there ordinarily succeeding haue manifestly shewed vnto all men In so much that the Elders of olde and the men also of these our dayes haue honored the holy men and doe still honor them for pietyes sake with conuenient reuerence and these thinges goe after this sorte CAP. XIX Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria wrote of Holydayes and Easter DIonysius besides the afore sayd Epistles wrote at that tyme also such epistles as are extant of Holydayes where he entreateth of the feast of Easter with solemne Sermons in praise thereof The one of them he entitled to Flauius the other to Domitius and Didymus where he expounded the Canon continewing the space of eyght yeares allowing the feaste of Easter to be celebrated at no tyme but after the solstiâ—iall springe Moreouer he wrote an other Epistle vnto his fellowe ministers throughout Alexandria agayne vnto others seuerally when the tyme of persecution was now at hande CAP. XX. Dionysius writeth of the sedition in Alexandria WHen as nowe peace in maner preuayled he returned to Alexandria where agayne that citye was so troubled with sedition and ciuill warres that it was vnpossible for him to visit all the brethren throughout the citye which were diuided into both the sedicious partes and agayne vpon the feaste of Easter as if he had bene in exile he sent vnto them his Epistles euen out of Alexandria Afterwardes he wrote an other Epistle of Holydayes vnto Hierax Bishop of Aegypt where he maketh mention of the sedition raysed at Alexandria in this sorte It is no maruell at all if it be greeuous for me to conferre by Epistles with them whiche are farre distant when as it is become impossible for me to consult within my selfe to conferte with my selfe and myne owne proper soule For I am constrayned to write vnto mine owne bowels my companions and consenting brethren
sundry tymes for the holy ornaments and treasure of the Churche what pride and ambicion raygned in many of them howe rashly and vnlawfully they handled diuerse of the brethren what schismes were raysed among the confessors them selues what mischieues certayne sedicious persons of late stirred vp agaynst the members of the Church which were remnants whilest that dayly with might and mayne as commonly we say they endeuored to excogitate new deuises one after an other howe that vnmercifully they destroyed and brought all to nought with the lamentable estate of bitter persecution and to be short heaped mischiefe vpon mischiefe all these aforesayd I minde to passe ouer with silence supposing it not to be our part as I haue sayde in the beginning of this booke eyther to rehearse or recorde them in as much as I am wholy bent and carefully minded to ouerslipp and conceale the memoriall of them yet if there be any laudable thinges any thing that may seeme to set forth the word of God any worthy act or famous doings florishing in the Churche I take it to be my speciall and bounden dutie to discourse of these to write these often to inculcate these in the pacient eares of the faythfull Christians and to shutt vp this booke with the noble acts of the renowmed Martyrs and with the peace whiche afterwardes appeared and shined vnto vs from aboue When the seuenth yeare of the persecution raysed agaynst vs was nowe almost at an ende and our affayres beganne by a litle and as it were by stelth to growe vnto some quiet staye ease and securitye and nowe leaned vnto the eyght yeare in the whiche no â–ª small multitude of confessors assembled them selues together at the myne pitts in Palaestina who freely occupied them selues in the rites and ceremonyes of Christian religion so that they transformed their houses into Churches the President of the prouince being a cruell and a wicked man as his mischieuous practises agaynst the Martyrs of Christ doe proue him for no other made a voyage thyther in all the haste and hearing of their doinges their trade of life and conuersation made the Emperour by his letters priuey thereunto paynting forth in the same such thinges as he thought woulde disgrace discredit and defame the good name of those blessed confessors Whereupon the maister of the myne pitts and mettalls came thyther and by vertue of the Emperours commaundement seuereth asunder the multitude of confessors so that thenceforth some should continew at Cyprus some other at Libanus and others also in other places of Palaestina and commaunded that all shoulde be weryed and vexed with sundry toyles and labour â–ª afterwards he picked out foure of the chiefe of them and sent them vnto the iudge of the which two of them were called Peleus and Nilus Bishops of Aegypt the thirde was a minister the fourth annexed vnto these was Patermythius a man wonderfully beloued for his singuler zeale towardes all men in Gods behalfe all whiche the Iudge requested to renounce Christ and his religion who when they obeyed not and seeing him selfe frustrated of his purpose gaue sentence they shoulde be tyed to a stake and burned to ashes others some againe of the confessors being not fitt for that labour and seruice by reason eyther of their heauye olde age or vnprofitable members or other infirmities of the bodye were released and charged to dwell in a seuerall and solitary place of whiche number Siluanus Bishop of Gaza was the chiefe who liuely expressed vnto all the worlde a godly shewe of vertue and a notable paterne of Christianitie