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. XX.

Howe that Arians with Arians, Nouatians with Nouatians, together with other heretickes fell out among them selues. This title is specially handled in the 22. and the 23. chapiters followinge.

I Thinke it necessarie to laye downe in writinge such thinges as fell out amonge others also, I meane the Arians, Nouatians, Macedonians, and Eunomians. For the church being once deuided, rested not vpon one schisme and diuision, but men fell out amonge them selues, one seuered him selfe from an other, vpon lyght and tryflinge occasion they brake asunder the bonde of loue and a∣mitie. Wherefore how, when, and vpon what occasion they varyed, I am nowe about to declare. Firste of all we haue to learne, that Theodosius molested none of all the aforesayde sects, Euno∣mius onely excepted: whome the Emperour exiled because he raysed conuenticles at his priuate house with in Constantinople, published abroade certaine lewde bookes of his owne, and infected many with the filth of his hereticall opinion. He disquieted not the rest, neither constrayned them to his communion, but licenced euery of them to frequent seuerall conuenticles, to embrace what opinion liked them best in christian religion. And as he gaue leaue vnto all other sects for to erect them churches without the walls in the suburbes: so he commaunded that the Nouatians (as we sayde before) maintayninge together with him the faith of One substance, shoulde freely without disturbance and molestation, enioy and recouer their former churches within the cities of whome nowe occasion is ministred to vtter a fewe lynes, the which I will briefly runne ouer. * 1.1 Agelius was byshop of the Nouatian churche at Constantinople the space of fortie yeares, that is (as I sayde before) from the raygne of Constantine, vnto the sixt yeare of Theodosius. At his last ende he appoynted Sisinius to succeede him in the bishopricke, a priest of his owne church, and a man very well seene in prophane literature, trayned vp in philosophie together with Iulian the Emperour vnder Maximus the philosopher. And when the Nouatians charged Agelius for appoynting them Sisinius and not Marcianus, who was a godly man, by whose meanes they were rid from trouble &* 1.2 molestation in the time of Valens: he for to pacifie their heate, and to satis••••e their minde, assigned Marcianus vnto them. In a while after, although he was very weake, yet went he into the church, and sayd thus vnto the people: Immediatly after my desease you shall haue Marcianus to your bi∣shop, after Marcianus, Sisinius. When he had sayde thus, he tooke his leaue of them, and not longe* 1.3 after dyed. But Marcianus beyng byshop of the Nouatians, their church was deuided vpon such* 1.4 an occasion as followeth. Sabbatius a certaine Iewe embraced Christian religion, whome Marci∣anus preferred to the function of priesthood, notwithstanding his conuersion and preferment he sa∣uored of the old infection, and addicted him selfe vnto Jewishe obseruations, neither was he onely cōtented with this, but nedes he would be made a bishop. Wherfore after that he had gotten of his side a coople of priests, men of like disposition and aspiring mindes, by name Theoctistus and Ma∣carius, he went about to reuiue the time and maner of solemnizing the feast of Easter, euen as (ac∣cording vnto our former relation) the Nouatians attempted vnder Valens at Pazus, a peltinge vil∣lage of Phrygia. And though at the first he seuered him selfe from the church, vnder pretence & co∣lour of the monasticall trade of life, affirminge that certaine men were stumbling blocks vnto his conscience, whome he thought vnworthy of the holy mysteries: yet in processe of time whilest that he raised priuate conuenticles, his drift was manifestly perceaued. Marcianus vnderstandinge of this, misliked very much w^t him selfe that he had not taken better aduisement in geuing of orders, y^• he had preferred such vayneglorious persons & aspiring minds vnto the function of priesthoode: he fretted within him selfe for anger, and wished that his hāds had bene set vpon pricking thornes* 1.5 when they were layde vpon Sabbatius heade. To be short, he summoned a councell of Nouatian bi∣shops at Angaris the mart towne of Bithynia▪ adioyning vnto Helenopolis: he cited Sabbatius to appeare before them, and expostulated w^t him in presence of the councell, the cause that gaue him occasion of offence. As soone as he had pleaded for him selfe, the variance toutchīg y^• celebration of Easter to haue layen vpon his stomack (for he was of y^t opinion y^t therein it behoued thē to obserue the Jewishe custome, and the order prescribed by such as afore that time met for the same cause at Pazus) the bishops suspecting that he had enterprised the same in hope of a bishoprick, made him sweare that he would neuer take vpon him to be bishop. When he had taken his ••th, they read to

him the Canon contayninge a matter of indifferencie, that it was not a sufficient cause to part a∣sunder the vnitie of the church about the celebration of Easter: and that their assemblie at Pazus, was no preiudice vnto the generall canon. They sayd moreouer that the elderswhich immediatly succeeded the Apostles, varied among them selues about this feast, yet brake not asunder y^• bonde of vnitie: and that the Nouatians inhabitinge the princely citie of Rome, for all they neuer retay∣ned the maner of the Iewes, but alwayes kept Easter after the Aequinoctiall space, yet communi∣cated notwithstanding with such as were of the same faith, & obserued a contrary custome. When they had vsed these and other such like reasons to the same purpose, at length they concluded, that the canon of Easter was an indifferent matter: that it was lawfull thenceforth for euery one to ce∣lebrate that feaste euen as he had aforetyme determined with him selfe: moreouer there was a prouiso layde downe for the remouinge of dissention, that if some varyed about the celebration of Easter, notwithstanding they shoulde be at vnitie and concorde in the churche of God. These thinges were then in this sort layde downe of them for the rootinge out of variance from amonge them about the celebration of Easter. Sabbatius beynge bounde with an oth, for all the celebrati∣on of that feaste was variable and diuers, was before hande with them alone for fastinge and vi∣gils, for he kept Easter vpon the saturdaye: yet mette he the daye followinge with others in the churche, and was partaker together with them of the holie mysteries. That dyd he for the space of many yeares, and therefore coulde not be concealed from infinite multitudes of men. By occa∣sion whereof many simple and ignorant soules, especially in Phrygia and Galatia, hopinge ve∣rylie to be iustified thereby, became earnest followers of him, and obserued in secrete his cele∣bration of Easter. In the ende Sabbatius raysed priuate conuenticles, and forgetting the othe he had taken, was chosen byshop (as hereafter shall more manifestly appeare) of suche as addicted themselues to his kinde of discipline.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cap. 21. in the greeke. Agelius.
• * 1.2

  Marcianus.
• * 1.3

  Sisinius.
• * 1.4

  Sabbatius.
• * 1.5

  A Councell of Nouatian bishops at Angaris.