History of the First Ten Persecutions, History 3 · Chapter 2 – Chapter 3
CENT. III. Cap. 2.
TO VICTOR succeeded ZEPHYRINVS the 14. Bishop of Rome, who liued in that charge 8. yeres, 7. months Bishops of Rome. Zephyrinus10. dayes, Platin. EVSEBIVS attributeth vntounto him 18. yeeres, Euseb. lib 6 cap. 21. so vncertaine is the computation of the yeeres of the gouernement of the Bishops of Rome. EVSEBIVS writeth nothing of his decretall epistles, and these that are forged by late writers are foolish and ridiculous. Consecration of the holy cuppe in a vessel of glasse alanerly. A Bishop to bee accused before honest Iudges, twelue in number, whome the Bishop himselfe shall chuse if neede bee: honest and vnspotted witnesses to bee heard in his cause no fewer then 72. conforme and aboue the number of these 70. disciples whome Christ adjoyned as fellow-labourers in preaching with his Apostles. And finally that no definitiue sentence should bee pronounced against a Bishop vntill the time his cause were heard of the Patriarch of Rome. This is but a mocking of the Church of God, to attribut such swelling pride, such vnaccustomed formes of judicatorie, such defensiue armour, fencing and gwarding vnrighteous men against just deserued punishment vntounto the simplicitie of an ancient Church, humbled vnderunder the crosse, and sighing vnderunder the yocke of heauie and long-lasting afflictions. These false and forged decretall epistles altogether vnknowne to the fathers, who liued before the dayes of CONSTANTINE, will procure one day a decreete and sentence of wrath against these, who hauehave giuen out new inuented lies vnderunder the names of ancient and holy fathers.
The canons of the Apostles (albeita booke falsly attributed to the Apostles) doe agree better with scripture then the constitution of ZEPHYRINVS. For the Scripture saith, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses, eueryevery worde shall bee confirmed, Matt. 18 ver. 16. The Canons of the Apostles say, foreign foreign, that is, Let not an Heretique be admitted to beare witnesse against a Bishoppe, neither yet one witnesse alanerly, albeit hee bee faithfull: because that by the mouth of two or three witnesses eueryevery worde shall be confirmed. Canon Apost. cap. 74. The writer of the Canons of the Apostles had some remembrance of the words of Scripture: but the forger of the decretall epistles of ZEPHYRINVS is like vntounto a ship-man, who hath hoised vp his saile and auanced his ship so far into the sea, that hee hath tint the sight of lande and townes, as the Poet speaketh Provehimur Pelago, terraeque v…besque recedunt. Surely this lying fellowe, who euer hee hath bene, that hath written this supposititious decretall epistle of ZEPHYRINVS, hee hath hoised vp his saile, and is so bent to lie, that he hath tint both sight and remembrance of the words of holy scripture.
CALLISTVS the 15. Bishop of Rome continued in his Callistus.charge 5. yeeres, Euseb. eccles. hist. lib. 6. cap. 21. PLATINA saith 6 yeeres, 10. months, 10. dayes. The fable of Pope DAMASVS, who affirmeth that CALLISTVS builed a Church to the honour of the virgine MARIE beyond Tyber is rejected by PLATINA himselfe, because the historie of the time clearely prooueth that in the daies of SEVERVS and his sonnes, the conuentions of the Christians could not hauehave bene in magnificke temples, but rather in obscure chappels or subterraneall places, so that the multiplied number of lies written of the Bishops of Rome who liued in this age, and the decretall epistles falsly attributed vntounto them plainely proue, that the garment of antiquitie, vnderunder the lap whereof Papistes would so faine lurke, is altogether inlacking to them.
