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. IX.

Of Eutychianus the Monke. The dissoluing of the councell of Nice. The tyme thereof, and the chiefe men then present.

I Haue learned also that Eutychianus, a man of syncere religiō, florished at that time, who though he were of the Nouatian secte, yet did he many straunge things, nothing inferior vnto the acts mētioned a litle before. I will reueale him, y^• reported vnto me his doings, neither will I cloke or conceale that, at all, though therefore I may incurre the daūger of suspicion or the reprehensiū of diuers persons. It was Auxanon, a priest of y^• Nouatian church, who hauing liued many years went, being a very yong man vnto the councell of Nice, together with Acesius: that told me all the things which happened vnto Acesius, of whome I spake before. It was euen he y^t lengthened his dayes, & continewed his yeares, frō that time, vnto the raigne of Theodosius the yonger, & rehear∣sed vnto me being a very yong man, all the famous actes of Eutychianus. And though he ranne o∣uer many gifts of the grace of God, bestowed vpon him, yet reported he of him, one notable thing which happened in the raygne of Constantine the emperour, which was thus. One of the garde whome the emperour calleth ordinary, as soone as he was ones suspected of traiterous conspira∣cy, fled away. The emperour being throughly moued with indignation against him, gaue straicte charge, & commaundement, that wheresoeuer he were taken, there immediatly he should be execu∣ted. He was found about Olympus in Bithynia, & fettered w^t cruell, & greuous bonds in the parts of Olympus, then clapt in prison. In those parts Eutychianus had his abode, leading a solitary lif, curing many of their grieuous maladies, both outwardly in body, & inwardly in their mind. with him this Auxanon had his conuersation, being as then a yong stripling, which afterwards liued many yeares, & learned vnder him y^• monastical trad of liuing. They flock about Eutychianus, that he would release y^t prisoner, & entreat the emperour for him (for the miracles wrought by Eutychi¦anus were famous, & being bruted abrode, they came to y^• eares of y^• emperour) he eftsones with a willing, & prompt mind, promiseth that he will take his iorney to y^• emperour, in his behalfe. But whilest y^• y^• prisoner endured extreame torments, by reason of y^• intollerable fetters, wherewith he was fastened: y^• solicitors of his cause informed Eutychianus, y^• death, because of his bitter punish∣ment, would preuent both y^• execution inioyned by y^• emperour, & y^• supplication y^• was to be made for him. Eutychianus then, sent vnto the kepers of y^• iayle, requestinge thē to loose y^• man. And whē they had answered, that the deliuerance of the prisoner, would be the great daūger of their liues: Eutychianus together w^t Auxanon, went straight way vnto y^• prison. When as y^• kepers being en∣treated, would not open y^• prison: y^• gift of God inclosed in the brest of Eutychianus, reuealed it selfe w^t greater brightnes in the world. For the gates of y^• prison, voluntarily sett themselues wide opē yea when y^• keyes were absent, & tied to y^• keepers girdle. Moreouer when Eutychianus & Auxanō entred in, & all y^• beholders were nowe astonished, the fetters of their owne accorde, fell of y^• priso∣ners feete. These things being done, Eutychianus & Auxanon take their iorney together, towards the city which of old was called Byzantiū afterwards Cōstantinople. Eutychianus forthwith, gott him vnto y^• emperours court, & purchaced pardō, for y^• prisoner. For the emperour without delay (for y^• great reuerence he owed vnto Eutychianus) graunted him his request with a willing mind. This was done in a while after. At y^• time y^• byshops, which mett together at y^• councell of Nice as soone as they had dispatched, both other things, & also layd downe in wryting y^• decrees (which also they call canons) already concluded vpon, euery one returneth vnto his owne cytie. I thinke it very expedient to lay downe in this place, not only the names of the byshops, assembled at Nice, which among all y^• rest were most famous (I meane such as I cold learne by records) but also the prouince, & place where euery one gouerned, together with y^• time of their assembly. There was present at this councel: Osius bishop of Corduba: Viton, and Vincentius priests: Alexander bishop of Aegypt: Eustathius bishop of great Antioch: Macarius bishop of Ierusalem: Harpocratio, Cynon, with others: whose names are seuerally, & exquisitly cited by Athanasius bishop of Alexandria, in his booke intitled Synodicus. Toutching the time when this councell was summoned, as it ap∣peareth by cronicles of record, it was in the consulship of Paulinus & Iulianus, the eleuēth kalends of Iune, to we••e: the XX. day of May, the three hundreth thirtye, and sixt yeare after the raygne of Alexander king of Macedonia. Thus was the councell broken vp, which being done we haue to learne that the emperour departed into the Easterne partes.

Notes

• ap. 13. in •• Greeke. Eutychianus though he was a noua∣tian, yet was he a rare mā, both for life, and learning. Auxanon a nouatian he∣reticke.
• Osius. Viton. Vincentius. Alexander. Eustathius. Macarius. Harpocratio Cynon.
• Anno 32•• some say 326. some 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the•• 328. Cap. 14. in. the Greeke.