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

The proëme of Eusebius to his Historye.

THE successions of the holy Apostles, together vvith the tymes* 1.1 from our Sauiour vnto vs hither to continevved, and those things vvhich are sayd to be done, according vnto the Ecclesiasticall hi∣storye, vvhat they are, hovve greate, and vvho decently haue go∣uerned the Churche, specially in the most famous prouinces: also vvho in all ages haue set forth the heauenly doctrine, eyther by preaching, or by vvriting: and agayne vvhat men, hovve many, & vvhen through desire of noueltye, and error, falling into extre∣mityes, haue published them selues Authors of knovvledge falsely so called, & cruelly rent a sunder as rauening vvolues, the flocke of Christ: moreouer vvhat euils forthvvith haue fallen vpon the vvhole••ation of the Ievves, because of their con∣spiracye against our Sauiour: and againe hovvmany, by vvhat meanes, and in vvhat times the vvorde hath bene of the Gentils striuen against, and vvhat singuler men in all tymes, haue passed and gone throughe bitter conflicts for his name sake, euen by sheding of their bloode, and suffring of torments, and beside▪ all this, the martyrdomes done in our tyme, together vvith the mercifull and comfortable ayde of our Sauiour, tovvardes euery one louingly exhibited: I determining to publishe in vvriting, vvill not beginne of any o∣ther* 1.2 place my entraunce, then of the first order in doinge or dispensation of our Sauiour and Lorde Iesus Christ▪ but truely the circumstance it selfe, euen in the beginning cra∣ueth pardon, being greater then our strength can sustayne. I confesse in deede that vvhich vve promise, to be absolute, and that vvhich vve professe to omitte nothing, to be a thinge incomprehensible. For vve first taking this argument in hande, endeuoringe to treade a solitary and vntroden vvaye, praying that God may be our guyde, and the povv∣er of our Lorde and Sauiour, our present helper and ayder: yet can vve no vvhere finde as much as the bare steppes of suche as haue passed the same path before vs, hauinge onely sma•••• shevves and tokens, vvherevvith diuers here and there in their seueral tymes haue lefte vnto vs particuler declarations as it vvere certaine sparcles, vvhilest that they lift their voyces from farre, and from aboue, from vvhence, as from an highe place and inuisible, crying as out of a certayne vvatchtovver horne, vvhat vvaye vve ought to goe, and hovve to directe vvithout error and daunger the vvay and order of our talke. vvhatsoeuer thinges therefore vve thinke profitable for this present argument, choosing those thinges vvhich of them are here and there mentioned, and as it vvere culling and gathering the commodious and fitt sentences of such as haue vvritten of olde, as flovv∣res out of medovves bedecked vvith reason, vve vvill endeuour in shevving the vvay of historye, to compact the same as it vvere into one body, being also desirous to retayne

from obliuion the successions, althoughe not of all, yet of the most famous Apostles of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Sauiour, according vnto the Churches most notable, and yet freshe had in memorye. I sup∣pose* 1.3 verily that I haue taken in hand an argument very necessary, because that I haue fou•••• no vvhere any Ecclesiasticall •…•…ter, vvhich in this behalfe vnto this day, hath imployed any parte of diligence. I hope 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it vvilbe a very profitable vvorke for the studious, th••* 1.4 is earnenestly sett to knovve the vtilitie of this historye. And of these thinges heretofore, vvhen that I compiled certayne Chronicall Canons, I vvrote an Epitome, but the more ample declaration thereof, I thought good to reserue vntill this pre∣sent▪ and the beginning (as I sayd) vvill I take of the dispensation and diuinity of our Sauiour Christ, higher and deeper to be consi∣dered, then that vvhich concernes his humanity, for it is requisite for him that comitteth to vvri∣ting an Ecclesiastical historye, thence to be∣ginne, euen from the chiefe dispensation of Christ, & deuiner then it seemeth to many, in so much that of him vve are termed Chri∣stians.

[illustration]

T. V.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The argu∣ment of this Eccle siasticall history.
• * 1.2

  VVhere Eusebius beginne•• his histo•…•…▪ The diffi∣culty the•• of.
• * 1.3

  The neces∣sity.
• * 1.4

  The vtility