VRBANVS 1. was the 16. Bishoppe of Rome. He continued in his office eight yeeres saith Euseb. lib. 6. cap. Vrbanus.22. PLATINA foure yeeres, ten months, twelue dayes, Of his martyrdome EVS EBIVS maketh no mention. Others who record his martyrdome are not certaine in what Emperours dayes hee was martyred. Iproceede to his successour PONTIANVS the 17. B. of Rome. He continued Pontianus.in his charge 9. yeeres, 5. months, 2. dayes, Platin, Euseb. saith 6. yeeres. He was banished to the Isle Sardinia where he died. Of the two decretall epistles ascribed vntounto him, the second is generall written to al men who feare and louelove God & the very first words of it prooue it to be false & forged, Pontianus sanctae & uniuersalis Ecclesiae Episcopus, &c. that is, PONTIANVS B…shop of the holy vniuersall Church, to all them who feare & louelove God, wisheth welfare, Tom. 1. Concil. Such magnificke stiles as these were not as yet in vse, and when they crept in into the Church afterward, they were giuen by persons who admired the vertues of some singulare and rare men, such as CYPRIAN and ATHANASIVS and EVSEBIVS: but no man did vsurpe such proud and arrogant titles of dignitie in his owne writings direct to other Christians, and therefore the learned reject this epistle as composed by some late vnlearned and flattering fellowe. After PONTIANVS succeeded ANTERVS the 18 B. of Rome, to whome EVSEBIVS assigneth but one mouth of continuance Anterus.in his ministrie, lib. 6. cap. 29. DAMASVS assigneth to him 12. yeeres, PLATINA 11. yeeres, 1 month, 12. dayes, and this diuersitie of counting cannot be reconciled. Next to ANTERVS succeeded FABIANVS the 19. Bishop of Rome vponupon whose head a doue lighted when the people were cōsulting Fabianus.anent the election of a Bishop, therfore with full consent of the wholeCongregation he was declared to be theirBishop. The people at this time were so far from beeing secluded frō giuing their consent to the electiō of him who should be ordained their Pastour, that the consent of the people had the principall swey in the election of Pastours, Func. Chron, & Commentar. He suffered martyrdome vnderunder the reigne of DECIVS the 7 great persecuter, after hee had continued in his office 14. yeeres, 11. months, 11. dayes, Platin de vit. Many constitutions made by him are cited by GRATIANVS & insert Tom 1. Concil. One of them I cannot p…sse by. We constitute that vponupon eueryevery Lordes day the oblation of the altar shall be made by eueryevery man and Woman both of bread and wine to the end that by these oblations they may be deliuerea from the heapes of their sinnes. First marke in this constitution that the bread and wine which the people brought with them vponupon the Lords day for the ministration of the holy communion is called the oblation of the altar. the table whereupon the bread and wine were laide, was called the altar: the bread and the wine are called the offering or the sacrifice, because part of it was distributed in the holy communion to keepe a memoriall of the Lordes death, and the rest was giuen to the sustentation of the poore, and in that respect also it was called a sacrifice as the scripture speaketh, To do good & to distribute forget not, fo, with such sacrifices God is pleas…d, Heb. 13. ver. 16. The last part of the decreet is blasphemous and falsly attributed to FABIAN: because the sinnes of men and women, who beleeue… and repent, are forgiuen onelyonly for the m…rite of that bloodie sacrifice which the Lord Iesus offered vponupon the crosse for our sinnes. But our furnishing of elements to the communion and sustentation of the poore cannot merite forgiuenesse of sinnes.
The successour of FABIANVS was CORNELIVS the 20. Bishop Cornelius A council at Rome against Novatus.of Rome. He had a great strife against NOVATVS & his complices. He assembled a Councill at Rome of 60. Bishops, besides Elders and Deacons, by whome the heresie of NOVATVS was condemned, and the Novatians were separated from the fellowship of the Church, Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 43. CORNELIVS was banished from Rome by the Emperour DECIVS and sent to a towne in Hetruria called Centumcellae where he had great comfort by the mutuall letters that passed betweene him and CYPRIAN Bishop of Carthage. When the Emperour gote knowledge of this, he sent for CORNELIVS, & accused him as a man who not onelyonly despised the worshipping of the gods, & was disobedient to the Emperours commandement, but also that hee was a trafficker against the estate of the empire by receiuing & sending letters beyond sea. CORNELIVS answered that he wrote os matters pertaining to Christ & the saluation of mens soules, & not of matters belonging to the estate of the empire. Notwithstanding the Emperour DECIVS commanded that he shuld be scourged with plumbats (this was a sort of grieuous whip) and afterward that hee should be led to the temple of MARS with commandement to put him to death, incase he refused to worship the image of MARS. Thus was CORNELIVS beheaded for the name of Christ, after hee had gouerned 2. yeeres, 3. dayes, Platin de vit. Oras EVSEBIVS writeth, 3. yeeres, lib. 7. cap. 2.
LVCIVS the 21. Bishop of Rome was successour to CORNELIVS, and continued in the gouernement of the Church of Lucius.Rome 3. yeeres. 3 months, 3. dayes, Platin. Euseb. onelyonly 8. months, lib. 7. cap. 2. One decretall epistle is asligned vntounto him, written vntounto the Bishoppes of F…ance and Spaine, whereinto hee braggeth that the Bishops of Rome cannot erre in matters of faith, Tom 1. Concil. but the ineptitude of a barbarous Latine stile whereinto the Epistle is dited, declareth it hath bene written by an vnlearned Asse, and not by LVCIVS Bishop of Rome.