this man from the firste daye of the persecution and in maner vnto the laste duringe all that space was famous for the sundry and manifolde conflictes he suffered after infinite examinations and reserued vnto that very moment to the ende he being the last might seale vp with his bloode all the conflictes of the Martyrs slayne in Palaestina there were released and partakers with him of the same affliction many Aegyptians one was Iohn who also in fame renowne excelled all the meÌ„ of our time Who although he was blind before yet the tormeÌ„tors were so truel so fierce so rigorous y â— for his great constaÌ„cy in professing y â— name of Christ they maymed with a burning sawe his left legge as the other confessors were vsed before and seared the aple of the eye bereued already of the sight with an hott scaldinge iron Let no man maruell at all at his good conuersation and godly life though he were blinde in so much that his maners deserued not such admiration as his gift of memorie where he had printed whole bookes of holy scripture not in tables made of stone as the holy Apostle sayth neyther in the â—ydes of beástes parchement or paper which moth corrupteth the time weareth awaye but in the fleshly tables of the hart that is in the prudent memory and sincere vnderstanding of the minde so that when it seemed good vnto him he was able out of the closett of his minde as if it were out of a certaine treasury of good learning to alleadge repeat y â— Law the Prophets sometimes the histories at other times the Euangelists and workes of the Apostles I confesse truely that when first I sawe the man stande in the middest of the congregation and assembly and hearde him recite certaine places of holy Scripture I wondred at him For as longe as I hearde his voice sounde in mine eares so long thought I as the maner is at solemne meetinges that one read out of a booke but when that I came neerer vnto him and sawe the trueth as it was all other stand in compasse with whole open and sounde eyes and him vsinge none other but onely the eye and sight of the minde and in very deed vtteringe many thinges much like vnto a Prophete and excelling in many thinges many of them which enioyed their senses sounde and perfect I coulde not chuse but magnifie God therefore and maruell greatly thereat â—e thought I sawe liuely tokens and euident argumentes that he was a man in deed not after the outward appearance or fleshly eye of man but accordinge vnto the inner sense and secret vnderstandinge of the minde â–ª the which expressed in this man though his body were mayned and out of fashioÌ„ greater power of his inward giftes God himselfe reachinge vnto these men mentioned before and continewinge in seuerall places and executinge their wonted trade of life in prayer and fasting with the rest of their godly exercises the right hand of his mercy and succor graunted them through martyrdom to attaine vnto an happy and a blessed ende But the deuell enemy and sworne aduersary of mankinde colde no longer away with them for that they were armed and fenced against him with prayers continewally poured vnto God but went about as he imagined to vexe them and to cut them of from the face of the earth For
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
sonne in dede and of the holy Ghoste who is the holye Ghoste in deede VVhiche names are not vnaduisedly neyther vvithout good consideration layde dovvne of vs for they plainely sett forth the proper person the order and the glorie of â—â—he of them that are named that there be three persons yet in harmoniacall consente but one God VVherefore vve retayninge this fayth before the maiestye of God the father and his sonne Iesus Christ doe holde for accursed all detestable heresies If that any shall teache contrary to the righte and sounde fayth contained in holy Scripture that there is or that there hathe bene a tyme or a vvorlde and made before the sonne of God let him be accursed If that any shall saye that the sonne of God is a creature as one of the creatures a budde or spring as one of the buddes and not as the sacred Scriptures haue deliuered euery of the aforesayde vnto vs or if that any shall preache or publishe any other besides that vve haue receaued lette him be accursed For vve beleue truely and vnfaynedly all vvhatsoeuer the holy Scriptures the Prophetes and Apostles haue deliuered vnto vs and vve follovve the same zealously Suche were the Creedes of the Byshopes whiche then assembled at Antioch whereunto Gregorius althoughe as yet he was not gone to Alexandria subscribed intitlinge him selfe Byshope of Alexandria The Councell after the finishinge of these thinges and the establishinge of other constitutions was dissolued At the very same time the affayres of the common weale fell out to be very troublesome For the French natioÌ„ so are they tearmed inuaded the Romayne possessions bordering vpon Fraunce then also there were greate earthquakes in the Easte but specially at Antioch where the earth was hoyssed and shaken the space of one whole yeare CAP. VIII Howe that when Gregorius was broughte to Alexandria with armed souldieres Athanasius by flyinge awaye saued his life WHen the aforesayde busines was brought to this passe Syrianus the captaine together with fiue thousande armed soldiers brought Gregorius to Alexandria The Arians that were within the citie came to ayde them But I thinke