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. XXXVI.

Of Siluanus who being Bishop of Philippopolis was remoued to Troas.

NOwe I thinke it not amisse to write a fewe lynes of Siluanus whome we sayd a litle before to haue bene translated from the bishoprick of Philippopolis in Thracia vnto Troas. This Siluanus first studied Rhetorick in the schoole of Troilus the Sophist: who though he was an earnest embracer of Christian religion and exercised the monasticall trade of liuing, yet wore he still the philosophicall habit. In processe of tyme Atticus the Bishop sent for him and made him Bishop of Philippopolis. who hauing continewed in Thracia the space of three yeares when he coulde no longer away with the pinching colde of that contrey (for he had a thinne and a weake bodye) he requested Atticus to substitute an other Bishop in his rowme, protestinge that he left Thracia for no other cause but onely to auoyde the extreame colde. Siluanus then hauing procured

an other bishop to succeede him, remayned at Constantinople and exercised continewally the mo∣nasticall trade and discipline▪ he was so farre from pride and hautines of stomack that often times in the thick assemblies and solemne meetings of the citizens he wore scandals and bus kin•• of twi∣sted haye Shortly after the Bishop of Troas departed this life, and immediatly the people Troes came to Constantinople for to seeke a Bishop. Atticus muzing with him selfe whome he might prefere to the rowme, Siluanus by chaunce came by: as soone as Atticus espied him, he ceassed to bethinke him selfe and turned vnto Siluanus with these wordes: thou mayst no longer excuse thy selfe but of necessity thou must take vpon thee the gouernment of the Church, for in Troas there is no chilling colde, beholde God hath prouided for the infirmitie of thy body a delectable and plea∣sant soyle, make no more adoe brother but in hast get thee to Troas. To be short Siluanus went thi∣ther. Here I thinke very well to lay downe the miracle which he wrought. A greate ship or hulke (for the bredth thereof called plate) being fraighted and laden with great pillours & newely made vpon the shore or rode of Troas, could not be drawen from the land to take sea, no, for all the Pilote together with a greate multitude of men drewe her with cable ropes she woulde not moue. When they had the space of many dayes assaid what they could doe and nothing preuayled, they thought verily that some deuill helde the hulke from mouing. Wherefore they went vnto Siluanus the Bi∣shop and request him to pray in that place, for so they hoped it woulde come to passe that the ship might be drawen into y^• sea▪ but he excused him self very modestly, sayd that he was a sinner, & told them that he could not helpe them, that it was the office of a iust man. But seeing they were so im∣portunate vpon him that they woulde not be answered, he came to the shore, there he prayed vnto God, tooke the rope by the ende and bad the rest doe their endeuour. The ship being shaken with a litle violence was brought by a litle and a litle into the mayne seae. This miracle which Siluanus wrought allured many of that prouince to embrace with feruent zeale the christian faith. Siluanus also expressed no lesse in other acts and dealings of his the good motion of his godly mind. When he perceaued that the clergie respected nothing but gaine in deciding the controuersies of their clients, he suffered thence forth none of the clergie to be iudge, but tooke the supplications and re∣quests of suters: appoynted one of the laytie whome for certainty he knewe to be a iust and a god∣ly man: gaue him the hearing of their causes and so ended quietly all contentions and quarells▪ for the aforesayd causes Siluanus became renowmed and famous among all men. Thus farre of Sil∣uanus, & though we may seeme herein to haue digressed, yet haue we remembred such things as may tende to the profitt & commoditie of the reader. But now let vs returne where we left. When Maximianus was chosen Bishop of Constantinople in the Consulship of Bassus and Antiochus, the church enioyed peace and quietnes.

Notes

• Cap. 37. in the Greeke.