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. XXXVII.

Of the Iewes in Crete how they were deceaued, and in the ende perceauing their folly, embraced the Christian faith.

ABout that time many Ievves inhabiting Crete, receaued the Christian faith being brought thereunto by such a calamitie as followeth. A certayne Iewe being a subtill knaue fayned himself to be Moses and said that he came downe from heauen for to leade the Ievves which inhabited that Isle through the seae into the firme and mayne lande: that he was the same who of olde did safe conduyte Israel through the redde seae. For the space of one whole yeare he did nothinge else but wander from one cytye to the other throughout the Isle, vsinge all meanes possible to perswade the Ievves which dwelled there to creditt him, and exhorting them to leaue all their wealthe and substance behynde them▪ for he promysed to brynge them through the seae drye footed into the lande of promise. When that he had bewytched them with suche vayne and deceatefull hope, they left their worke and trade of life: they sett nought by their wealthe and substance: and they gaue lycence to him that lysted for to possesse them. When the daye ap∣poynted of the false Ievve for the voyage was come, he led them the waye, all the rest beganne to followe after together with women and children▪ he brought them to a certayne mountayne whiche laye as it were an elbowe into the seae warde and thence he bad them caste them selues in∣to the seae. Wherefore such as firste came vnto the fall did so, wherof some were crushed tumbling downe the hyll, some other were drowned in the seae and dyed immediatly, it woulde haue cost many more theyr liues had not the prouydence of God prouyded better for them. For as God

would there were nigh them many Christians whereof some were fishermen, and some other mar∣chants, they drewe vp some which were almost choked vp with water & saued their liues who be∣ing in this lamentable plight acknowledged their folly: they stayd others frō plunging thēselues in the waues of the seae, laying before their eyes y^e death of the Iewes which leade them the daūce. They perceaued then the guyle, they blamed them selues for being so credulous, they went about to kill the counterfait Moses. But they could not catch him for he conueyed him selfe priuely from among thē. Whereupon diuerse men did coniecture that it was a deuell, which endeuored by boro¦wing the shape of man to destroy y^• natiō, & vtterly to roote the Iewes from of the face of the earth. Wherefore y^• calamity schooled the Iewes which inhabited Crete, made thē for sake Iudaisme, and cleaue vnto the Christian faith.