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. VIII.

Dionysius reporteth of one that sorowed, because he had receaued baptisme of heretickes.

THe fifte epistle of Dionysius is extant vnto Xystus bishop of Rome, where after he had writ∣ten many thinges againste heretickes, he reporteth this one thing which happened in his time, writing thus: In good sooth (brother) I stande in neede of aduise and counsaile, & I craue your opinion for that a certaine thing happened vnto me, vvherin I feare lest I be de∣ceaued. when the brethren were gathered together, a certaine man to all mens thinkinge of the faith, an auncient minister of the clergie before my time, & as I suppose before blessed Heraclas, beinge present vvhile some lately vvere baptized, hearinge the interrogatories and aunsvveres, came vnto me, weeping & wailing, & falling prostrate before my feete, confessed & protested

that the baptisme vvherevvith he vvas baptized of the hereticks vvas not the true baptisme, nei∣ther had it any agreement vvith that vvhich is in vre among vs, but vvas full of impietie & blas∣phemies. he sayd he vvas sore pricked in cōscience, yet durst not presume to lyft vp his eyes vnto God, for that he was christened with those prophane words & caeremonies. wherfore he prayed that he might obtaine this moste syncere purification, admission, and grace, the vvhich thinge I durst not do, but told him that the dayly communion, many times ministred, might suffice hin••. VVhen he had heard thankes geuing sounded in the churche: and he him selfe had songe there∣unto Amen: vvhen he had bene present at the Lordes table, and had streatched forth his hande to receaue that holy foode, & had communicated, and of a long time had bene partaker of the bodie and bloudē of our Lorde Iesus Christ: I durst not againe baptize him, but badde him be of good cheere, of a sure faith, and boldly to approche vnto the cōmunion of the saincts. But he for all this mourneth continually, horrour vvithdravveth him from the Lordes table, and being entreated, hardly is persvvaded to be present at the ecclesiasticall prayers. There is an other epi∣stle of his and of the congregation vnder his charge vnto Xystus, and the church of Rome, where at large he disputeth of this question. Againe there is an other vnder his name toutching Lucia∣nus vnto Dionysius bishop of Rome. But of these things thus muche.

Notes

• Cap. 9. in the Greeke.
• Dionysius. b. of Alexādria epist. 5. vnto Xystus. b. of Rome.