STEPHANVS 22. Bishop of Rome ruled that Church 2. yeres Euseb. eccl. hist. lib. 7. cap. 5. Platin. 7. yeeres, 5. months, 2. Stephanus.dayes. He was greatly commoued against CYPRIAN B. of Carthage, because▪ that by his opinion of rebaptizing those who were baptized by Heretiques, the vnitie of the Church of Christ was perturbed and rent. PLATINA writeth that CYPRIAN before his martyrdome forsooke his opinion of rebaptizing and was content by imposition of handes according to the custome of the Romaine Church to receiue such as had bene baptized by Heretiques, Platin. in vit. Lucii. The constitution anent consecrated garments that men in spiritual offices should weare in the Church, & no else where, lest they incurre the like punishment with BALTASAR, who abused the holy vessels of the house of God, Dan. 5. in my opinion is not judiciously attributed by PLATINA vntounto this Bishop STEPHANVS: because the ordinance smelleth rather of Iudaisme then of Christian religion, and the reason subjoyned to the constitution is altogether impertinent. It was sacriledge indeede and a proude contempt of God in the person of BALTASAR to drinke common wine with his harlots in the vessels of gold dedicated to the holy seruice of God, but an holy preacher to walke in that same apparell in the streete whereinto hee preached and ministred the communion in the Church, this is no sinne nor a thing forbidden by any Apostolicke precept. But PLATINA is dreaming when hee ascribeth such friuolous constitutions to a Bishop, preparing himselfe for death, for PLATINA supponeth that hee was martyred in the dayes of GALLIENVS. Let the reader marke vponupon what sandie ground of f…iuolous constitutions (and falsly alledged) Popish faith is grounded. The decree of STEPHANVS anent mariage, bearing that the Priestes, Deacons and Subdeacons of the Orientall Church were coupled in matrimonie, but in the Romaine Church no person in a spirituall office frō the Bishop to the Subdeacon had libertie to marrie, Tom, 1. Concil. …x Gratiano. if it were true, as it is assuredly false, the Oriental Church hath a great commendation, because they would not be wiser then God, and they would not lay the yocke of the ordinances of men vponupon the consciences of their Church-men but prohibition of mariage (which I hauehave prooued to be a doctrine of deuils) cannot be referred to so ancient a beginning.
The Romaine church desirous to be masked with a shewe of antiquitie, they hauehave attributed Canons to the Apostles which are not found in their writings. Yet it is a shame to the forgers of these canons to be found the principall impugners and transgressers of them, cap. 5 foreign, that is to say, A B…shop, elder or Deacon, who vnderunder pretence of religion repudiateth his owne wife, if he cast her off, let him be excommunicated: and if hee perseuere in so doing, let him be deposed. How can this constitution of STEPHANVS agree with the Canons of the Apostles? Heere I appeale the consciences of honest and vpright men if they finde not that the lie i… not onelyonly repugnant vntounto the veritie, but also vntounto it selfe. The supposititious Canons of the Apostles, & the supposititious constitutions of STEPHANVS cannot both consist. I know what they answere, viz. that the Canons of the Apostles speake of those Bishops, Elders & Deacons, who had wiues when they were admitted to ecclesiastical offices, these should not repudiat their wiues vnderunder pretence of religion: but anent others who were vnmaried in the time of their admission the 25. Canon declareth otherwise. foreign, that is, to vnmaried men who are promoted to the clergie, we command that if they please, they shall marie, but onelyonly readers and singers, to wit, shall hauehave this priuiledge. It is an vnsufferable thing to heare such leuitie and inconstancie imputed to the holy Apostles, that they debarred no man from the office of a Bishop, Elder or Deacon, because he was a maried man. O but if any man enter vnmaried to be a Bishop Elder or Deacon, then he must not marie. If mariage had bene an vncleane thing it might hauehave debarred men from entering into holy offices, but if it be a cleane thing it cannot exclude them after they hauehave entered.
The other decreet alledged out of Gratian, dist 79. Oportebat ut haec, &c. that by the constitution of PETER and his successours it was ordained, that one of the Cardinall Elders or Deacons should be consecrated to be Bishop of Rome, & no other. Such stiles of preeminence are vnknowne to scripture, and to the antiquitie of this time. XISTVS or Xistus. 2SIXTVS the 2. of that name, and in number the 23. Bishop of Rome succeeded to STEPHANVS, and gouerned 2. yeeres, 10 months, 23. dayes, Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 27. And Func. Chron 11. yeeres, such vncertaintie is in counting the yeeres of their administration. The chaire of Rome through the vehemencie of persecution was vacant without a successour one yere 11 months, 15. dayes, as DAMASVS granteth, and ONVPHRIVS the corrector of PLATINA cannot denie. If the Bishop of Rome be the head of the Church, then was the Church headlesse almost for the space of two yeeres.
