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. XXI.* 1.1

How the Macedonians and Acacians assembling at Antioche, confirmed with their subscriptions the Nicene Creede.

THe Christian affaires were not as yet pacified, neither enioyed they a quiet ende. For such as were ringleaders of contrary factions gott them vnto the Emperour, hopinge that he would geue them free libertie to feede & foster among them selues the fiery humour of con∣tention, & licence to deale sediciously w^t their aduersaries. And first of all y^• Macedonians exhibite vnto him a supplication where they request that such as auoutch the vnlikenes & dissimilitude be∣twene the sonne & the father should be banished y^• church, & thē selues substituted in their rowmes. The authors of this supplication were Basilus bishop of Ancyra, Siluanus bishop of Tarsus, So∣phronius bishop of Pompeiopolis, Pasinicus bishop of Zenum, Leontius bishop of Comanum, Cal∣licrates* 1.2 bishop of Claudiopolis, & Theophilus bishop of Castabala. The Emperour receauīg their supplication gaue them no answere at all, but sent thē away w^t these words. I tell you truely I cā not away w^t contention, but such as embrace vnitie & concord, I doe both honor & reuerence them. These words of y^• Emperour cōming to y^•eares of other contentious persons, delayd the heate of sedition y^• was kindled amōg them, which fell out right as the Emperour had wished. Againe at y^• time also the behauiour of y^e Acacians, a busie kind of bodies, a sect wonderfull seditious was per∣ceaued: a kind of people they are alwaies applying them selues according vnto the vaynes of the Emperours. These men assemble them selues at Antioch in Syria together with Meletius, who a litle before had seuered him selfe from their communion, they creepe to familiaritie & conference with him. The cause that moued them therevnto was, for that they sawe him in great estimation with the Emperour, who then made his abode at Antioche. They frame a supplication amonge them selues with vniforme cōsent of them all: They acknowledge the faith of One substance: they ratifie the Nicene creede: They exhibite vnto y^• Emperour their supplication cōtayning y^• forme* 1.3 as followeth. Vnto our most holy and gratious lorde Iouianus, victorious, puisant, Augustus: the councell of bishops assembled at Antioch out of sundry prouinces, send greeting in the Lorde. VVe haue experience & tryall sufficient (most holy Emperour) howe that your graces highnes with great industrie endeuoureth to establishe peace & vnitie in the church of God: neither are we ignorant howe that your prudent aduice thinketh no lesse then that the forme of the catho∣licke faith will preuayle very much to the furtherance and confirmation of the aforesayde vnitie and concorde. Therefore lest we should be numbred among the corrupters of the true and syn∣cere character of Christian doctrine: we thought good to let your maiestie vnderstand that we both allowe and retaine vnuiolably the Creede confirmed of old in the holy & sacred councell of Nice: sithence that the clause of One substance (according vnto some mens thinkinge vnadui∣sedly layde downe) is very well interlaced of the fathers, interpreted and expounded both with commodious phrases, and fitt epithetons: the which exposition sheweth forth the sonne to be begotten of the fathers substance: to be like vnto the father according vnto his substance: that

no passion ought to be conceaued in his inexplicable generation: that the word Substance was not vsed of the holie fathers in that sense which the Graecians take it, but to the ouerthrowe of the poysoned doctrine which the blasphemous mouth of Arius endeuoured to establishe, say∣ing that Christ had his originall of nothinge: that also these Anomoians affirming (by interpre∣tation) the sonne to be vnlike the father, who lately stept vp, auoutched more impudent and levvde doctrine to the ouerthrovve of the ecclesiasticall peace and vnitie. VVherfore vve haue thought good to annexe vnto this our supplication, vvherein our censure and opinion is layde* 1.4 downe, the forme of faith (which we honor and reuerence) decreed by the bishops assembled at Nice. It beginnes as followeth: VVe beleeue in one God the father almightie, &c. contay∣ning throughout very sounde and substantiall doctrine. I Meletius bishop of Antioch, doe sub∣scribe and allowe of all the parts and parcells of the aforesayde supplication and creede aboue written. Euen so doe I Eusebius bishop of Samosata, Euagrius bishop of Sicilia, Vranius bishop of Apamea, Zoilus bishop of Larissae, Acacius bishop of Caesarea, Antipater bishop of Rosse, Abramius bishop of Vria, Aristonicus bishop of Seleucobelus, Barlamenus bishop of Perga∣mus, Vranius bishop of Melitine, Magnus bishop of Chalcedon, Eutychius bishop of Eleuthe∣ropolis, Isacocis bishop of Armenia the greater, Titus bishop of Bostra, Peter bishop of Sipus, Pelagius bishop of Laodicea, Arabianus bishop of Antros, Piso bishop of Adana, by his sub∣stitute Lamydrio the elder, Sabinianus byshop of Zeugma, Athanasius byshop of Ancyra by his substitutes Orphitus and Atetius the elders, Irenio byshop of Gaza, Piso bishop of Augusta, Patricius byshop of Paltum by his substitute Lamyrio the elder, Anatolius byshop of Beroea, Theotimus byshop of Arabia, and Lucianus byshop of Arce. This supplication haue we founde in the booke of Sabinus intituled The collection of the Councells. The Emperour who determi∣ned with him selfe to pacifie with gentle and curteous languages all quarelles and contention, made answere that he woulde not molest any, what faith or religion soeuer they professed, but aboue all others that he woulde honour and reuerence such as shewed them selues peacemakers, and went about to mayntayne the bonde of vnitie and concorde. Themistius the philosopher doth* 1.5 report these thinges in this sort of him. For in the oration intituled Consul, the which he wrote of him, he extolleth him vnto the skies, because that in grauntinge euery man free choyce and li∣bertie to professe this or that kinde of religion, he stopped the mouthes of all flattering parasites and sycophants, which kinde of men (sayeth he nyppinge wyse) as it is knowen vnto the whole world, worship not the kinge of heauen, but the earthly crowne and scepter, much like vnto Eu∣ripus caryed headlong some times this way, some times that way.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cap. 25. in the Greeke.
• * 1.2

  Iouianus the Emperour coulde not away with contentious persons.
• * 1.3

  The suppli∣cation of the Acacians as∣sembled at the councell of Antioch vnto the Em∣perour Ioui∣anus.
• * 1.4

  The subscri∣ption of the bishops.
• * 1.5

  Flatterers are likened vnto the sea Euri∣pus which ebbeth and floweth seuē times a day.