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. XVII. Concerning Miltiades, and the books he compiled.

IN the same book he makes mention of one Miltiades, a writer, who also wrote a book against the foresaid Heresie: having therefore cited some words of those [Hereticks,] he pro∣ceeds, saying;

Having found all this in a certain book which they wrote in answer to a book of our brother a 1.1 Alcibiades's, wherein he proves, that a Prophet ought not to speak in an extasie of mind, I epitomized them.

A little after this, in the same book, he enumerates the Prophets of the New Testament; amongst whom he recounts one Ammias, and Quadratus, he says thus,

b 1.2 but a false Prophet in a false extasie, (whose con∣comitants are licentious∣ness and audaciousness,) takes his beginning indeed from a voluntary igno∣rance, but ends, as I have said in an involuntary mad∣ness of mind: they shall not be able to show any of the Prophets, either un∣der the Old, or New Te∣stament, who was inspired after this manner [by such a spirit.] They shall not boast of Agabus, nor of Judas, nor of Silas, nor of the daughters of Philip, nor of Ammias in Phila∣delphia, nor of Quadra∣tus, nor of many others which do not at all belong to them.

Again, after some few words, he says thus,

For if, as they say, Montanus's women suc∣ceeded in the gift of Pro∣phecy after Quadratus and Ammias in Philadel∣phia, let them show us, who among them have been the successours of Monta∣nus and his women. For the Apostle is of opinion that the gift of Pro∣phecy ought to continue in every Church untill the last Advent [of our Lord.] But they are unable to shew [any Prophet,] although this is now the fourteenth year since the death of Maximilla.

Thus far he. Now that Miltiades, whom he mentions, has left us other monuments of his diligence about the divine Scriptures, both in the books he composed against the Gentiles, and also in those against the Jews; having pro∣secuted each subject particularly in two Volumes. Moreover also, he made an Apology for the [Christian] Philosophy, which he profest, [and dedicated it] to the c 1.3 Presidents of the Provinces in that Age.

Notes

• a 1.1

  In the foregoing chapter we observed that the name [Miltiades] was put for [Alcibiades.] On the contrary, here [Alcibiades] is crept into the Text of Eusebius, instead of [Miltiades.] In Nice∣phorus tis [Miltiades;] but nei∣ther he, nor Christophorson, under∣stood this place. Vales.
• b 1.2

  Rufinus, and Baronius, were mistaken, in that they supposed these following words were taken out of Miltiades's book. For this nameless Authour quotes nothing out of Miltiades's book, but one∣ly out of the Cataphrygians answer to Miltiades's book: which thing translatours understood not. Now the meaning of this place is this▪ there is a great difference between the true Prophets, and the false. For the true Prophets, who were filled with the spirit of God, did foretell things future in a quiet and serene temper of mind. But the false Prophets, as was Monta∣nus, uttered what they said in a raging and mad temper of mind. Indeed this was the chief ob∣jection of the Ecclesiasticks a∣gainst the Montanists, who boa∣sted they were inspired with a Prophetick spirit, because they Prophecied in an extasie. But we read that no Prophet either under the Old or New Testament did ever Prophecy in an extasie. Therefore Miltiades wrote a book against them, which was thus entitled [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, i. e. a Prophet ought not to speak in an extasie of mind. See Epiphanius, advers. Haeres. Montanist. chap. 2. & 4; and Chrysostom. Homil. 29. on the 1 Epist. Corinth. Vales.
• c 1.3

  Jerom, Refinus, and other Translatours thought Miltiades dedicated his Apology to the Roman Emperours, called here [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] But because at that time there was onely one Roman Emperour, (to wit, Commodus,) I judge the Governours of Provinces are here rather meant. For the term [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] does commonly signifie the Presidents of Provinces. To these therefore Miltiades dedicated his Apology, as did Tertullian afterwards; who calls this Miltiades, the Rhetorician of the Churches. Vales.