To XISTVS 2. succeeded DIONYSIVS the 24 Bishop of Dionysius.Rome, and continued in his ministration 9. yeere, according to the computation of EVSEBIVS. DAMASVS assigneth vntounto him 6. yeeres & 2. months, MARIANVS 6. yeeres & 5. months such certaintie is in the maine and principall ground of the Romaine faith, anent the succession of the Romaine Bishops, that scarse two writers doe agree in one minde anent the time of their succession.
To DIONYSIVS succeeded FELIX 1. the 25. Bishop of Felix. 1.Rome, & gouerned 5. yeeres, Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 32. Hee liued in the dayes of AVRELIAN the 9. persecuter, and obtained the honour of martyrdome, Platin. In the three supposititious decretall epistles assigned to him, the second epistle written to the Bishops of the Prouinces of France, very sollicitously careth for Bishops that they be not accused by secular men, but with so many caueats, as in effect exeemeth them from all accusation. The language whereinto the epistle is dited, cannot agree with the ornat stile of the Latin tongue in this age, he being a Romaine borne as PLATINA writeth. Pustquam ipse ab its charitativè conventus fuerit. Adsummos primates causa ejus canonicè deferatar. Concilium regular…ter convocare deb…bunt, &c. The Galilean language manifested not more euidently that PETER was a man of Galile, Mat. 26. ver. 73. then the first of these three phrases manifesteth that the foresaide epistle was compiled into a time of great barbaritie.
EVTYCHIANVS the 26. B. of Rome followed after FELIX Eutychianus1. He continued scarce ten months in his ministrie, Euseb, lib. 7. cap. 32.
CAIVS the 27. B. of Rome succeeded to EVTYCHIANVS & continued 15. yeeres, Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 32. Func. Chron He liued Caius.in the dayes of the persecution of DIOCLETIAN, & lurked for a time in subterraneall places. In end he was found out by the persecuters, and put to death, and with him his brother GABINIVS & his brothers daughter SVSANNA suffered martyrdome, Platin de vit. Here it is to be marked that many martyres died before the edict of horrible persecution was set forth in the 19. yeere of DIOCLETIANS reigne. For MARCELLINVS succeeded to CAIVS, Ann, 298. Func. but the cruel edicts of the persecutiō of DIOCLETIAN were not set forth before the 308. yere of our Lord. Wherby it appeareth euidently, that many Christians were put to death before the edicts of horrible persecution were renued by the Emperour DIOCLETIAN. So hard was the outward estate of Christians, that they were put to death vponupon the warrant of the edicts of VALEPIAN & AVRELIAN, before the edicts of DIOCLETIAN & MAXIMIAN came forth. To CAIVS is attributed the constitutiō of ecclesiasticall orders & degrees by which men must mount vp to the dignitie of a Bishop. First he must be Ostiarius, next Lector, 3. Exorcista, 4. Acoluthus, 5. Subdiaconus, 6. Diaconus, 7. Presbyter, & last of all Episcopus, Platin. decret. Caii, ex lib. Pontif. Damasi.
This order of ascending by degrees to the dignitie of a Bishop is confidently referred to the constitution of the Apostles: but I say, Beatus quinon credi…, that is, happie is he who beleeneth it not. Like as within scripture there is no lie, so likewise without scripture there is no trueth in matters of faith, ordering of maners, & appointing of ecclesiastical offices, al that is necessarie is contained in the written Word of God. But nowe to performe a part of that which I promised in the end of my treatise of Antiquitie, and to let eueryevery man see what vnlearned Asses they hauehave bene who hauehave set foorth the fained decretall epistles of the fathers of this age. In the epistle written by CAIVS to the Bishop FELIX aboue-mentioned he saith, If any man, of what dignitie so. euer he be, delate such persons (viz. Bishops, Elders, Deacons) for faultes that cannot bee prooued, let him vnderstand that by the authoritie of this constitution he shall be counted infamous. This constitution hath three partes: First: that no ecclesiasticall person should be accused before a secular Iudge. Secondly if any accusation be intended against Bishop, Elder of Deacon it should be qualified by sufficient probation. Thirdly if the accuser succumbe in probation, he should be counted infamous how eminent so euer his dignitie and estate shall be. The compiler of this supposititious decretall epistle had no consideration of the time whereinto CAIVS liued. It was a time of persecution, Christian Bishops were continually drawne before seculare Iudges, & accused of odious crimes wherof they were most innocent: & CAIVS himself was compelled to lurke a long time in a subterraneal caue. At this time to bring in CAIVS, as it were sitting in a throne, cōmanding that no B should be accused before a secular Iudge, &c. what is this else but profusion of words without judgement and vnderstanding? If this decretall epistle had beene attributed to BONIFACIVS 8. GREGORIVS 7. ALEXANDER 3. it had bene a more competent time, and the constitution had seemed more probable to the reader. Moreouer the language is like vntounto the matter it selfe. Intelligat jactur am infamiae se sustinere in place of jacturam famae.