it requisite to discourse howe Athanasius that was violently by them thrust out of the churche escaped their handes It was then euentide the people spent the whole night in vigils for there was a coÌ„munion the day followinge The captaine drewe nighe he sette his soldiers in battaile araye he besetts the churche Athanasius vnderstandinge of this called his witts together and deuised howe the people might take no harme for his sake He commaunded his Deacon to read the collects vnto the people He bidds him singe a psalme When the psalme was sweetly and harmoniacally songe all the people went forth at one of the church porches While this was adoinge the soldiers made no sturre at all Athanasius through the middest of the singers escaped they re handes safe and sounde He beinge thus ridd out of this perill and daunger he stoode in went in all the haste to Rome Then Gregoriâ— tooke possession of the churche The citizens of Alexandria not brooking their doinges sette Sainct Denys churche afire So farre of that CAP. IX Howe that the citizens of Constantinople after the death of Eusebius chose Paulus againe to be their Byshope the Arians of the contrary chose Macedonius EVsebius as soone as he had brought his purpose to effecte sente a legate vnto Iulius Bishope of Rome requestinge him to be iudge in Athanasius his cause and to take vpon him the pronouncinge of the definitiue sentence But the sentence that Iulius gaue of Athanasius neuer came to Eusebius his hearing for immediatly after the councell brake vp breath wente out of his body and so he died Wherefore the people of CoÌ„stantinople bring Paulus againe to be their Bishop the Arians assemblinge in Sainct Pauls churche chose Macedonius They were authors and chiefe doers in that sturre who a litle before ayded Eusebius that turned vpside downe the whole state of the churche These were they that could doe some thing at that time Theognis bishop of Nice Maris bishop of Chalcedon Theodorus bishop of Heraclaea in Thracia Vrsacius bishop of Singidon in the higher Mysia and Valens bishop of Mursa a citie in the higher Panonia But Vrsacius and Valens repented them afterwardes gaue vp their recantation in writinge vnto Iulius bishop of Rome and thenceforth submitted them selues to the clause of One substance and the communion of the church At that tyme the Arians raysed ciuill warres and dissention in the church of the which one was sturred at Constantinople through the confederats of Macedonius And by reason of these domesticall warres of the christians there were many often skirmishes in that citie at what tyme many were troden vnder foote and crushed to death CAP. X. The death of Hermogenes the captaine and howe that therefore Paulus the seconde tyme was banished Constantinople The Arians translating Gregorius from Alexandria placed Georgius in his rowme THe report and fame of the sedition at Constantinople came to the eares of the Emperour Constantius who then abode at Antioche he commaunded Hermogenes the captaine that was takinge his iourney into the coasts of Thracia to take Constantinople in his waye to thrust Paulus their byshop out of the church He comming into the citie disquieted the people not a little while he went by force about to banishe their byshop Immediately the multitude of the people was vp they prepared them selues to ayde their byshop As Hermogenes proceeded and laboured together with his souldiers to sett him packinge the multitude beynge on an vprore rashely and headyly as it happeneth in such a hurlyburly fell vpon him They fyre the house ouer his heade they pull him out by the eares and putte him to death This was done when both the Emperoures were Consulls to wete the thirde Consulshippe of Constantius and the seconde of Constans At what tyme Constans ouercame the Frenchemen made truse and concluded a league betweene them and the Romaines Constantius the Emperour hearinge of the death of Hermogenes tooke his horse left Antioche and gott him to Constantinople there he thrusteth Paulus out of the churche he mearced the cytie takinge from them so manie measures of grayne as their cytie receaued aboue foure hundred thousande the which was his fathers donation daylie geuen vnto them For vnto that tyme the cytie of Constantinople receaued about eyght hundred thowsande measures of grayne that was caryed thyther from Alexandria The Emperour differred to nominate Macedonius their byshop for he was wonderfully incensed not onely agaynste him in that he was chosen without his aduise and counsell but also in that through the sturre and tumult raysed betweene him and Paulus not onely Hermogenes his captayne but also manie others beside were slayne After he had geuen Macedonius licence to execute his function in that churche onely where he was chosen byshop he returneth to Antioche In
