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. XLIII.* 1.1

Dionysius Alexandrinus reporteth of Serapion that fell in persecution, howe at his ende he was desirous to receaue the sacrament of the Lords supper.

DIonysius also byshop of Alexandria wrote to the aforesayd Fabius who in manner yelded to the schisme, many thinges in his letters of repentance, paintinge forth theyr pacience which lately had bene martyred at Alexandria. whereof omitting many things this one straunge acte worthy of memory we haue thought good to publishe in this our history for thus he wrote: I vvill certifee thee (sayth he) of this one example vvhich happened amongest vs. There* 1.2 vvas one Serapion dvvelling among vs a faithful olde man, vvhich of a long time liued vvithout reprehēsion, but being tempted in persecutiō fell from the faith. he entreated very often that he might be receaued again, but none gaue eare vnto him for he had done sacrifice: & falling vnto a dangerous disease lay speachlesse and benummed of all his senses the space of three dayes, the fourth day after, being somvvhat recouered he called vnto him a nephevv of his, his daugh∣ters sonne and sayd vnto him: hovve longe (O my sonne) doe ye vvithholde me? I besech you make hast and absolue me quickly, call vnto me one of the Priestes, the vvhich as soone as he had spoken he vvas speachelesse agayne. The boye ranne vnto the Priest, it vvas night, the Priest vvas sicke and could not come vvith him. And because I gaue commaundement (sayth Dionysius) that such as vvere aboute to dye, if humbly they requested shoulde be admitted

to the ende they being strengthened in faith might departe in peace: he deliuered vnto the boy* 1.3 a litle of the Eucharist, & commaunded him to crimble or soke it and so droppe it by a litle & a little into the olde mans mouth. the boy returneth and bringes vvith him the Eucharist. vvhen he vvas hard by before he came in, Serapion sayd: comest thou my sonne? the priest cānot come, vvhy then dispatch thou that vvhich he commaunded thee to doe and lett me departe. the boy immixed or loked the eucharist and vvith all lett it by droppe meale into the old mans mouth, vvhereof vvhen he had tasted a litle, forth vvith gaue vp the Ghost▪ is it not manifest that this olde man vvas so longe helde backe vntill he vvere absolued and loosed from the linke of sinne by confessing in the presence of many the fault he had committed? Thus farre Dionysius.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cap. 44. after the greeke.
• * 1.2

  Dionysius, ••. of Alexan∣dria vnto Fa∣bius bishop of Antioch.
• * 1.3

  Men of olde receaued the communion a little before their deaths.