MARCELLINVS the 28. B. of Rome succeeded to CAIVS & Marcellinus.ruled 9. yeeres, Platin, Func, Chron, he fainted in time of the persecution of DIOCLETIAN, and sacrificed to idoles, but afterward he repented as PETER did, & gaue his life for the testimonie of Christ. He who accuseth himselfe, closeth all other mens mouths from accusation of him: hee who truly repenteth, by his repentance is restored to all the dignities of the children of God which were lost by sinne: hee who suffered martyrdome for Christ, and he whose body lacked the honour of buriall for the space of 30. dayes, for the cause of Christ alanerly, this man (I say) his name should be kept in reuerent remembrance as if he had not fallen.Marcellus.
After MARCELLINVS succeeded MARCELLVS the 29. B. of Rome who continued in that ministration 5. yeres 6, months, 21 dayes. He liued in the dayes of MAXENTIVS, by whom he was enclosed into a filthie stable, to the end that lacking the salubritie of wholsome aire, he might be destroyed with the filth & stinke of the dung of beasts: which thing also came to passe indeede, for he died in the stable. This holy martyr, so long as he liued, he made the stable like vntounto a sanctuarie: for hee neuer intermitted the holy exercises of prayer, & fasting, and the Church when peace was granted to them by the merciemercy of God, they builded a temple in that same place where the stable had beene, whereinto MARCELLVS died, Platin. de vitis. The name of MARCELLVS is pretermitted by EVSEBIVS.
After MARCELLVS succeeded EVSEBIVS the 30. B. of Rome Eusebius.and continued 6. yeeres, 1, month. 3. dayes, In his time PLATINA writeth that HELENA the mother of CONSTANTINE found the crosse of Christ. But ONVPHRIVS himself is compelled to grant that both DAMASVS and PLATINA erred in that narration, because CONSTANTINE at this time had no dominion in Syria, neither was hee as yet conuerted to the faith of Christ. But the tyrant MAXIMINVS with great crueltie oppressed the Church of Christ in the boundes of Syria and Iudea. And therefore such as read the historie of the primitiue Church, let them read with judgement: because it is an easie thing to erre, if any man giuegive such vndoubted credit Of other preachers & doctours. Tertullian,to ecclesiasticall writers as he giueth to sacred scripture.
TERTVLLIAN a learned preacher of the African prouince, & of the citie of Carthage, a man of a quicke wit & pregnant ingine, flourished vnderunder the reigne of SEVERVS the 5 persecuter. When he came to Rome, he vas not free of the enuy and reproches of the clergie of the Romaine church, and mooued with anger, he declined to the opinion of the Heretique MONTANVS, & wrote books against the true Church such as the volumes following, De pudicitia, De pe…cutione, De jejun…s, De monogamia, De exstasi, lib. 6. & his 7. booke against APOLLONIVS. This lamentable defection of TERTVLLIAN may be an example to all men of great vnderstanding and excellent learning, not to be puft vp, nor to be high minded, lest they fall into the snare of the deuill. For TERTVLLIAN wrote learned apologies for the Christians, and mightily confuted the errour of MARCION: notwithstanding of al this, he was high minded, & joyned himself to the opiniō of MONTANVS, Ierom. Catal. script. eccl. if he had kept himself free of this foule spot, he was worthy for his giftes to hauehave ben counted amōg the most famous doctors of the Church after the dayes of the Apostles, Hist. Magd. Cent. 3. cap. 10.
ORIGEN the sonne of LEONIDES an Egyptian was a yong Origen.man of 17. yeeres of age, when his father was martyred in the persecution of SEVERVS, Ierom, Catal. script. eccles. His ingine was so pregnant in his youth and so capable of all kinde of instruction, that his father would oftimes vncouer his brest when he was on sleepe, and kisse it, giuing thanks to God who had made him father of so happie a sonne, hist. Magd, Cent. 3. cap. 10. After his fathers death, he sustained himselfe, his mother & sixe brethren by keeping a schoole, for all his fathers goods were confiscate for his confession of Christ. When ORIGEN had spent his young age, the description of his life in Greeke saith. foreign, that is, when he was in his mid age, the Churches of Achaia vexed with Heretiques sent for him: & as he was vponupon his journey to Athens he went through Palestina & was ordained to be a preaching Elder by ALEXANDER B of Ierusalem, & THEOCTISTVS B. of Caesarea. This fact offended DEMETRIVS B. of Alexandria so highly, that he was full of rage against ORIGEN: and wherefore? because he beeing a man of Alexandria receiued ordination to an ecclesiasticall office from the Bishops of Ierusalem and Caesarea.