of their owne but in so much they haue written and annexed something of their owne braine it is requisite that we rehearse it againe They wrote as followeth VVe beleue in one God the father almighty of whome are all things in the only begotten sonne of God begotten of the father before all worldes before all begininge by whome all thinges were made both visible inuisible the one only begottē begottē of the father alone God of God like vnto the father which begate him according vnto the Scriptures whose generatiō as holy Scripture doth witnesse no man knoweth but the father alone which begat him This only begottē sonne of God vve knovve to haue bene sent frō the father to haue come dovvne from heauē as it is vvritten to haue bene conuersant vvith his disciples after the accōplishing of his message according vnto the vvill of his father to haue bene crucified dead buried to haue descended into hell at vvhose presence the infernall povver trembled to haue risen againe the third day from the dead againe to haue accōpanied his disciples after forty dayes vvere expired to haue bene taken vp into heauē vvhere he sittteth at the right hande of the father shall come at the generall resurrectiō vvith the glorie of the father to reward euery one according vnto his vvorks and vve beleue in the holy ghost vvhom the only begottē sonne of God himselfe our Lord God promised to send mankind a comforter as it is vvrytten the spirit of trueth whome also he sent after his assumptiō into heauē The clause of substāce being of diuers simply layd downe because the ignorant people vnderstood it not gaue greate occasion of offence It semed good therefore in as much as there was no mentiō thereof in holy scripture quite to take it away henceforth not to reason thereof because the word of God hathe no where remembred the substāce of the father of the sonne For the substance or subsistēcie of the father of the sonne of the holy ghost may not be once named or reasoned of we therefore as we are taught by holy scripture doe affirme that the sonne is like the father All heresies whatsoeuer either heretofore condemned or lately sprong vp if they be found contrary to this faith let them be held for accursed These things as you see were then decreed at Cōstantinople Nowe hauing at length runne ouer the confuse multitude of Creeds formes of faith let vs once againe briefely repeate the number of them After the Creede that was laid downe by the Nicene councell the Bishops framed two others at Antioch when they assembled to the dedication of the church the third was made in Fraunce of the bishops which were with Narcissus exhibited vnto the Emperoure Constantine the fourth was sent by Eudoxius vnto the Bishops throughout Italie Three were published in wryting at Sirmium where of one being gloriously intitled with the names of Consulls was red at Ariminum The eight was set forth at Seleucia procured to be red by the complices of Acacius The ninth was geuen abroade with additions at Constantinople there was thereunto annexed that thenceforth there should be no mention made of the substance of subsistencie of God Whereunto Vlphilas Bishop of y ◠Gotthes then first of all subscribed For vnto that time he embraced the faith established by the councell of Nice and was an earnest follower of Theophilus steps Bishop of the Gotthes who had bene at the Nicene councell subscribed vnto the Creed But of these things thus much CAP. XXXIII Howe that after Macedonius was deposed Eudoxius was made Bishop of Constantinople and of Eustathius Bishop of Sebastia ACacius Eudoxius together with their faction made foule tumults greate sturre at Constantinople fully purposing to remoue frō their bishopricks some of the contrary side And here also we may not passe ouer with silence howe that both parts inuēted causes of depriuatiō not for piety religion sake but of priuat malice quarellous spite for though they varied in the faith yet in deposing one an other they charged not ech other with their beleefe but such as were of Acacius side tooke the Emperours displeasure who purposed among diuers other to reuenge him of Macedonius as a fit occasion first they depose Macedonius frō his bishoprick partly for that he had bene the cause of great slaughter partly also because he admitted into the communion a certaine deacon that was taken in adultery They remoued Eleusius Bishop of Cyzicū for baptizing one Heraclius a sacrificing priest of Hercules at Tyrus who was knowē to be a great coniurer preferring him to the order of deaconship they depriued Basilius otherwise called Basilas who was made Bishop of Ancyra in Marcellus rowme for that he cruelly tormented imprisoned a certaine man for because he forged sclaundres discredited diuers persons and lastly for molesting the quiet estate of the churches in Aphricke by his epistles they suspended Dracontius for leauing Gallacia remouing to Pergamus they displaced moreouer Neonas Bishop of Seleucia where y ◠coūcel was held Sophronius bishop of Pompeiopolis in Paphlagonia Elpidius bishop of Satalum in Macedonia Cyrillus Bishop of serusalē many mo for sundry other causes Neither had Eustathius Bishop of Sebastia in Armenia licence permitted him for to purge himselfe because that a little before he had bene deposed by Eulauius his owne naturall father who was Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia for apparelling himselfe in such weede as was not decent for the dignity order of priesthood In this Eustathius rowme Meletuis of whome I mind hereafter to speake was made Bishop Moreouer Eustathius was afterwards condemned by the councell held at Gangra that was summoned for the hearing of his matters because that after his former deposition in the councell of Caesarea he had attempted many things cōtrary to the canons customes of the church He forbad mariadge set forth precepts of abstuēce He parted asunder diuers that were coupled together in wedlock perswaded suche as refrained the