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. XXXI.

Howe the monks of Palaestina wrote vnto Alcison of Xenaias the monke and others.

THe monks of Palaestina wrote vnto Alcison toutching Macedonius and Flanianus in such sort* 1.1 as followeth. VVhen Peter had departed this life, Alexandria, Aegypt and Libya were at variance among them selues, & other c••ūtreis of the East contended within them selues: for the west Churches would in no wise cōmunicate with them saue vnder this condition, that they would accurse Nestorius, Eutyches, Dioscorus, Peter syrnamed Moggus and Acacius. VVher∣fore seeing the churches throughout the worlde, were at this pointe, the fauourers of Dioscorus and Eutyches were brought to a narrow rowme. And now being as it were euerie one rooted & weeded from of the face of the earth, one Xenaias after the Etymologie of his name far estraun∣ged from God, we knowe not what wicked fiende had bewitched his minde, or what malice he owed vnto Flauianus, vnder cloke of religion (as report goeth) he made an insurrection a∣gaynst him and charged him with the here••ie of Nestorius. VVhen he had accursed Nestorius with his hereticall opinion, he lefte him and turned to Dioscorus, and Theodorus and Theodo∣ritus, and Ibas, and Cyrus, and Eutherius, and Iohn, and to others, we wot not who, neyther out of what countreye: of whiche number some in very deede were Nestorians, some others to auoyde the suspition of that heresie, accursed Nestorius, and returned vnto the Churche. Vnlesse thou accurse, (••••yd Xenaias) all these whiche sauour of Nestorius fylthye sinke of hereticall doctrine, thou thy selfe shalt seeme to be of Nestorius opinion, although thou accurse both him and his doctrine, yea a thousande ty••••es. The same Xenaias moreouer dealte by letters both wyth the complices of Dioscorus and the fauourers of Eutyches, perswadinge them to holde wyth him againste Flauianus, not that they shoulde accurse the Councell, but onelye the persons aboue named. After Flauianus the Byshope had wythstoode them a longe whyle, and sawe that o∣thers h••ld with Xenaias against him, namely Ele••sinus Byshop of some city or other, within Cap¦padocia the less, Nicias byshop of Laodicea in Syria with others of other countreis (whose ac∣cusations proceeding of abiect mindes we will passe ouer with silence, and geue others leaue to report them) at length remembring him selfe, they would be pacified, if the aforesaide persons were accursed, yelded vnto them. And after he had condemned those men with his owne hand he wrote vnto the Emperour, for these men had set him vp against Flauianus, as if he had beene patrone of Nestorius heresie. Neyther was Xenaias satisfied with this, but agayne required Flauianus to condemne both the Councell and suche as affyrmed there were two natures in Christe, the one humane, the other diuine, who for refusinge to doe this, is charged a freshe wyth Nestorius opinion. Last of all after much adoe, when the patriarch had published a forme of faith where he had vnfainedly geuen to vnderstand that the councell as toutching the depri∣uation of Nestorius and Eutyches was to be approued, but not for their decree of the faith & do∣ctrine: they threaten to take him in hand againe, as one that secretly sauored of Nestorius, vnlesse he woulde accurse both the Councell it selfe, and them that affirmed there were two natures

in Christe, one diuine, the other humane. Moreouer with flatterie and fallacies they allured the Isaurians to their side, & patched together a forme of fayth wherin they accursed both the coū∣cell, and suche as affirmed there were two natures in Christe: in the ende deuided them selues from Flauianus, and Macedonius, and ioyned with them, who had subscribed vnto that patched fayth. In the meane space they requested the Byshop of Ierusalem to laye downe his fayth in writinge, the whiche he did, and sent it by the faction of Dioscorus vnto the Emperour. This* 1.2 fayth at length with shame inough they brought forth, accursinge suche as saide there were two natures in Christ. But the byshop of Ierusalem charged them they had corrupted his faith, wrote an other where there was no suche accurse: But no maruell at all, for they haue corrupted of∣tentimes the bookes and writinges of the holye fathers, by chaunginge their titles and inscrip∣tions, and fatheringe the workes of Apollinarius the hereticke vpon Athanasius, Gregorie the renowmed, and Iulius, snaringe many of the simple people with these their wiles and subtlety in their hereticall opinions. They craued also of Macedonius they might see his beliefe in wri∣tinge, who protested he onely allowed the fayth published of olde at Nice by three hundred and eyghteene holye fathers, and afterwardes ratified at Constantinople, accursinge Nestorius, Eutyches, wyth suche as sayde there were two sonnes, or two Christes, or deuided the natures: yet spake he not a worde of the Ephesine Councell, whiche deposed Nestorius, neyther of the Chalcedon Councell, whiche depriued Eutyches. VVherefore the Monkes of Constantino∣ple were wonderfully moued with this, and deuided them selues from Macedonius. All this while Xenaias and Dioscorus hauinge linked vnto their side manye other Byshops, behaued them selues intollerably towardes suche as woulde not accurse whome they woulde haue ac∣cursed, in so muche they procured diuers, because they woulde not yeelde vnto them, to be ba∣nished. Thus they made Macedonius, Iohn Byshop of Platum, and Flauianus to leaue the coun∣trey. So farre of the monks letters.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The monks 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Palaestina ••nto Alci∣••••n.
• * 1.2

  Hereticks are wont to cor∣rupt auncient writers.