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. VII.

How that Eunomius after the deposition of Eleusuis the Macedonian, was made Bishop of Cyzicum. The originall of Eunomius, and how that he being the scribe of Acti∣us the Atheist followed his stepps.

WHen the sormer deposition was hearde of, the Bishop of Constantinople those Euno∣mius to be Bishop of Cyzicum, who being an eloquent man, was thought able with his gift of persuasion easily to induce them to embrace his opinion. After that Eunomius was come thither, the Emperour sent his commaundement that Eleusius shoulde be remoued, and Eunomius placed in his rowme. Whereupon the fauorers of Eleusius buylded them a church with∣out the walls of the citie, and there had their priuate conuenticles. but of Eleusius so farre. And* 1.1 now let vs returne vnto Eunomius. This Eunomius was a scribe of Aetius, who was surnamed the Atheist, of whome we spake before. And liuing with this Aetius he learned of him captious falla∣ces and quircks of Logick, the which Sophisters doe highly embrace and exercised him self ther∣in continewally. Moreouer he was delighted with vayne speaches and epithetons: he learned vn∣aduisedly

to frame sophisticall arguments: he tooke great pride therein and ranne headlong into o∣pen blaspemy. he embraced the heresie of Arius and impugned the trueth in Christ. And although he was in maner ignorant as toutching holy Scripture and the vnderstanding thereof: yet was he able to decline the words and vary the phrase, but he coulde neuer attaine vnto the marke he shot at, as his seuen bookes of commentaries vpon the epistle of S. Paul vnto the Romaines foolishly written doe declare. When he had vttered many dayne and friuolous expositions of that epistle, his capacity could not comprise neither attaine vnto the drift of the Apostle. There are extant cer∣taine other bookes of his not vnlike the former, the which if any be disposed to peruse, he shall finde many words, but litle matter. It was this Eunomius that Eudoxius preferred to the bishopricke of Cyzicum. When as he after his wonted maner fedd the eares of his auditors out of the pulpitt w^t sophisticall arguments and reasons of Logick, he amazed his auditory, so that thereupon there was raysed a great tumult at Cyzicum. for the citizens of Cyzicum when they coulde not away w^t his arrogant and insolent maner of preaching, they banished him their citie. Thence he gott him to Constantinople, liued with Eudoxius and playd the Bishop no longer. Yet lest we seeme in the way of sclaunder onely to report these thinges of him, let vs heare the blasphemous wordes of Eu∣nomius him selfe, wherewith most impiously after his Sophisticall maner he derogated from the maiesty of Almighty God. he sayd as followeth: God of his owne essence vnderstandeth no more* 1.2 then we doe, neither is the same better knowen or vnderstoode of him then of vs: and whatsoeuer we knowe of it, the same knoweth he, and looke what his capacitie reacheth vnto, the same thou shalt finde in vs. These and many other such lewde fallacies linked Eunomius together, but after what sorte he fell from the Arians, I will hereafter declare.

Notes

• * 1.1

  •…•…nomius is the •…•…be of Aë∣•…•…s the he∣•…•…ck.
• * 1.2

  The blasphe mies of Eu∣nomius the heretick.