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. XXV.* 1.1

Of Cerinthus the Hereticke.

CErinthus also by reuelations vvritten, as of a greate Apostle, brought vnto vs certayne* 1.2 monstrous thinges, fayning them to haue bene reuealed vnto him by Angels. that the kingdome of Christ after the resurrection shoulde become earthly: that in Ierusalem our fleshe agayne shoulde serue the concupiscence and lust of the flesh: and being set vvholy to seduce, as enemy vnto the vvorde of God, he sayd there shoulde be the terme of a Millenarie feaste allotted for mariage. Dionysius also Bishop of Alexandria, in his seconde booke, after* 1.3 he had remembred the reuelation of Sainct Iohn, receaued by tradition of olde, he reporteth of this man, thus: Cerinthus vvhiche founde the Cerinthian heresie▪ gaue his figment a name for the further creditt thereof. his kinde of doctrine vvas this ••he dreamed the kingdome of Christ shoulde become earthly, and sett vppon those thinges vvhich he lusted after, novv being coue∣red vvith his fleshe, and compassed in his skinne, that is: the satisfying of the belly, and the

thinges vnder the belly: vvith meate, vvith drinke, vvith mariage, and that he might the more colerably bring his deuelish deuices to passe, he dedicated thereunto holy dayes, oblations, and slaughter for sacrifices. so farre Dionysius. but Irenaus in his first booke against the heresies, layeth downe certayne more detestable opinions of his. And in his thirde booke he reporteth a historye worthy the memorye, as receaued by tradition of Polycarpus, saying: that Iohn the Apostle on a* 1.4 certayne time to bayne him selfe, entred into a bathe, and vnderstandinge that Cerinthus there vvithin bayned him selfe also, started a side, and departed forthe, not abiding any tariance vvith him vnder the same ••ouffe, signifying the same to his company, and saying: let vs speedely goe hence, lest that the bathe come to ruyne, vvherein Cerinthus the enemy of the truth baineth him selfe.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cap. 28. after the greeke.
• * 1.2

  Gai{us} writeth thus of Ce∣rinthus the Hereticke.
• * 1.3

  Dionysius bi¦shop of Alex¦andria lib. 2.
• * 1.4

  Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 3.