When Bishops become serious in trifling matters, and hauehave a greater regarde to their owne glo…y then to the aduancement of the kingdome of God, then that may bee spoken of them which IEROM writeth of DEMETRIVS, Qui tanta in eum debacchatus est insania, ut per totum mundum super ejus nomine seriberet, that is, He was so ful of rage against him that he replenished the world with writings mentioning the name of ORIGEN. But consider, what fault was in ORIGEN, who was crauing no ordination: And what fault was in ALEXANDER and THEOCTISTVS, men whose names shall be had in euerlasting remembrance. They did nothing of intention to grieue the heart of DEMETRIVS B. of Alexandria, but onelyonly beeing carefull of the aduancement of the kingdome of God, they endeuoured to strengthen the hands of ORIGEN, against the Heretiques of Achaia, by conferring vntounto him the calling of a Presbyter. No man can justly offend against me, if I cast in this sentence, as a common admonition to all preachers foreign, Let vsus not be ouer serious in ridiculous matters. The name of ORIGEN was so famous, that not onelyonly the Bishops of Achaia sollicited him to come to their bounds for stopping the mouthes of Heretiques, but also he was sent for at two diuerse times to bee present at the Councils conucened in Arabia against Heretiques. Some Heretiques affirmed that the soules of men perish with their bodies, and are raised vp againe in the day of the resurrection with the bodies, whom ORIGEN mightily refuted, Comment. Func. in Chron. lib. 6. Likewise he was present at the Councill in Arabia gathered against BERYLLVS B. of Bostra, who denied that Christ was existent before his manifestation in the flesh, and by the trauelles of ORIGEN BERYLLVS was reclaimed and reduced to the true faith: therefore I reckone him not into the roll of Heretiques, Euseb lib. 6. cap. 33. FIRMILIANVS B. of Caesarea in Cappadocia inuited ORIGEN to come to Cappadocia where he deteined him a long time. Likewise MAMMEA, the mother of ALEXANDER the Emperour, sent for him to come to Antiochia, and had him in reuerent regarde. Likewise hee wrote to the Emperour PHILIP, and to his mother who was the first Emperour that professed the Name of Christ, Ierom. catal. script. eccl. He studied to be acquainted with the Hebrew language, farre contrarie to the custome of his own nation: & he conferred the Hebrewe text with the Greeke translations, not onelyonly the Septuagints, but also the translations of AQVILA, THEOLOSION and SYMMACHVS, and hee found out the fift, sixt and seuenth editions, Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 17. Ierom catal. scrip. eccles. Notwithstanding of all these excellent gifts and renoumed fame of ORIGEN, he wanted not his owne grosse errours & foolish facts. In expoūding of scripturs he became a curious searcher out of allegories. Yet this father of allegories ORIGEN took the words of Christ spoken of Eunuches, There be some chaste, which hauehave made th…mselues chaste for the kingdome of heauen, Mat. 19. ver. 12. these words, I say, spoken in an allegoricall sense, he tooke in a simple and vnfigurat meaning, and gelded himselfe, to the ende he might liue without all suspition of vncleannesse, Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 8. No learned man hath commended this fact of ORIGEN so far as my reading can extend, for if a man might lawfully dismember his own body, to the end that he might liue chastly, why might not a man in like maner cut off his owne hand, to the ende hee should not in hastie motion of anger kil his neighbour? But the obedience of the commandements of God is seated in the heart, and more commended for voluntarie subjection, then for necessity of abstinence of committing euil, because there is not an instrument in the body able to commit transgression. Finally by seeking of diuinitie without the bounds of the holy scriptures of God, in stead of true diuinitie he was intangled with foolish errours, anent the creation of many worlds, one succeeding to another, anent the paines of deuils and wicked men after long torments to be finished, and anent the possibilitie of mans nature to keepe the whole law of God. For which opinions long after his death he was excommunicat in the 5, generall Council holden Ann 551. Concerning his weaknesse in offering to idols rather then to suffer his chaste body to be abused, I hauehave spoken in the history of the 7. persecution. He liued vntil the dayes of GALLVS & VOLVSIANVS, & died in the 69. yeere of his age in the towne of Tyrus where he was also buried. CYPRIAN was an African, borne in Carthage, in his youth altogether Cyprian.giuen to the study & practise of Magical artes. His cōuersion was by the means ofCECILIVS a preacher, whose name after hee bare, and through occasion of hearing the historie of the Prophet IONAH, Ierom catal script. eccles. & Ierom. comment in Ionam. After his conuersion he distributed all his substance to the poore, Ierom. ibid. and became first a preaching elder, and afterward Bishop of Carthage. He was banished in the persecution of DECIVS, and martyred vnderunder VALERIAN, Nazianz, in laudem Cypriani. The worthy D. I. FOXE thinketh that NAZIANZEN commendeth another Bishop of that same name, borne in Antiochia and Bishop in Antiochia, who suffered martyrdome in the dayes of DIOCLETIAN. This CYPRIAN B. of Carthage was a man full of louelove, a great comforter of CORNELIVS B. of Rome. He suffered martyrdome as IEROM writeth, that same day, albeit not in that same yeere, that CORNELIVS concluded his life by glorious martyrdome, Ierom, Catal. script. eccles. He had great strife against two contrarie sectes, viz. against NOVATVS, who was excessiue rigorous against those who had fallen in time of persecution: and against NOVATIANVS & FELICISSIMVS, who by the contrarie would hauehave had both Heretiques and Apostats receiued without all forme of ecclesiasticall discipline, Hist. Magd Cent, 3. cap. 10. He esteemed much of those who suffered rebuke for the Name of Christ: & he said of the mettall mines, and those that were condemned for Christs sake to worke in them, that whereas they were wont to deliuer golde and siluer and precious things vntounto the world, no we by the contrarie the mines receiued golde and siluer and the most precious things in the world, counting the Confessours and martyrs of Christ the rich treasures of the earth, of whom the world was not worthy.
