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. XXXIIII.

Howe Cosmas and Seuerianus two Byshopes within the prouince of Antioch sent Seuerus their Archebyshope a depriuation.

IN so muche the aforesayde letters make mention howe the prouince of Apamia fell from Seuerus, nowe we thought good to laye downe a certayne historye deliuered vs by our elders, whiche we founde no where recorded. Cosmas Byshope of our Epiphania vpon the ryuer O∣rontes, & Seuerianus byshop of Arethusa a bordering citie, being very muche offended with Seue∣rus letters of mutuall loue and agreement, first of all deuided them selues from his communion, nexte sent vnto him a Libell of depriuation, for all he gouerned the Byshopricke of Antioch, de∣liueringe it vnto Aurelianus chiefe Deacon of Epiphania: who because he feared Seuerus, and reuerenced the autoritye of so worthye a Byshopricke, at his firste comminge to Antioch, a∣rayed him selfe in womans attyre, and so got him to Seuerus: He behaued him selfe so softlye, & so effeminatly, that they tooke him to be a woman in deede: He muffled him selfe and pulled the veyle ouer his heade as farre as his breste: He whined wyth a shrill and pitifull voyce, he sigh∣ed deepelye: He crooched lyke a poore suter, and as Seuerus passed by, he reached into his hand the bill of depriuation, when he had so done, he priuelye conueyed himselfe awaye from the traine that followed Seuerus, and so was out of theyr reach ere Seuerus coulde learne what was con∣tayned in the Libell, But Seuerus though he receaued the Libell, and perceaued what they had written therein, continewed neuer the lesse in his Byshopricke vnto the death of Anastasius the Emperour. When Anastasius vnderstoode of the circumstances whiche happened vnto Seuerus (I can not chuse but recorde in this place the good nature and clemencie of Anastasius) he charged Asiaticus Lieuetenant of Libaeesa in Phoenicia, to remoue Cosmas and Seuerianus from theyr Byshoprickes, because they sent vnto Seuerus the Libell of depriuation. After his comminge into the Easte, and perceauinge howe that manye were of Seuerianus and Cosmas o∣pinion, and that they defended theyr cityes manfullye, he wrote backe vnto Anastasius that* 1.1 there was no displacinge of them wythout slaughter and bloodshed. Wherefore there was so muche mercye and pitye in the minde of Anastasius, that he signifyed vnto Asiaticus in playne wordes he woulde haue no enterprise taken in hande, were it neuer so noble, or so worthye, if it did coste him as muche as one droppe of bloode. In this state were the Ecclesiasticall affayres duringe the raygne of Anastasius, whome some men haue blotted out of the sacred catalogue as enemy vnto the councell of Chalcedon, for at Ierusalem he was accursed.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The clemen∣cie of Ana∣stasius.