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. XI. Concerning Alexander.

NArcissus being no longer able to officiate by reason of his very great Age, the provi∣dence of God by Revelation made known to him in a vision by night, call'd the fore-mention'd Alexander Bishop of another Church to be coad∣jutour in the discharge of his Office. By this Revelation therefore, as if he had been warned by some Oracle from God, Alexander made a jour∣ney to Jerusalem from Cappadocia (where he had before been honour'd with a Bishoprick,) upon ac∣count both of praying there, and also of seeing the places: The Brethren there receiv'd him most kindly; and would not permit him to return home, because of another Revelation, made known also to them by night, and a a 1.1 voice most plainly utter'd to some who were the most eminent for piety amongst them. For it told them if they went out of their gates, they should meet him who was predetermin'd by God to be their Bishop. When they had done this with the Common b 1.2 consent of the Bishops who Govern'd the Churches round about, they forc'd him of necessity to continue there. Indeed, Alexander himself, in his own Epistles to the Anti∣noites which are preserv'd a∣mongst us till this time, makes mention of Narcissus's pre∣sidency together with him, writing thus word for word, at the end of that Epi∣stle:

Narcissus salutes you who before me govern'd this Episcopal See, and he now is my c 1.3 Associate in prayer, being an hundred and sixteen years old, and exhorts you to be of the same mind with me.

These things were thus done. Now when Serapion was dead, A∣sclepiades succeeded in the Bishoprick of the Church of Antiochia. And he also was famous for his confes∣sions in the time of Persecu∣tion. Alexander also makes mention of his consecration, writing thus to the Antio∣chians:

Alexander the servant and prisoner of Je∣sus Christ, sendeth greeting in the Lord to the Blessed Church of the Antiochians. The Lord made my bonds easie and light in the time of my d 1.4 imprisonment, when I heard that by divine providence Asclepiades (a man most fit by reason of the worthiness of his faith) was intrusted with the care over the holy Church of the Antiochians:

he signifies that he sent this Epistle by Clemens, writing on this manner, at the End.

I have sent these letters to you, (my Lords and Brethren) by e 1.5 Clemens a bles∣sed Presbyter a virtuous and approved person; whom ye have known, and shall know better: who, while he was here, by the providence, and care of God confirmed and increas'd the Church of the Lord.

Notes

• a 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Christophor∣son, and Musculus alter the rea∣ding thus 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; which also Nicephorus follows▪ but the reading ought not to be alter'd. Rufinus very well cor∣rects this story of Eusebius's (which he makes something ob∣scure) thus. He sales that that Revelation concerning Alexander was sent by God to Narcissus and other holy men; but the voice was heard by all men; here Ru∣finus, like a good interpreter, lightly corrects what the Authour saies amiss. Vales.
• b 1.2

  Nicephorus and Hieronymus write that Narcissus also con∣sented; which without doubt he did. Here are two things con∣trary to the Canon of the Church committed in the Election of Alexander, first his translation from one Bishoprick to another, secondly that he was joyn'd as an assistant to another Bishop while he was yet alive which was afterwards forbid in the Council of Sardis. Vales.
• c 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Rufinus and Christo∣phorson doe not translate this place well; but Hieronymus renders it truly according to the sense, though not word for word, he translates it thus: Narcissus salutes you who before me govern'd this Bishoprick, and now governs the same in prayers with me. Alex∣ander's meaning was undoubtedly this; that, Narcissus onely assisted him in prayers, but in no other part of the Office of Bishop. Which makes him adde that he was an hundred and sixteen years old, signifying thereby that he per∣form'd the Office, and Narcis∣sus being very old had onely the Title, and name of Bishop. Vales.
• d 1.4

  Alexan∣der wrote this Epistle in the heat of Persecu∣tion while he was 〈◊〉〈◊〉 prison, be∣fore he was elected to the Bishop∣rick of Je∣rusalem, as appears by these words, cal∣ling himself the prisoner of Christ. Hence Eusebius does not well by reckoning, in his Chronicon, Asclepiades's Consecration in the first year of Antoninus Caracalla: for Asclepiades was Consecrated when Alexander was in Prison; which Eusebius in his Chronicle saies, hap∣pen'd in Severus's Reign. Vales.
• e 1.5

  Hieronymus (in Catalogo) conjectures this to be Clemens A∣lexandrinus. Clemens Alexandrinus certainly liv'd till the times of Severus, and travelled into these Countreys, as he witnesses in the first book of his Stromatewn, he was also a familiar friend of Alexander the Bishop, for to him he dedicates his work concerning the Canon of the Church, as Eusebius writes in the 13 Chapter of this book. Vales.