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.* 1.1

Of the conference had betwene Iohn Bishop of Constantinople and Sisinius the Nouatian.

HEre occasion is offred to say somewhat of Sisinius. A man he was (as I haue remembred often times before) very eloquent and a profounde Philosopher: and as he was a skilfull disputer so was he also a cunning interpretor of holy scripture, so that for his notable witt Eunomius the heretick refused oftentimes to reason with him. He was no spare man of diett but li∣berall and a great spender, yet with good order and temperancie. He seemed riotous & to exceede in sensualitie partly in that he arayed him selfe in white, and partly for bayning him selfe twise a day. When he was demaunded on a certaine time why he being a Bishop bayned him selfe twise a day, his answere was: because I can not doe it the thirde tyme. At an other time going of reue∣rence to visite Arsacius the Bishop, one of Arsacius familiars asked of him why he vsed such atyre as was vncomely for a Bishop? and where he founde written that a Priest ought to weare white?

tell thou me (sayth he) first where it is written that a Bishop shoulde weare black. And when as the other muzed what answere he shoulde make, Sisinius preuented him and sayd: thou art not a∣ble to shewe me that a Bishop ought to goe in black, but I am able to alleadg Solomon for my selfe where he sayth: let thy garments be white. Againe our Sauiour as we reade in the Gospell wore* 1.2 white, and moreouer he shewed vnto his Apostles Moses and Helias clad in white. With these and other such like answers he brought all that heard him into great admiration. When that Leontius Bishop of Ancyra in Galatia the lesser had depriued the Nouatians of a certaine Church and then as it fell out remayned at Constantinople, Sisinius went vnto him requesting him to restore them their Church againe: Leontius in a great chafe made him this answere: It is pity that you No∣uatians shoulde enioy ere a Church insomuch you take away repentance and depriue men of the benefitts which God hath bestowed vpon them. After that Leontius had vttered these with other such like sentences to the reprehension of the Nouatians, Sisinius replied: no man repenteth more then I. why sayth Leontius and how doest thou repent? because sayth Sisinius that euer I saw thee. Againe when Iohn the Bishop had taunted him and sayde that one citie coulde not holde two Bi∣shops, his answere was, no more it doth not. Iohn taking this answere in ill part sayd againe, I see thou wilt be Bishop alone: Not so (sayth Sisinius) but with thee alone I am not Bishop though o∣thers doe so take me. Iohn being grieued with this answere tolde him againe: I will forbid thee to preache for thou art an hereticke. Sisinius replyed mearily in this sorte: then will I doe thee a good turne if thou ease me of so great a labour. Iohn was somewhat pleased with that answere and sayd: Nay then I will not stay thee from preaching if it be a griefe vnto thee. so witty and so pleasaunt was Sisinius in his answeres, it were to longe to rehearse all his pithye sayinges and sage an∣swers. Wherefore I thinke it sufficient in these fewe lynes to declare what kinde of man he was. Thus much further I am able to auouteh that by the report of all men he excelled for learning all the Bishops which succeeded him, count all one after an other: and therefore was he much made of and in great estimation, yea the chiefe Senatours made great accompt of him and had his ver∣tues in admiration. And for all he wrote many bookes and furnished them with rhetoricall phrases and poeticall sentences: yet was he commended more for pronouncinge then for penning. for he had a notable grace in his countenance, voyce, behauiour, & loke, with all other his bodily gestures for the which he was honored of all seets and religions, but aboue all others of Atticus Bishop of Constantinople. So farre by occasion of Sisinius.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cap. 22 in the Greeke.
• * 1.2

  E••••••••••iasie••. 9. Iu••••. 9.