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. X.

Howe the Emperour when his sonne Arcadius was created Augustus summoned together a Synode of all sectes and opinions: He banished all here∣tickes the Nouatians onely excepted because they embraced the fayth of one substance.

WHen the Arians were banished the churches the flame of tumult and schisme flashed a∣bout in euery congregation. I can not chuse but wonder at the Emperours aduise and pollicy therein. For he suffred not this seditiō to raigne very long throughout y^• cities, but with speede he summoned a councell charging that all sects & opiniōs whatsoeuer should meet together, supposinge verily that by conference and communication had betwene them selues they would at length be brought to establish one faith and opinion. The which drift and good meaning of his as I suppose was cause & directer of all his prosperous successes. For then it fel out through the prouidence & procurement of almighty God that all the Barbarians were at peace within his dominions, rebelled not at all but yelded themselues vnto the Emperiall seepter, for example A∣thanarichus the valiaunt captaine of the Gotthes came in withall his power & shortly after died at Constantinople. The Emperour created Arcadius his sonne Augustus in y^• seconde Consulship of Merogandus & the first of Saturninus the sixteenth of Ianuarie. shortly after all bishops of euery sect out of all prouinces came thither in y^• sayd Cōsulship but the moneth of Iune. The Emperour sent for Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople, reasoned with him howe he might rid y^• Christiā religiō of y^• discorde & dissention, howe it were possible to reduce y^• church vnto vnitie: he sayd further that y^• controuersies & quarells which molested y^• quiete state of y^• church & rent asunder y^• membres of Christ were to be sifted out & y^• punishments to light vpō their pates y^• were founde the authors of schisme and disturbers of peace & quietnes. Nectarius hearing of this was wonderfull sadd & pen∣siue: he called vnto him Agelius the Nouatiā Bishop who embraced together w^t him y^• faith of one substāce & opened vnto him y^• mind & purpose of y^• Emperour. He although otherwise a rare & sin∣guler man yet was he no body in controuersies of religion & disputation of ecclesiasticall matters

but appointed Sisinius a reader of his church to reason with them in his steade. Sisinius an eloquent man, well experienced in all thinges, askilfull interpretor of holy Scripture, a notable Philoso∣pher, knowinge full well that disputations woulde not onely not reconcile schismes, but also fire the slymie matter of contention raygning in the rotten bowells of heretickes: therefore he aduised Nectarius in this sorte: that it was not best to deale with them logicall wise with the frubushinge of schoole pointes, but to lay flat before them the formes of faith established by our auncetors (he knewe of a surety that the Elders had taken heede lest they should assigne vnto the sonne of God a begininge of essence, because they were of the opinion that the sonne of God was coeternall with the father) and that the Emperour shoulde demaunde of the ringleaders of the hereticks whether they made any accompt of those aunciente fathers who gouerned the church godly and prudentely before the schisme and diuision, or whether they condemned thē as aliens and farre estraunged frō the Christian faith? If they reiect them, then let them boldely pronounce them accursed: & if they presume so bolde an enterprise, then will the common people crie out against them. This beinge done the trueth after such triall no doubt will preuayle. If they reiect not the auncient fathers thē let vs alleadge theyr workes and wrytinges and confirme the matter in controuersie out of them. Nectarius beinge thus counselled by Sisinius gotte him with speede vnto the Emperoures pallace, made the Emperour priuey vnto these circumstances. He thinketh well of the aduise and compas∣seth the matter circumspectly. At the first he concealed his drift & required of them to tell him whe¦ther they esteemed and allowed of the fathers which gouerned the churche before the diuision, or no? When as they confessed as much in effect and sayd that they highly reuerenced them for their maisters: the Emperoure demaunded of them againe whether they woulde be tried by theyr testi∣monies toutchinge the true and right faith? the sectes and factious Bishoppes together with the Logicians then presente (for they had broughte with them many well prepared for disputation) hearinge this, knewe not what answer to make. They were deuided amonge themselues, while that some helde with the Emperoure and some other affirmed that it was altogether contrarye to their mind and purpose, for y^• diuerse opinion they conceaued of the aunciēt fathers distracted their mindes one from the other. So that not onely the opinion was diuerse among contrary sects, but such as were of one opiniō were deuided among themselues. Wherefore theyr linked malice was no otherwise then the confuse language of those auncient Giaunts and the turret of theyr spitefull* 1.1 muention was turned downe to the ground. When the Emperour vnderstoode of their manifolde dissentiō & that they buylded not vpon y^• auncient fathers exposition of the faith, but trusted to their sophisticall quirckes of Logicke, dealt an other way with them, & bad euery sect lay downe theyr faith and opinion in wrytinge. Then the principall of euery secte tooke penne in hande and wrote his opinion. There was a daye appointed for the purpose. All the Bishoppes beinge called mette at the Emperours pallace. There came thither Nectarius and Agelius fauoringe the faith of one substance: Demophilus of the Arians: Eunomius himselfe in the name of the other Eu∣nomians* 1.2 and Eleusius Bishop of Cyzicum for the Macedonians. First of all the Emperour salu∣teth them rurteously: next he receaued euery ones wryting: then he went a side & lockt in himselfe: sell downe vpon his knees and prayed vnto God that he woulde asist him in the choice and reuea∣ling of the trueth. Last of all hauing perused euery ones opinion he condemned and tore in peeces all such Creedes as derogated from the vnitie which is in the blessed Trinitie: he allowed & high∣ly commended onely of all the rest, the Creede containing the clause of one substance. This was the cause that the Nouatians were fauored and thenceforth suffred to celebrate their wōted assem∣blies within the walles of the citie. The Emperoure wonderinge at their consente and harmonie toutching y^• faith, made a lawe that they should enioy their owne churches w^t securitie, and y^• their churches should haue such priuiledgs as the other churches of the same opinion & faith were wont to haue. The Bishops of other sectes because there raigned amonge themselues mutuall discorde and dissentiō they were set at nought of the people committed to their owne charge. Who though at their departure they were all soroweful & pensiue, yet fell they a cōforting of their charge by let¦ters: exthorting them not to shrinke at all from them because many had left them and fell to embra∣cinge the faith of one substance. For many were called but fewe chosen. This they vttered not when y^• greatest parte of the people cleaued vnto the higher power and zealously embraced their faith. Yet for all this were not they which held the faith of one substance voyd of disturbance and molestation. For the controuersie that sell out in the churche of Antioch deuided such as were of the councell into two, factions for the Aegyptians, Arabians, & Cyprians held together, & thought

good to remoue Flauianus out of the Bishops seae of Antioch: but the Palaestinians, Phoeniciās, & Syrians tooke his parte. The issue & end of this controuersie I will lay downe in an other place.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈…〉〈…〉. 11.
• * 1.2

  The zeale of the Empe∣rour Theo∣dosius for the siftinge out of the trueth.