churches publick assembly to raise conuenticles brotherhood in their priuat houses He tooke seruāts frō their maisters vnder colour of religion He himselfe vsed the Philosophers habite constrained his followers to vse a straunge kind of Atyre He caused the women to be shauen He forbad the accustomed prescribed fasting dayes commaunded abstinence on the sundays He abhorted y ◠prayers that were made in maried mēs houses He detested the offring and the communion of the maried priest who when he was a lay man had lawefully coupled himselfe in the bonde of wedlocke This Eustathius when he had taught and set abroch these and many other such lewd precepts was as I said before deposed by y ◠councell held at Gangra in Paphlagonia and his doctrine accursed But these things were done a good while after When that
altogether vnequall and vnlike the father not onely in substance but also in will and also that he had his beinge as Arius dreamed of nothinge Suche as then also were at Antioch of the secte of Aetius intangled them selues in the snares of this pestilente opinion Therefore besides that the Arians were called Anomoioi whiche signifieth that they affirmed the Sonne to be vnlike the Father they were of the Antiochians who defended the faythe Of one substance and then were deuided for the foresayde cause of Meletius called Exoucoutioi signifying they had affirmed the Sonne of God to haue had his beinge of nothinge When they were demaunded wherefore they constantely affirmed in their Creede that the Sonne was God of God and nowe durst presume to say that he was vnlike the father and had his beinge of nothinge they weÌ„t about to bleare their eyes with a ridiculous kind of fallacie Whereas we affirmed saye they the sonne to be God of God we meante it in that sense as the Apostle wrote where he sayde that all thinges were of God Therefore the sonne is of God in as muche as he is included in the worde all And for this cause we layde downe in our Creedes the Clause accordinge vnto the Scriptures The author of this lewde and fonde Glosse was Georgius Bishoppe of Laodicea who beinge ignorante and vnskilfull in suche kinde of phrases perceaued not howe Origen in tymes paste had playnely interpreted suche siguratiue kinde of speaches contayned in the Epistles of Paul The confederacie of Acacius though they were iustely charged with captious and sopisticall dealing yet weyinge neyther the sclaunder risinge thereof neither the sentence pronounced against them repeated there the forme of fayth whiche they had rehearsed at Constantinople this beinge done cuery one repayred to his owne home Georgius after his returne to Alexandria for there after the departure of Athmasius who then hidde himselfe in some obscure place he was placed Bishop vered very sore and punished extremely suche as were of the contrary opinion and plagued the people of Alexandria whiche hated him as a tode Herenius was chosen Byshoppe of lerusalem in Cyrillus rowme Whome Heraclius succeeded after him Hilarius after all Cyrillus returned to lerusalem and recouered the Bishopricke againe CAP. XXXVI Of both Apollinariuses the father the sonne and their heresie ABout that time there sprange vp a newe heresie the occasion was as followeth At Laodicea a ciue of Syria there were two men the father and the sonne of one name for both was called Apollinarius whereof the one I meane the father was a priest the other that is the sonne was a reader Both were professors of humanity The father caught grammer the sonne Rhetorike The father beinge borne at Alexandria first kept schoole at Berytus afterwardes remouinge to Laodicea he got him a wife on whome he begate Apollinarius They both florished at Laodicea in the time of Epiphanius the sophist and hauing greate familiarity with him they were neuer seene out of his company Theodotus Bishop of that seae fearinge greatly lest their familiarity with him shoulde bringe them from the faith and so fall to embrace paganisme forbadde them his company They made no accompt of the Bishops commaundement but kept still company with Epiphamus In processe of time Georgius the successor of Theodotus hauinge oft assaied and seinge he coulde by no meanes separate them from Epiphanius excommunitated them bothe hopinge thereby with punishment to perswade them to the contrary But the yonger Apollinarius stomaking this dealinge put considence in his painted figures of Rhetorike and inuented a newe opinion the whiche at this day after the name of the author is called the heresie of Apollinarius Some doe affirme that they fell not out with Georgius for the aforesayd cause but for that they hearde him preache straunge and contradictorie doctrine affirminge sometimes the sonne to be like vnto the father as in the councell of Seleucia at other tymes maintayninge the heresie of Arius and so for triflinge and lighte occasion to haue fallen from the churche Whilest that no man gaue eare vnto them they endeuored to establishe a newe kinde of doctrine firste they taughte that Bod the worde tooke manhoode accordinge vnto the order of incarnation without soule againe recantinge the same they affirmed he tooke soule yet not the minde or reason beinge the highest and chiefest parte of the soule but that God the worde was shutte vp included and comprised in man in place of the minde Onely in this they varie from the church which are called their followers