The History of the Church Since the Days of Christ, Book 2 · History of century 2
CENTVRIE II.
Bishops of Rome.
IN this second Centurie the Bishops of Rome for the most part proued faithfull and worthie seruants of Christ.Bishops of Rome. A great number of them were baptized with the Baptisme of Christ, and dranke of the cup that Christ dranke of, and were drenched with their owne blood, and they watered the Church of Rome with the streames of their blood, as Egypt is watered and made fruitfull with the invndation of Nilus; men of blessed remembrance: Damasus writeth that from Saint Peter to Telesphorus, all the Bishops of Rome were Martyrs.Note. Others added, that vntill the dayes of Sylvester, who liued in the time of the raigne of Constantine, all the Bishops of Rome had the honour of martyrdome. But in these hyperbolicke speeches, neither hath the distinction betweene a Martyr and a Confessour beene rightly considered, (albeit well marked by Euseb. eccl. hist. lib. 5. cap. 2.) neither hath the history of the raigne of Antoninus Pius beene rightly pondered, in whose dayes Hyginus and Pius liued, and were not slaine for the testimony of Christ. Alwayes it is an envious minde that holdeth backe from worthie men their due prayse and commendation, both in doing of good and patient suffering of euill for Christs sake.
In rehearsing the names of the Romane Bishops, I thought meete to follow Ireneus and Eusebius rather then Platina. In the first Centurie after the martyrdome of Peter and Paul, Linus, Anacletus, and Clemens, were teachers of the Romane Church. In the second Centurie, follow Evaristus, Alexander 1. Xistus 1. Telesphorus, Hyginus, Pius 1. Anicetus, Soter, Eleutherius, and Victor. This Victor must needes be called the 13. Bishop of Rome, if Eleutherius be the 12. according to the computation of Ireneus lib. 3. cap. 3. Onuphrius according to his owne custome, giueth more credite to olde parchments, that he hath found in the Vatican Bibliotheke, then to any auncient Father. He beginneth earely to distinguish Cletus from Anacletus, that by taking libertie to thrust in one moe in the first Centurie, he may hauehave the greater boldnesse to thrust out another of the feminine sexe in another Centurie. For it grieueth him to the heart to heare this thing so vniversally affirmed, and to see the penne of Platina blushing, when he writeth of Iohannes the eight, he maketh little contradiction to that setled and receiued opinion of the feminine Pope. But I leaue Onuphrius sporting with his owne conceits, as a Pleasant doth with his owne fingers, when no other body will keepe purpose with him. Euaristus finished the course of his ministration in eight yeeres.Alexander martyred. Euseb. eccles. hist. lib 4. c 1. Xistus martyred. Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 5. Telesphorus … martyr. Euseb. l. 4. c. 10 Alexander who is in expresse words called the fift B. of Rome, after the death of Peter and Paul, gouerned ten yeeres, and suffered martyrdome in the dayes of Adrian, as Platina writeth. After him Xistus 1. continued ten yeeres, and died a martyr, Platin. Telesphorus the 7. Bishop of Rome after the dayes of the Apostles liued in that ministration eleuen yeeres, and was honoured with martyrdome. Hyginus An. 4. And Pius the 1. ministred 11. yeeres. These two suffered not martyrdome, because their lot was to liue in the calme dayes of a meeke Emperour Antoninus Pius. Anicetus ministred in that office 11. yeeres,Anicetus a martyr. Euseb. l. 4. c. 14 with whom Polycarpus B. of Smyrna, conferred at Rome concerning the obseruation of the festiuitie of Easter day. He concluded his life with the glorious crowne of Martyrdome. To him succeeded Soter, An. 9. After him Eleutherius, An. 15. In whose time Lucius King of the Britons desired that he and his people should be baptized and receiued into the fellowship of Christians: to whom Eleutherius sent Fugatius and Damianus, who satisfied the desire of the King, and his people, so they were baptized and counted Christians.Platira de vita Eleuth…ij. The ras…n…sse of Victor. After him Victor, An. 10. He intended to hauehave excommunicated all the Churches of the East, because they kept not the festiuitie of Easter day, conforme to the cust…me of the Church of Rome, but rather vponupon the day wherein the Iewes were accustomed to eat their Paschall Lambe. But this rashnesse of Victor was somewhat abated by the graue and prudent counsell of Ireneus, B. of Lyons, who admonished Victor, that there was no lesse discrepance of customes concerning keeping of Lent, then was concerning the keeping of Easter day, yet was not the vnitie of the Church violated nor rent asunder for this discrepance. And when Polycarpus B. of Smyrna came to Rome, in his conference with Anicetus neither of them could perswade the other to change the custome of keeping of dayes which they had receiued by tradition of their predecessours. Notwithstanding they kept fast the bond of Christian fellowship,Euseb. eccl. hist. lib. 5. cap. 26. and Anicetus admitted Polycarpus to the communion of the Romane Church, and they departed in peace one from another.
