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. XVII.* 1.1

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* 1.2 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.* 1.3 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 vnknow∣en kinde of herbe in height vnto the hemme of the brasen images vesture, curing all kind of mala∣dies. 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* 1.4 selfe, being grauen in their colours, to haue bene kept and reserued. for the men of olde of a hea∣thenish 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 wo∣man, 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 su∣perstition) and that there was such an herbe of so wonderfull an operation, we cannot denye, inso∣much 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 a∣dore 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. ec∣clesiast. 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 ••e••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 lighte∣ning 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 dis∣pleasure against Iulian for comittinge so dispitefull a deede.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cap. 18. in the Greeke.
• * 1.2

  Luk. 8. Matth. 9.
• * 1.3

  Monuments of memory & not for su∣perstition.
• * 1.4

  To erect an image is a heathenish custome.