The thre bokes of cronicles, whyche Iohn Carion (a man syngularly well sene in the mathematycall sciences) gathered wyth great diligence of the beste authours that haue written in Hebrue, Greke or Latine Whervnto is added an appendix, conteynyng all such notable thynges as be mentyoned in cronicles to haue chaunced in sundry partes of the worlde from the yeare of Christ. 1532. to thys present yeare of. 1550. Gathered by Iohn Funcke of Nurenborough. Whyche was neuer afore prynted in Englysh. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum.

The yeare of Christ .CCC. lxv.

IVlianus the Apostata or forsaker of his pro∣fession* 1.1 the .xxxix. Emperoure raygned two yeares. He was the nephew of Constantius & brother to Gallus, the which we haue spoken of be∣fore. He was of so greate learnyng, that beynge yong, he taught holy scripture openly in the church of Nicomedia: afterwarde goynge to Athenes, he learned philosophy. But whan hys brother Gal¦lus was slayn, Constantius sent hym into Fraunce and Germany, and not farre from Strasburch he vanquyshed thyrty thousande Almanes, for whych cause he was sodenly by the fauoure of the souldy∣ours* 1.2 made Emperoure at Strasburch. More∣ouer whan greate dyssensyons were amonge the Christyans, by reason of the varyetye of opinyons, for the whyche some dispayred, some dyd wholy de¦cyuer from the Christen fayth to the worshyppinge of Idols, Iulianus became an apostata also: for he was yet yonge, and vsed the company of Rhetori∣cyans and Phylosophers, whiche disputed of God after the vnderstandynge or meanynge of mans reason. Yet dyd he not persecute Christen men by open force, but he thought rather to destroye them by suttelltye. For openly he forbadde them to haue scoles, that they myght not be taughte: thynkynge (as it is in dede) that whan teachyuge were auoy∣ded, the doctrine of relygyon shulde easely go to nought. He forbadde also, that Christen men shulde

haue no authoritye to vse warrefaringe wyth the* 1.3 Romanes: that by no occasyon they might come to the gouernaunce of the commune welth. He toke the goodes of the churches with laughter, sayenge he dyd Christen men a pleasure, namely that they beynge become poore, might thesooner come to he∣uen, seynge the Gospell promyseth heauen to the poore. He dyd assault the Christian fayeth fearcely, euen with wrytinges also. Agaynst those hath Cy∣rillus the bishop of Alexandria written, whose boke* 1.4 is yet founde among the remembraunces or moni∣mentes of Ihon Reuchlin in the toune Pforsa in Germanye: not vnprofytable veryly to be redde. Gregorius Nazanzenus hath answered him also, but very easely: for he was not effectual ynough to put of those reproches, which Iulianus vsed in con¦futinge the Gospell. For he intreated moost chefest vpon that: seyng the Gospel teacheth that man ou∣ght not to reuenge, that thereby is taken awaye and forbodden ciuill vengeaunce in iudgementes, and gouernaunce of commune welthes: wythoute the which mans estates can by no meanes endure. And this same false accusation doth he treate wyth many wordes, where as yet euerye Godlye study∣ant of true godlynesse doeth knowe that the same* 1.5 vengeaunce, whiche euery office vseth, is not for∣bydden in the Gospell: but only the for••yng of pry∣uate vengeaunce, which is done withoute officers authoritye. These suttyll forged and slaunde∣rous reproches of Iulianus were very greueous to Christen men, insomuche that they prayed o∣penly against so pernisius hostilitie of the Gospell.

And therfore whan he was gone into Persya, he was slayne in a wyldernesse. It is wrytten that* 1.6 whan he was wounded, and laye vpon the ground dyenge, he shulde haue taken hys hande fulle of bloude, and castynge towarde heauen, to haue sayde: Thou Galylean hast vanquyshed at the laste▪ Meanynge Christe, whome he called a Ga∣lylean. Therfore it is come by Iulyanus vngodly∣nesse, that the Empyre is remoued and transla∣ted from the mooste noble stocke of Constanty∣nus.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iulianus apostata.
• * 1.2

  Iulianus •••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Empe∣〈…〉〈…〉 at S••ras¦〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.3

  Iulianus fo〈…〉〈…〉¦badde Chri∣sten men the authoritie of warrfare.
• * 1.4

  Cyrillus & Nazanzenu•• haue answe∣red Iulia∣nus.
• * 1.5

  How venge∣aunce is for∣bodden.
• * 1.6

  The death of Iulianus is an exam∣pl〈…〉〈…〉o•• venge∣••••nce.