Quadratus B. of Athens,Of other Doctours and Preachers. liued in the dayes of Adrian. This Emperour vponupon a certaine time wintered in Athens, and went to Eleusina, and was foreign, that is to say, initiate into all the mysteries of Grecia. This fact of the Emperour gaue encouragement to those who hated Christians without allowance of the Emperours commandement to vexe the Christians. Concerning his apologie for Christians giuen into the Emperour, together with the apologie of Aristides, a learned Philosopher and eloquent Orator in Athens,Ierom. Catal. scrip. eccles. wee hauehave spoken already in the description of the life of Adrian.
Agrippas Castor, Agrippas Castor.a very learned man answered to the books of the Heretique Basilides, who with the noueltie of barbarous and vncouth words, troubled the hearts of rude and ignorant people, talking of a god whom he called Arbraxas, and of his Prophets Barcab and Barcob, words inuented by himselfe to terrifie simple people. Such delusions of Satan Quintinists in our dayes,Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 7. an ignorant race of braine sicke fellowes hauehave vsed. And so the blind led the blind, and both fell into the ditch.
In this age,Hegesippus. Euseb. l. 4. c. 11 Hegesippus of the nation of the Iewes was converted vntounto the faith of Christ, and came to Rome in the dayes of Anicetus, and continued vntill the dayes of Eleutherius. But for what cause he came to Rome, or in what part of the world he bestowed the trauels of his ministrie, no mention is made, neither by Eusebius, nor by any other ancient Writer, no not by Ierome himselfe, a most accurate explorator of all antiquities.
Melito, Melito. Euseb. l. 4. c. 13.B. of Sardis, a famous towne in Lydia, wrote an apologie for the Christians to the Emperour Antoninus Philosophus, whom Eusebius calleth Marcus Aurelius Verus. His apologie was written with Christian freedome and courage: for he was not afraid to declare to the Emperour what good successe Augustus Caesar had, in whose dayes Christ was borne, and what vnprosperous successe, Nero and Domitian had,Hist. Magdeb. Euseb. l. 5. c. 24. who persecuted the Christians. Eusebius calleth him an Eunuch.
In the fourth persecution died Iustinus Martyr, Iustinus a martyr.accused and delated by Crescens. He was converted to Christs Religion by the trauels of an old man, whom he supposed for his grauitie to hauehave beene a Philosopher, but he was a Christian.The manner of Iustinus his conversion. This ancient man counselled Iustinus to be a diligent reader of the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles, who spake by diuine inspiration, who knew the veritie, and were not couetous of vaine glory, neither were they dashed with feare, whose doctrine also was confirmed with miraculous workes, which God wrought by their hands. Aboue all things willed him to make earnest prayers to God to open vntounto him the ports of true light, because the truth cannot be comprehended,Iustin Dialog. cum Trepb. except the Father of light, and his sonne Christ Iesus giuegive vntounto vsus an vnderstanding heart. He wrote two bookes of apologie for Christians to the Emperour Antoninus Pius, and to his sonnes, and the Senate of Rome. In the second booke of his apologie he declareth that Christians were put to death, not for any crime they had committed, but onelyonly for their profession. In witnesse whereof, if any of them would denie his Christian profession, straight way he was absolued,Iustin. apol. 2. because there was no other thing wherewith he was charged.
