The auncient ecclesiasticall histories of the first six hundred yeares after Christ, wrytten in the Greeke tongue by three learned historiographers, Eusebius, Socrates, and Euagrius. Eusebius Pamphilus Bishop of Cæsarea in Palæstina vvrote 10 bookes. Socrates Scholasticus of Constantinople vvrote 7 bookes. Euagrius Scholasticus of Antioch vvrote 6 bookes. VVhereunto is annexed Dorotheus Bishop of Tyrus, of the liues of the prophetes, apostles and 70 disciples. All which authors are faithfully translated out of the Greeke tongue by Meredith Hanmer, Maister of Arte and student in diuinitie. Last of all herein is contayned a profitable chronographie collected by the sayd translator, the title whereof is to be seene in the ende of this volume, with a copious index of the principall matters throughout all the histories

CAP. XIIII.

Of Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna.

IRenaeus reporteth that while Anicetus was Bishop of Rome, Polycarpus as yet liued, and came to Rome, and questioned with Anicetus▪ concerning the day of Easter. An other thinge yet, he reporteth of Polycarpus, in his thirde booke against heresies, which needefully must here be an∣nexed, Polycarpus (sayth he) vvas not only instructed by the Apostles, and conuersant vvith ma∣ny* 1.1 vvhich savve Christe but also of the Apostles ordayned Bishop of Smy••na in Asia▪ vvhome vve in our youthe haue also seene, for he lyued long, and vvas very olde, and at lengthe fini∣shed this lyfe vvith moste glorious▪ and renovvned Martyrdome▪ vvhen he had continually taught that he learned of the Apostles vvhich the Churche at this daye deliuereth for vndoub∣ted trueth. All the Churches of Asia, and as many vnto this daye as succeeded him in that seae beare vvitnesse that Polycarpus vvas vvorthier of credit, th••n Valentinus, & Marcion, & then the vvhole rabble of peruerse people. For he being 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Rome, in conference vvith Anicetus, con∣uerted

many of the foresayd Heretickes, vnto the Church of God, preaching the one, and one∣ly trueth, receaued of the Apostles, and deliuered by the Churche. There be yet aliue vvhich hearde him reporting, hovve that Iohn the Disciple of Christ, entring into a bath at Ephesus, to bayne him selfe, and spying vvithin the Hereticke Cerinthus, departed the bath vnbayned, and sayd: Let vs departe hence, lest the bath fall, vvherein Cerinthus, the svvorne enemy of the trueth bayneth him selfe. And Polycarpus on a tyme meeting Marcion face to face, vvhich sayd vnto him, knovve vs, aunsvvered: I knovve thee for the firste begotten sonne of Satan. So zelous vvere the Apostles, and their Disciples, that they communicated not in vvorde, vvith the corrupters of the trueth, according vnto that of Paul: eschevv him that is an Hereticke, after the* 1.2 first and seconde admonition, knovving that such a one is peruerse, and condemned a sinner by the testimony of his ovvne conscience. There is extant an epistle of Polycarpus vnto the Philip∣pians, very profitable for such as are carefull of their saluation, vvhere they may knovve the true character of fayth, and the right rule of doctrine. So farre Irenaeus. Polycarpus in the fore∣sayde Epistle vnto the Philippians (at this daye extant) alleadgeth testimonyes out of the for∣mer Epistle of Peter. When that Antoninus syrnamed Pius, had ended twenty and two yeares, in the Romayne Empire: Marcus Aurelius Ʋerus, and Antoninus his sonne, togither with Lu∣cius his brother, succeeded him.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Irenaeus lib. 3 cap. 3. Polycarpus the Disciple of S. Iohn be¦ing olde was seene of Ire∣naeus being yonge.
• * 1.2

  Tit. 3. Antonin{us} Pi us died Ann. Domi. 163. & him succe ded Marcus Aurelius Ve∣rus, vnder this Ver{us} the 4. of the tēne persecutions was raysed. Lucius being the sonne of Ver{us} was cal¦led the bro∣ther of Anto¦nin{us} because he vvas ado∣pted togither with him.