His opinion anent rebaptizing such as were baptized by Heretiques, albeit it was erroneous, yet his modestie in not damning thē rashly, who were of a contrary opinion, is great ly praised by S. AVSTEN, who saith that the modestie of CYPRIAN in his error was mo…e to be regarded then a sound & right opiniō anent baptisme without humility & modesty August de Baptis. contra Donat. lib. 5. cap. 17. He was a faithfull builder of the house of God, not by word onelyonly, but also by write, and his bookes remaine vntill this day as a precious treasure in the Church of Christ. The booke de Revelatione capitis Ioannis Baptista is supposititious, because in it mention is made of the reuerence that PIPINVS king of France did to the heade of IOHN Baptist, when it was transported from Constantinople to France, and it is knowne that PIPINVS was not borne three hundreth yeeres after the martyrdome of CYPRIAN: how then could CYPRIAN write of a fact done so long time after his death?
The Church of Christ was multiplied vnderunder the persecutions of SEVERVS, MAXIMINVS, DECIVS, VALERIAN, AVRELIAN & DIOCLETIAN. All these sixe persecutions are comprehended in the third Centurie. In Ierusalem was NARCISSVS, against whome wicked men banded themselues together, with forged accusations and false testimonies sealed vp with othes and imprecations to grieue the heart of NARCISSVS, in so much that he left his calling, and fledde to the wildernesse where he Iurked a long time. But the false witnesses who bare testimony against him escaped not the punishment of God: One of them and his whole familie and substance was burned with sudden fire: another of them was stricken with an heauie disease, such as hee himselfe in his imprecation had wished vntounto himselfe: the third was terrified with the sight of the judgements of God that lighted vponupon the other two, and hee repented and powred out the griefe of his dolorous heart in such aboundance of teares that hee became blinde. All these false witnesses were punished, Euseb. lib 6. cap 9. and hee who was penitent, albeit the Lorde pardoned his sinne, yet hee chastised him with temporal punishments. The Bishops of the next adjacent Churches, because they knewe not what was become of NARCISSVS, they admitted another called DIOS, who continued but a shorte time. To him succeeded GERMANION and after GERMANION GORDIVS, in whose time NARCISSVS manifested himselfe againe to the Church of Ierusalem, who requested him to vndertake his office againe: for they reuerenced him as a man raised from death to life againe and the punishment of God inflicted vponupon his accusers increassed their reuerence toward him. He was old and not able to discharge the weightie office of a Bishop theresore ALEXANDER a worthie man was joyned as fellow-labourer with him. EVSEBIVS writeth that hee was admonished, by a celestiall vision of the will of God, that hee should be Bishop of Jerusalem with NARCISSVS (for hee had beene Bishoppe of another parochin before in Cappadocia:) by the like celestiall vision NARCISSVS and others of the clergie were admonished, that the day next following a Bishoppe should enter into Jerusalem whome God had appointed to be an helper to NARCISSVS, Ierom Catal. scrip. eccl. He defended ORIGEN against the furie and madnesse of DEMETRIVS B. of Alexandria, who set both himselfe and others to great businesse for a matter of no importance as said is, Ierom ibid. In the persecution of DECIVS he was caried to Casarea, closed into a darke prison, and died a martyre as hath beene declared. ALEXANDER is supponed till hauehave beene the 35. Bishop of Jerusalem. MAZABANES, HYMENEVS, LEBDAS, THERMON, all these followed ALEXANDER, Euseb lib 7. cap. 14 Func, chronol.