In this same persecution also suffered the holy martyr of Christ,Polycar…us martyred. Polycaryus, B. of Smyrna. He was willing to hauehave remained in the towne of Smyrna, but by the earnest supplications of friends, was mooued to leaue the towne, and lurke secretly in the countrie.Polycaryus his dreame before his apprehension. Three dayes before hee was apprehended by his persecuters, he dreamed that his bed was set on fire and hastily consumed, which he tooke for a diuine aduertisement, that he behooued to glorifie God by suffering the torment of fire. His conference with the Romane Deputie, and how he refused to deny Christ, whom he had serued fourescore yeeres, and euer found him a gratious Master: also how he refused to sweare by the fortune of Caesar, and how patiently he suffered death for the name of Christ,Eus…b. l…b. 4. cap. 15. I…eneus. Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 5. this history is set downe at large by Eusebius.
Ireneus B. of Lyons in France, and successour to Photinus, a martyr and Disciple of Polycar…us in his youth, flourished in the dayes of the Emperour Commodus, whose meeke conuersation and peaceable carriage answered to his name foreign, that is, peaceable, & made his name to be in great account amongst Christians. How he pacified the furie of Victor, B. of Rome, and the pernicious schisme springing vp in the Church of God vponupon very small occasion, it hath beene alreadie declared. He lacked not his owne infirmities and errours,Iren. lib. 5 con. Valen…. euen in doctrine. He was intangled with the errour of the Chiliasts. He supposed that as Christ being thirtie yeere old was baptized, so likewise he began to teach when he was fortie yeere old, and suffered when he was fiftie, because he came to saue all, and therefore he would taste of all the ages of mankinde.Iren. l. 2. c. 34. Yet is this opinion repugnant to the narration of the foure Euangelists.
Clemens Alexandrinus liued in the dayes of the Emperour Commodus. Clemens Alexandrinus.He was the disciple of Pantenus. These two seeme to be the authors of Vniversities and Colledges: For they taught the grounds of Religion, not by Sermons and Homilies to the people, but by catecheticall doctrine to the learned in the schooles.B…colc. chron. Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 11. This Clemens esteemed too much of tradition, like as Papias did, of whom we spake in the former Centurie, whereby it came to passe, that he fell into many strange & absurd opinions, directly repugnant to the written word of God: affirming that after our calling to the knowledge of the truth, possibly God may grant to them that hauehave sinned, foreign, but if we sin ofter then once or twise, there is no more renuing by repentance, or pardon for sin,Strom. lib. 2. but a fearefull expectation of iudgement. And in his 4. booke of Strom. as it were forgetting his own rigorous sentence against those who sinne ofter then once or twise after their illumination with the light of God, he saith, foreign, that is to say, whether here or els-where (viz. creatures do repent) no place is void of the mercy of God. In which words he would insinuate, that those who repent either in this world or els-where, (that is in the world to come) may possibly obtaine fauour at Gods hand: nothing can be written more repugnant both to the word of God, and also to his own forementioned opinion. Many other worthy Preachers and learned men flourished in this Centurie, whose names of purpose are pretermitted. In Athens, Publius & Athenagoras: In Corinth, Primus, Dionysius, and Bacchilus: In the Isle of Candie, Philippus and Pinytus: In Antiochia, Hieron, Theophilus, Hist. Magdeb.Maximus, Serapion. In Ierusalem before the daies of the Emperour Adrian, the Bishops of Ierusalem were of the nation of the Iewes. But after the daies of Adrian who banished the Iewes from their natiue soile, Christian Preachers of other nations were Bishops in Ierusalem, such as Marcus, Cassianus, Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 12.Publius, Maximus, Iulianus, Capito, Valens, Dolichianus, Narcissus: the most part of all these liued in this Centurie, but Narcissus with some others, are knowne to hauehave liued in the dayes of Seuerus the fift persecuter, and some space after him.Euseb. lib. 6. cap. …. But to write of all other worthy Preachers & Doctours in particular, it were an infinite labour, and far surmounting the abilitie of these ecclesiastick Writers, who wrote in ancicient times, and much more our abilitie who liue in a latter age.