as for the Creed containing y â— clause Of one substance to be in the blessed Trinitie they stedfastly cleaue vnto it But I will heare ceasse and differre the discourse of bothe these Apollinariuses vntill an other conuenient place CAP. XXXVII Of the death of Constantius the Emperoure WHile the Emperoure Constantius remayned at Antioch Iulianus Caesar had muche adoe in Fraunce with many barbarous nations After that he had gotte the vpper hande the souldiers did so loue him that they proclaimed him Emperour Constantius hearing of this was wonderfully troubled and disquieted in minde so that the griefe thereof cast him into a daungerous disease Wherefore beinge first baptized of Eâ—â—oius he made expedition to geue him battaile And comming as farre as Mopsus wells betwene Cappadocia and Cilicia by reason of the great thought and sorowe he conceaued of his vnlucky affayres he fell into y t senseles heady sicknesse called Apoplexia thereof presently dyed in the Consulship of Taurus Florentius the third day of NoucÌ„ber the first yeare of the two huÌ„dreth eightie fift Olympiad Costatius lyued fiue forty yeares he raigned thirtie eight that is thirtene together with his father and fiue and twentie after his fathers death This second booke compriseth the historie of so many yeares The ende of the seconde booke of the Ecclesiasticall historie of Socrates THE THIRDE BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF SOCRATES SCHOLASTICVS CAP. I. Of Iulianus his linage and bringing vp also howe that being Emperour he left Christian profession and embraced paganisme and gentilitie WHen the Emperour Constantius had departed this life in the borders of Cilicia the thirde of Nouember within the Consulship of Taurus Florentius lulianus the eleuenth of December following the same Consulship leauing the west parts of the world came to CoÌ„stantinople there was proclaimed Emperour Now therfore in as much as I haue determined w t my selfe to discourse of this Emperour Iulian a maÌ„ passing eloquent let none of his friends looke at my haÌ„ds for curious lofty stile as though it behoued my penne to couÌ„teruaile y â— excelleÌ„cie of y â— person But seeing our drift is otherwise beÌ„t namely for to deliuer y â— posteritie in writing y â— true histories of y â— church we will follow accordiÌ„g vnto out former promise a lowly soft kind of
and decreed that in handling the diuinitie of God there should thenceforth no mentioÌ„ be made of these words affirming y â— the word essence was not founde in holie scripture and that the Apostle in deliueringe the grounde of doctrine was constrayued of necessitie to vse the word substance But they decreed farther that in an other sense to the end the opinion of Sabellius might be rooted out these words were to be admitted lest that through the want of proper wordes we should be compelled to imagine the thinge of three names to be as one but that the seuerall names of the blessed Trinitie signifie and sett forth God to subsist by him selfe in proper substance These were the things decided in that Councell I see nothinge to the contrarie but that presently also we may laye downe what we learned and read of the wordes essence and substance Such as laboured in Greece to sett forth the sage doctrine of the Grecians gaue vs to vnderstande that the worde Essence was diuersly to be taken and had many significations but of the word Substance they made no mention at all nay Irenaeus Grammâ—ticus in his Atticke Dictionarie termeth it a barbarous worde He sayeth moreouer that it can not be founde in any auncient writer and if that perchaunce we lyght vpon it that it was neuer meant in the sense we take it That Sophocles in his Tragedie of Phoenix taketh Hypostasis for wyles or conspiracie and Menander for sauce and resignifyed also lâ—es or dregges of wyne For though the auncient Philosophers haue not vsed this worde yet we see that the later wryters haue taken it very oft for Essence But we haue spoken before that the definition of Essence was deliuered to haue diuers significations If that Essence may be comprised by definition howe when we entreate of God which is incomprehensible can we properly vse this boyced Euagrius in his booke intituled The Mooke exhorteth vs to refrayne from rashe and vnaduised reasoninge of the God head he forbyddeth the definition of the diuinitie of God because it is a simple thinge For definitions sayeth he are alwayes of concâ—eâ—â— and compound things not of the abstract and simple His wordes are these Euery proposition as the Logicians doe vvrite hath eyther Genus of vvhome it may be verifyed oâ— Species or Differentia or Proprium or Accidens or that vvhich dependeth of these But in the handlinge of the blessed Trinitie none of all thâ—se is to be required because it can not be layde dovvne neyther expressed by vvordes therefore it is not to be defined but reuerently to be runne ouer vvith silence So farre presently out of Euagrius but here after more at large We of our owne parte although we steme to haue digressed yet in so much these things appertayne vnto the discourse of our present argument 〈◊〉 haue thought good to lay them downe here CAP. VI. The Apollogie of Athanasius in defence of his flyght in the tyme of persecution AThanasius at that very tyme read in the hearinge of such as were present an Apollogie the which he had written a litle before in his