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. XXIX.* 1.1

The martyrdome of Symeon Bishop of Ierusalem.

AFter Nero, and Domitian, vnder that Emperour, whereof we minde now to entreate, the rumor went euery where throughout the cityes, that persecution was raysed agaynst vs Christians, through populare seditions, in the which we learned that Symeon the sonne of Cleopas, the seconde Bishop of Ierusalem, ended his life with martyrdome. hereof is Aegesippus a witnesse, whose wordes we haue oft alleadged. for he writing of certayne Hereticks geueth vs to vnderstand, how that the afore sayd Symeon was then diuersly by them accused to be a Christian, for the space of many dayes he was scourged, so that the Iudge, and his company, was mar∣uelously amazed, and in the ende he dyed a deathe agreeable with the passion of Christe. but let vs heare the Historiographers owne wordes. Certayne (sayth he) of the Heretickes accused* 1.2 Symeon the sonne of Cleopas, that he linealy descended of the stocke of Dauid, and that he vvas a Christian. he suffered martyrdome being a hundreth, and tvventy yeare olde, vnder Traian the Emperour, and Atticus the Consul. The same Aegesippus reporteth, how that his accusers (enquiry being then made of such as came of the royall bloude among the Ievves) were founde to haue their originall, of the Regall Iewish trybe. whosoeuer wayeth this, with him selfe, he will confesse, that this Symeon was of them, whiche both hearde, and sawe the Lorde, in that he liued so long a tyme, and in that the Gospell maketh mention of Marie Cleopas, whose sonne we haue sayde this Symeon to haue bene before. Agayne the same Historiographer writeth, how that cer∣tayne others of the posterity, of some one of them, called the brethren of our Lorde, namely Iude, were alyue, vntil the same tyme, yea after the testimony of them whiche vnder Domitian were tri∣ed, for the true faythe of Christe. for thus he writeth▪ they come and gouerne vvhole Chur∣ches, as martyrs, being also of the kindred of Christ. VVhen peace novve had possessed the Churches, they remayne aliue vnto the tyme of Traian the Emperour, vntil the afore sayd Syme∣on the Lords consingermaine, the sonne of Cleopas, vvas il entreated of Heretickes, accused vnder Atticus the Consul, often scourged, tollerated such martyrdome, that all vvondred, & the Con∣sul him self marueiled, hovv that he, being a hundred, & xx. yeares old, vvas able to endure that bitter torment. to be short, in the end he vvas by commaundement crucified. Vnto the afore said the same Historiographer annecteth this▪ vnto those tymes the Church of God remained a pure* 1.3 & an vncorrupted virgin. for such as endeuored to corrupt the sound rule & the right preaching of the vvord (if then there vvere any such) hidd them selues vnto that time in some thicke miste▪ or dongeon of darkenes, but after that the sacred company of the Apostles, vvas vvorne, and come to an end, & that, that generation vvas vvholy spent, vvhich by special fauour had heard

vvith their eares, the heauenly vvisedome of the sonne of God▪ then the detestable error of con∣spiracy, through deceate of such as deliuered straung doctrine, tooke rooting, and because that not one of the Apostles suruiued, they publish boldely, vvith all might possible, the doctrine of falsehoode, and impugne the open, manifest, and knovvne trueth. Thus of these thinges, hath this Historiographer written. Now to that which by order of history we are bound vnto.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cap. 32. after the Greeke.
• * 1.2

  Aegesippus writeth thus of Symeons martyrdome Symeon the 2. Bishop of Ierusalem was crucified Anno Dom. 110. being a hundred and twenty yeare olde. Aegesippus writeth of the kinsmen of Christ.
• * 1.3

  The Church of God was a pure 〈…〉〈…〉 110 yeares 〈…〉〈…〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Christ.