In Alexandria to PHILETVS and DEMETRIVS succeeded Bishops of Alexandria.HERACLAS the 12 Bishop of that towne. He was the disciple of ORIGEN and a fellow-labourer with him in gouerning the schoole of Alexandria, in ende he was chosen to be Bishop of Alexandria: whose successour was DIONYSIVS 13. Bishop, whom God deliuered miraculously from the hands of persecuters, in the dayes of DECIVS, by the sudden onset of a number of people who had beene at a mariage feast. When they heard that DIONYSIVS was taken by souldiers and led away to Taposiris, they arose from table and followed with a speedie pace, and with a tumultuarie voyce, so that the souldiers who had DIONYSIVS in keeping, were afraid and fled: and so DIONYSIVS by the great prouidence of God was deliuered out of the hands of his enemies, Euseb. lib, 6. cap. 40. After him MAXIMVS, THEONAS, PETRVS, a martyre vnderunder DIOCLETIAN and ACHILLAS were Bishops of Alexandria, Func. Chron.Bishops of Antiochia
After SERAPION succeeded … of Antiochia, of whome ALEXANDER B. of Ierusalem, (beeing the prisoner of Christ in Casarea) wrote vntounto the people of Antiochia, that it was a comfort to him, and it made his imprisonment and bandes the more easie, that hee heard it reported that ASCLEPIADES, a man well exercised in the true faith, by the prouidence of God was made Bishop of Antiochia, Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 11. PHILETVS was the 10 ZEBENVS the 11. and BABYLAS was the 12. Bishop of Antiochia, of whom EVSEBIVS recordeth that he died in prison, like as ALEXANDER B. of Jerusalem ended his life in prison, both the one and the other suffered such kind of martyrdome vnderunder the persecution of DECIVS, Euseb. lib. 6 cap. 39. In the catalogue of Emperours, catholick Bishops and Heretiques subjoyned to the eccesiasticall historie of THEODORETVS. wee reade that BABYLAS B. of Antiochia would not suffer DECIVS to enter into the Temple whereinto Christians were conueened, and that before hee was beheaded, he gaue direction to burie into the sepulchre with his deade body the chaine also, wherewith his body had bene bound, as a funerall ornament of his buried body. But EVSEBI VSUS deserueth best credite, who affirmeth that he died in prison, and maketh no mention of his beheading. Some imagine that he who died in prison, and he who was beheaded were both Bishops of Antiochia, but liuing in different ages: yet seeing the catalogue foresaid speaketh of this suffering vnderunder the Emperour DECIVS, it is more probable that there is some ouersight in the writer of the catalogue. To BABYLAS succeeded FABIVS. He was entangled with the errour of NOVATVS, but was reclaimed againe by the vigilant trauels of DIONYSIVS B. of Alexand…ia, Euseb. lib. 6 cap. 44. DEMETRIANVS a maried man was successour to FABIVS. PAVLVS SAMOSATENVS a pestilent Heretique was the 15. Bishop of Antiochia. DOMNVS the sonne of DEMETRIAN the 16. TIMEVS the 17. CYRILLVS the 18. and TYRANNVS the 19. Bishop of Antiochia.
The names of the Bishops of Rome, Alexandria and Antiochia were the more accuratly obserued and registrat after the Councill of Nice (albeit I recite them before) because it hapned in that generall Councill that for timous suppressing of heresies the Bishops of these places were called Patriarches, and had power to convocat Councils within their owne boundes for suppressing of Heretiques. Alwayes it fell out far contrarie to the expectation of holy fathers: for the Patriarches were the chiefe protectours of heresie, as the historie of the subsequent Centuries euidently declareth. Neuerthelesse in this Centurie beside those men of God aboue mentioned (nothing inferiour in spirituall graces to the Bishops of Rome, Alexandria, Antiochia and Ierusalem) there were many worthy men in other places such as FIRMILIANVS B. of Caesarea in Cappadocia, a man familiarly acquainted with ORIGEN. GREGORIVS and ATHENODORVS, brethren and Pastours in Pontus. HELENVS in Tarsus, and NICOMAS in Iconium. THEOTECT VSUS in Caesarea Palestinae. MAXIMVS in Bostra, Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 28. EVSEBIVS and ANATHOLIVS Bishops of Laodicea. QVIRINVS B. of Scesiana, or as others call it, Scescania, a worthy martyr, about whose necke a milstone was hanged, as hath bene before declared, Func. Chron.
I make an end of this second head with the greater gladnesse, that I perceiue the litle stone hewed out of the mountaine without handes to be waxing and growing to the bignesse of a great mountaine, replenishing the whole earth, euen in the time of most horrible persecutions, Dan. 2.