owne defence when as by reason of the armed souldiers that besett the churche of Alexandria and sought his lyfe â–ª he was fayne to leaue all and runne away Whereof I haue thought good at this present to alleadge some such parcell as may seeme to brynge most profitt vnto the louing reader leauinge the whole discourse beynge somewhat ouer longe vnto the labour and industrie of the paynefull students Beholde â—ayth Athanasius the lewde practises of vvicked persons Although they are priuie vnto these haynous offences yet for all that they are nothinge ashamed of the contumelyes an dâ—â—uell tyrannle they exercised against vs but charge vs in their opinion vvith a foule spott and blemishe of infamie for escapinge the handes of cutthrotes and bloodâ—uckers yea they beshrevve them selues that they dispatched vs not out of the vvay Moreouer to the ende they may stayne my credite and aestimation they fall to accuse me for faint courage and timorous disposition being forgetfull that vvhilest they blased these thinges to my dispraise they turned the shame to light vpon their ovvne pates For if it be a discredite to slie the handes of the tyrant hovve much more to persecute meÌ„ vnto the death He that flieth seeketh meanes to saue his life but he that persecuteth goeth about to procure the others death That vve shoulde flie in such cases the scriptures are on our side but in thurstinge after the bloode of our brother the commaundement is broken and the author thereof is founde chiefe cause of the flight If they blame any man for geuinge them the slippe they are vvorthie of farre greater shame and reprehension For lett them ceasse from persecutinge and threatninge of death then vvill the other remaine still and not runne avvay But their spite and malice hath no ende they doe nought else â—aue deuise feates to bringe men vnto destruction yea vvhen they knovve full vvell that the flight of the persecuted is a foule shame vnto the persecutours For no man flieth the gentle and meeke but rather the cruell and vvicked man They that vvere greeued and farre indetted vnto others gaue Saul the slippe and fledde vnto Dauid VVherefore these men goe about to dispatche such as conuey them selues out of their vvay lest the levvdnesse of Bishops be manifestly knovven vvithout doubte herein they seeme to be starke blinde For looke hovve euident the flyght is farre more apparent vvyll theyr slaughter and banishmentes seeme vnto the vvorlde If they murther men death no doubt lifteth her voyce and soundeth out their crueltie if they fall a banishinge of them therein they sett vp monuments to the remembrance of their vvicked doinges Had they bene in theyr ryght vvitts they might haue easilie perceaned their ovvne follie and them selues ouerthrovven in their ovvne deuises But in that they are bereaued of their vvittes and beside them selues they fall a persecutinge of others and vvhile they endeuour to mischiefe others they perceaue not their ovvne malice and impietie If they reprochefully charge them which hide them selues from such as seeke their liues and accuse them for strenge the handes of the persecutor what haue they to say I beseche you vvhen they heare that Iacob fledd from the face of his brother Esau and that Moses for feare of Pharao â–ª conueyed him selfe to Madian VVhat haue these contentious quarellers to saye vnto Dauid vvho fledd from Saul vvhich sent of his garde out of his house to slaye him hid him selfe in a caue counterfeited his person vntill that subtly he had past Abimelech the priest and auoyded their layinge of vvaite for him VVhat ansvvere can these rashe bablers geueâ— vvhen they see that the greate prophete Elias vvho so deuoutly called vpon the name of God and raysed the dead vvas faine to hide him selfe from Achaab and runne away because of
whose name was Amachius who commauÌ„ded that the Idolatricall temple of the Ethnicks which stood in y t citie should be set wide open that the foule heapes and filthy corners of a long time vnfrequeÌ„ted should be made cleane and fell himselfe a worshipping of the Idols Which act of his pricked not a litle in conscience the zealous christians Wherefore one Macedonius Theodulus and Tatianus beinge kindled with fetuencie of loue towardes the christian fayth coulde in no wise away with such horrible practises but in the burninge zeale of their godly inindes brake in the nighte season into the temple threwe downe theyr Idols and stamped them into pouder Whereat when the gouernoure was wonderfull wroth and purposed to execute diuerse of the citizens whiche were giltelesse and innocente persons the authors thereof presented themselues of their owne accorde before him and chose to dye themselues for the trueth rather then any other for their sakes should be depriued of their liues After they were layde in holde the gouernoure commaunded that they should cleare theÌ„selues by sacrificinge vnto the Idols and threatned them if they refused he would seuerely punishe them They beinge of a noble minde valiant courage set nought by his threats made themselues redy to suffer what tormente soeuer were layde vpon them for they counted it farre better to loose their liues then to defile their soules with those impure sacrifices The gouernour wheÌ„ he had assayd them at all kind of torments last of all set them on the gredyron caused fire to be made vnder broiled them to death And to the