The history of the church from our Lords incarnation, to the twelth year of the Emperour Maricius Tiberius, or the Year of Christ 594 / as it was written in Greek, by Eusebius Pamphilius ..., Socrates Scholasticus, and Evagrius Scholasticus ... ; made English from that edition of these historians, which Valesius published at Paris in the years 1659, 1668, and 1673 ; also, The life of Constantine in four books, written by Eusibius Pamphilus, with Constantine's Oration to the convention of the saints, and Eusebius's Speech in praise of Constantine, spoken at his tricennalia ; Valesius's annotations on these authors, are done into English, and set at their proper places in the margin, as likewise a translation of his account of their lives and writings ; with two index's, the one, of the principal matters that occur in the text, the other, of those contained in the notes.

CHAP. II. How Tiberius was affected at the Relation Pilate sent him of those things concerning Christ.

WHen the wonderfull Resurrection of our Saviour and his Ascension into Heaven was now divulged among all men; because it was of old customary that the Governours of Provinces should communicate to the Emperour every strange and unusual accident that happened within their charge, that so nothing that was done might escape his knowledge; Pilate acquainted the Emperour Tiberius with the Resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ now much talk't of over all Palae∣stine; giving him an account that he had also heard of many other Miracles of his, and how that rising again after he had been dead, he was now by many believed to be God. And they say that Tiberius referred this matter to the Senate, but the relation was rejected by them; upon pre∣tence, that they had not first approved of the

matter; there being an old Law amongst the Ro∣manes, that no one should be deified but by the suffrage and decree of the Senate; but in reality, that the wholesome Preaching of the divine Do∣ctrine might not stand in need of any humane ap∣probation or assistance. When therefore the Senate had rejected the Relation concerning our Saviour, Tiberius persisted in his former judgment, attempting nothing prejudicial to the Doctrine of Christ. Thus much a 1.1 Tertul∣lian, a man incomparably well skilled in the Roman Laws and every way famous, and most renowned among the Latine Writers, in the A∣pologie for the Christians written by him in Latine, but afterwards translated into Greek, does declare in these very words:

b 1.2 And that we may discourse concerning the Original of these Laws, there was an old Decree, that the Emperour should consecrate no God, before he was approved by the Senate. Marcus Ae∣milius knows this concerning his God Albur∣nus. And this makes for our advantage, because among you Divinity is weighed by humane ap∣probation. If God please not man, he shall not be God. Man now must be propitious to God. Ti∣berius therefore, in whose time the Christian Name made its entry into the world, communi∣cated to the Senate the account he had received out of Syria Palestine, whereby the Truth of the Divinity of Christ was made apparent; which he confirmed with his own suffrage. But because the Senate had not approved of it, it was rejected: the Emperour persisted in his judgment, threatning the accusers of the Chri∣stians with death.

Which opinion divine pro∣vidence, according to his dispensation instilled into the mind of Tiberius Caesar, that the Preaching of the Gospel then in its infancy, might without impediment spread over the whole world.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Tertullian was by birth a Carthaginian; his father was a Centurion, a Deputy-pro-Consul. He wrote many volumes in Latine, of which his Apologie onely was done into Greek, but by whom, it is uncertain: he flourisht un∣der Severus and Antoninus Cara∣calla. Vales.
• b 1.2

  In our translation of this quo∣tation out of Tertullian, we have followed the Original expression of the Authour, according to Ri∣galtius his Edition of him: this Greek translation being not fully expressive of the Authours mind, as Valesius thinks.