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 Antonie the monke, and Manes the hereticke, and his originall.

THe same time liued Antonie the monke, in the desertes of Aegypte. But in as muche as* 1.2 Athanasius Byshope of Alexandria, hathe lately sette forth in a seuerall volume, intitled of his life, his maners and conuersation, howe openly he buckled with deuells, howe he ouerreached their sleyghtes, and subtle combates, and wroughte many maruelous, and straunge miracles: I thinke it superfluous of my parte to entreate thereof. The dayes of Constantine haue yelded greate plenty of rare, and singular men, * 1.3 but amonge the good wheate tares are accusto∣med to growe, and the spite of Satan, is the sworne enemy of prosperous affaires. For a litle be∣fore the raygne of Constantine, a counterfette religion, no other in shewe, then the seruice of pa∣ganes, mingled it selfe with the true and christian religion, no otherwise then false prophets are wont to rise amonge the true prophets of God, and false Apostles among the zealous Apostles of Christ. Then went Manichaeus about, couertly to conuey into the Church of God, the doctrine of Empedocles, the heathen philosopher, of whome Eusebius Pamphilus made mention in the 7. booke of his ecclesiasticall history, yet not exquisitely handlinge his doinges. Wherefore looke what he omitted, that I suppose necessary to be supplied of vs, for so we shall soone learne bothe who and what this Manichaeus was, and also by what meanes he presumed, to practise suche lewde enter∣prises. A certaine Saracen of Scythia had to his wife a captiue, borne in the vpper Thebais, for whose sake he settled him selfe to dwell in Aegypte. And beinge well seene in the discipline of the Aegyptians, he endeuored to sowe among the doctrine of Christ, the opinions of Empedocles, and Pythagoras. That there were two natures (as Empedocles dreamed) one, good: an other, bad: the bad, enmytie: the good vnitie. This Scythian had to his disciple, one Buddas, who afore that* 1.4 tyme was called Terebynthus, whiche wente to the coastes of Babylon, inhabited of Persians, and there published of himselfe, manye false wonders: that he was borne of a virgine, that he was bred, and brought vp in the montaynes, after this he wrote foure bookes: one of Mysteries: the seconde he entitled The Gospell: The thirde, Thesaurus: The fourth A summarye. He fay∣ned on a time, that he woulde worke certaine feates, and offer sacrifice, but he beinge an highe, the deuell threwe him downe, so that he brake his necke, and dyed miserablye. His hoastesse buried him, tooke all that he had, and boughte therewith a ladde of seauen yeares olde, whose name was Cubricus. This woman after that shee had made him a free denzion, and trained him vp in learninge, not longe after dyeth, and gaue him by legacie, all the goodes of Tere∣bynthus, the bookes also whiche he had wrytten, beinge the Scythians disciple. Whiche thinges when this free denized Cubricus, had gotten, he conueyed him selfe forthewith* 1.5 into Persia. He chaungeth his name, and in steede of Cubricus, he calls him selfe Manes. The bookes of Buddas otherwise called Terebynthus, he setteth abroade, as his owne doe∣inges vnto suche as were snared with his follye. The titles of the bookes ••arelye gaue a showe or colour of christian religion, but in trueth it selfe the doctrine tasted and sauored of pa∣ganisine. For Manes as he was in deede a wicked man, taught the worlde to serue many gods: he commaunded the sonne to be worshipped, he was a fauorer of fatall desteny and denied free will in man. He sayd plainely the soules went from one body into an other, following herein the fond opinions of Empedocles, Pythagoras and the Aegyptians. He woulde not confesse that Christe was

borne, but sayde that he had the forme or figure of a man. He reiected the lawe and prophetes, and called himselfe the comforter, all which thinges are farre from the true and right faith of the churche of God. In his epistles he was not ashamed to intitule him selfe, an Apostle. But his Iewde and shamelesse leasinges were recompenced with dew punishment, and that for this cause. The ••inge of Persia his sonne, fell into a daungerous disease, the father vsed all meanes possi∣ble to ••••••••or•• his sonne to his former health. Beynge tolde of Manes, and perswaded that his ••eates were ••a••••e ••••om falshoode and ••eiurdemayne, sent for him by the name of an Apostle, ho∣pinge with himselfe, that by his meanes his sonne shoulde recouer. Beinge come, he takes the kinges sonne in ••••••es with sor••••tis and wi••••••••cast•• the kinge seeynge his sonne already gone, and departed vnde•• his handes, commaunded the ••or••e••er shoulde be clapt in pryson, and proui∣ded execution for him, but he brake pryson, fledde into Mesopotamia, and so shifted for him* 1.6 selfe. The kinge hearinge that he was in those coasts, made him to be apprehended, flayde him al••••e, tooke his skinne, fylled it full of chaffe, and hanged it at the gates of the cytie. These thinges we report to de most true and faithfully alleadged by vs, out of the booke intituled, The disputation of Archelaus byshop of Cascharum, a citie in Mesopotamia. This Archelaus re∣porteth that he disputed with him face to face, and there layeth downe all that we wrote before, of his lyfe and conuersation. Thus (as I sayde before) it falleth out in all ages, that the spyte of ••a••••n wyll not suffer godlinesse to haue good successe, but sendes such lewde varletts to en∣trappe the simple people. But what is the reason thereof, why our louing and mercifull God per∣mitts such lewdnesse, whether it be to try and sift the true doctrine of his church, and to cut of the vaine conceats and opinions which many haue of religion: or whether it be for some other cause whatsoeuer, as it is hard to determine therof, so, few words will not suffice, neither is presently fit opportunity & occasion ministred to discourse of that matter. It is not verily the marke we shoote at, exquisitely to entreat•• of diuers and variable opinions, and sentences of men, neither to search out the secret and hid mysteries of the prouidence and wisdome of God, but truely, as much as i•• vs lyeth, to set forth the ecclesiasticall historie. And because we haue reported after what sort the cursed opinion of the Maniches sprange vp a little before the raygne of Constantine: nowe let vs returne to discourse of the times, incident to this our purposed historie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cap. 21. in the greeke.
• * 1.2

  Antony the e••emite.
• * 1.3

  Cap. 22. in the Greeke. The mani∣chees blased their heresie a litle before the raygne of Constan∣tine. Anno. 281. Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 30. The origi∣nall and au∣thors of the heresy of the Manichees.
• * 1.4

  Buddas o∣therwise Te∣rebynthus an hereticke d••eth misera¦blie.
• * 1.5

  Manes the heretick & his detestable o∣pinions.
• * 1.6

  The misera∣ble death of the hereticke Manes.