end they might valiantly encouÌ„ter vnder the glorious garlande of victory they reason thus with the gouernour If thou longe O Amachius after broyled meate turne vp the other side of vs least in the eatinge we seeme rawe vnto thee and the bloode runne aboute thy teeth This was the ende that these men had CAP. XIIII VVhen the Emperoure Iulian forbad the christians the studie of Prophane literature both the Apollinaruses the father and the sonne fell a wrytinge The profltte that the christians haue in prophane wryters THe lawe whiche the Emperoure made that the christians shoulde not be trained vp in the liberall sciences made bothe the Apollinariuses of whome we spake before to be of farre greater fame For either of them beinge skilfull in suche artes as directed our style and orations the father a grammarian the sonne a Rhetorician profited very much the christians and furthered at that time not a little the churche of God For the father as a profounde grammarian framed the arte of humanitie vnto the furtherance of Christian religion he turned the fiue bookes of Moses into Heroycall verse together with other bookes of the olde Testament which contayne Hystories partely in Hexameter verse and partely after the forme of comedies and tragedies with the fitte application of persons he wrote in all kinde of meter to the ende the christians shoulde not be ignorant and vnskilfull in any rare gifte that excelled among the Gentils The sonne an eloquente Rhetorician broughte the wrytinges of the Euangelistes and workes of the Apostles into Dialogues as Plato vsed amonge the Heathens Althoughe their laboure and industrie seemed auaylable and greatelye to sette forthe the seruice of God in so muche that thereby the lewde drift of the Emperoure was stopped from takinge effect yet the prouidence of God did farre exceede both their carefull studie and dashed also the Emperours wiked deuise For immediatly the Emperours lawe as hereafter it shall more manifestly appeare was abrogated and theyr workes were as muche spoken of as if they had neuer bene wrytten But here peraduenture some man will saye vnto me why then doe ye attribute bothe the aforesayde vnto the prouidence of God As toutchinge the shorteninge of the Emperoures dayes it is knowen well inoughe howe auaylable it was vnto christian religion but in that the Poâ—trye of bothe the Apollinariuses was neglected and that the christians freely applied the Philosophicall sciences of the heathens there is no man will graunte that it furthered the seruice of God and the faith of Christ For it can not be without daunger that the christians maye wade in the doctrine of Ethnickes in so muche it teacheth that there be many Gods Vnto these things which aptely may be obiected vnto vs we will presentely frame suche answers as we can The doctrine of the Gentiles is allowed neither by Christ neither by his Disciples as inspired from aboue neither altogether reiected for daungerous And I take y â— to haue come to passe not without the speciall prouidence of almightie God For there were many heathen Philosophers which were not farre from the knowledg of God such as by publique disputation confuted the Epicures and other contentious Philosophers delited with the quirckes of logicke and ouerthrewe their palpable error and ignorance And thoughe they coulde stande the fauorers of christian religion in greate steade for their furtherance of learninge yet attained they not vnto the grounde principall point of our religion insomuch they vnderstoode not the mystery of Christ which was concealed the coÌ„tinewance of many ages and generations The whiche the Apostle in his epistle vnto the Romanes sheweth plainely in these wordes The wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlines and iniquitie of men which withholde the trueth in vnrighteousnesse For the thinge that may be knowen of God is manifest amonge theÌ„ because God hath shevved it vnto them For his inuisible thinges beinge vnderstoode by his workes are seene through the creation of the world that is both his eternall power godheade so that they are without excuse because that when they knewe God notwithstanding they glorified him not as God VVherefore they knowinge the trueth which God reuealed vnto them were worthie of death because that wheÌ„ they knewe God they glorified him not as God Therefore sithence that the Apostle forbadd not the knoweledge of the Gentils doctrine he gaue free licence and libertie vnto euery man at his choice and pleasure to wade in the vnderstandinge of them Let this suffire for one reason to the satisfiynge of the former doubts The seconde is as followeth The holy Scriptures inspired from aboue deliuer vnto vs diuine precepts and mysticall doctrine they graffe in the mindâ—s of suche as heare them true Godlines and the righte trade of liuinge they sette wyde open before such as study them the most sacred faith they teach vs no logicke wherewith we may withstand such as oppugne the trueth although the aduersaries are easiest ouerthrowen when their owne armoure and proper defence is vsed to their foyle and destruction But the christians enioyed not this benefit by the workes of bothe the Apollinariuses This was it that the Emperoure Iulian shotte at when as he made a lawe that the christians shoulde not be schooled in the doctrine of the Gentils He knewe full well that the fables contained in