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. XI.

The Apologie of Euagrius touching the varietie of opinions among the Christians, and of the ridiculous vanitie of the heathen godds.

I Would haue none of al the ethniks which dote ouer their idolatricall seruice to deride vs chri∣stians because the latter byshops haue abrogated the sentence of their predecessors and seme al∣wayes to add some thing vnto the forme of our faith. for we of our part though we sifte out with great care the long sufferance of God which may neither in worde be expressed, neither in deede be found out: yet are we so affectionated though we leane either to this side or to y^• side, y^t we always honor it & extol it aboue al other things. Neither was there any one of al the heretickes among the christians that of set purpose at any time would vtter blasphemy & fal of his owne accord to reuile the maiesty of God, but rather perswaded him self in auoutching this or that opinion, that therein he was of a sounder doctrine then the fathers that went before him. As touching the ground & prin∣ciples of Christian religion whiche alwayes ought vnuiolably be retained we are all of one opi∣nion. for the godhead which we adore is the trinitie & the persons whom we so highly praise are in vnity: the word of God also was begotten before y^• fundations of the world were laid, & we beleeue that in these latter dayes he tooke flesh because of the fauour and compassion he had on the worke of his owne hand. If in case that any nouelty be founde out as touchinge other matters they come to passe freely of mans owne accorde seeing it pleaseth God so to dispose of thē and to graunt them li∣berty to thinke as it pleaseth them best to the ende the holy, Catholicke, and Apostolicke Churche may reforme what is found amisse, determine of both sides, guyd vnto the true godlines, and direct her selfe according vnto the plaine character of sound and sincere doctrine. And therfore it was said of the Apostle: It must nedes be that heresies doe raigne among you, that they vvhich are perfect amonge you may be knovven. Herein verily we haue to wonder at the secret wisedome of God* 1.1 which sayth thus vnto S. Paule: My strength is made perfect in vveakenesse. For looke what the

things be which deuide the members of the Churche of God, euen out of the same, sound doctrine is culled out, void of al reprehension, polished more curiously, & laid vp more safely: the Catholicke church encreaseth therby more & more euery day & is extolled in manner vnto y^• skies. But the eth∣niks fauourers & fosterers of error which imploy no labour & industerie for y^• sifting out of y^• trueth in God, neyther to vnderstande of his care and prouidence ouer mankinde: these men I saye doe abolishe both their olde decrees and their newefounde constitutions, sometimes by inuentinge newe Gods one after the other, some other times by consecratinge for Gods their vayne im∣maginations, and the fonde affections of their mindes attributinge vnto them the names of Gods, and to be short by fatheringe vpon the Gods the practisinge of suche thinges to thende their intemperate desires may escape vnpunished. And therefore truely it commeth to passe that he which is honored of them for their chiefe God the father, to witte, of God and man, beinge* 1.2 transformed into the shape of an Egle snatched away through wantonnesse a Phrygian boye, de∣liuered him a cuppe in rewarde of the filthie and haynous offence, lycensed him for loue sake to beginne vnto him, to thende eyther of them ioyntly with the Nectar might sucke shame and re∣proche. The same God folded himselfe in other infinitt blemishes verye odious to the seeminge of the vulgar sort of people. for by takinge vpon him the forme of euerye vnreasonable creature, he became both male and female, and though his wombe bare no burthen, yet they saye he cau∣sed by the acte of venerie that suche a thinge seemed to haue bene done by him contrarye to na∣ture. * 1.3 They saye that Bacchus was his sonne, and that he was also Androgynus both man and woman, a great sclaunder to both sexe, the ringleader of dronkennesse, quaffinge, surfettinge, vomitinge and all the mischiefe that ensueth thereof. * 1.4 They report of this Aegiochus and thun∣deringe Ioue an other haynous acte, that he murthered his father, whiche crime ought seuerely to be punished of all the nations vnder heauen. * 1.5 For Saturne whiche begate him to his owne destruction is saide, by him to haue bene thrust out of his kingdome. What shall I speake of the whoredome and leacherie that raigneth amonge the Gods where they appoint Ʋenus Cypria be∣gotten in the shell of a fishe to be the chiefe autor thereof, whiche detesteth chastitie as an haynous and horrible offence, delighteth in all leacherous and beastly actes, and will be pacified with suche sacrifices. with whome when Mars had committed adulterie, and Vulcan her husband ta∣kinge him in his snares, Mars and Ʋenus were brought forth doinge the deede to pastime and re∣create the gods. * 1.6 Who is it that wil not contemne with laughter their Phalli, Ithyphalli, Phallago∣gia, the mishapen and deformed * 1.7 Priapus, the god * 1.8 Pan honored for his filthie member & the my∣steries celebrated in * 1.9 Eleusis, yet to be commended for this one thinge that the sunne beholdeth not their shamefull actes, for they are done in the night season. but leauinge these foule sacrifices and sacrificers, let vs returne where we lefte and painte forth vnto the posteritie that whiche re∣maineth of Theodosus raigne.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Corin. II 2. Corin. 12
• * 1.2

  The wanton nesse of Iup∣piter. This Phry∣gian boye was G••ny∣medes who Iuppiter made his cup bearer, in the bāquet which he made the gods. Nectar the drinke of the gods.
• * 1.3

  Bacchus the sonne of Iuppiter was an Herma∣phrodite.
• * 1.4

  Iuppiter thrust Satur∣nus his fa∣ther out of heauen.
• * 1.5

  Saturn{us} the sonne of Cae¦llus (as the Po¦ēts do fayne) fearinge lest his father shoulde get more children to inherite, cutte of his fathers pryuie members and cast them into the Sea, thereof rose a froth and of the froth Venus was borne.
• * 1.6

  Phalli and Ithyphalli vvere the pryuie members of men offered vp in honor of the god Bacchus.
• * 1.7

  Priapus the sonne of Venus gotten in adulterie by Iuppiter, and honored vvith beastly sacrifice.
• * 1.8

  Pan was the sonne of Penelope the vvise of vlysses. for vvhen as after the battell of Troie she looked still for her husband to returne, many vvere suters vnto her and because she delayed them from daye to daye they all abused her and got vpon her Pan. other doe saye that Mercurie tooke the forme of an he goat, made Penelope in loue with him and got the god Pan
• * 1.9

  In Eleusis there vvere sacrifices done in the honor of the goddesse Ceres so filthie that they may not be written.