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. XXVII. Concerning Paul of Samosata, and the Heresie foun∣ded by him at Antioch.

DIonysius, namesake to Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria, succeeds Xystus, after he had presided over the Church of Rome a 1.1 Eleven years. About the same time also died Demetrianus Bishop of Antioch▪ whom Paul of Samosata succeeded in his Bishoprick. This Paul had an abject and low opinion of Christ, contrary to the Doctrine of the Church, as if he had been by nature no more then a meer man; Dionysius Bishop of Alexan∣dria was intreated to come to the Synod: He having complained of his Age, and also of his infirmity of body deferred his coming; But he openly declared by letter what was his sense and opinion concerning the matter in debate. But the rest of the Pastors of the Churches from all parts hastned to Antioch, and were convened there as against the corrupter of Christ's flock.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Here Eu∣sebius is in a gross mis∣take, for Xystus was not Bishop of Rome Eleven Years, but onely two Years and Eleven Months, as we may see in the book De Pontifi∣cibus Ro∣manis, which Cus∣pinianus first published, and that book is most exact in its account of the times of the Pope's from Callistus to Liberius: the same also says Xystus suf∣fered Martyrdom on the eight of the Ides of August: but our Authour neither here, in his History, nor in his Chronicle mentions any thing of Xystus's Martyrdom, which I really admire, and should more ad∣mire, did not I certainly know that Eusebius is not over sollicitous and curious in his History concerning what things were done in the Western parts. Moreover Eusebius in his Chronicle ascribes Eight Years to Xystus, and he says that Dionysius succeeded Xystus in the 12^th Year of Gallienus, and that Maximus succeeded Dionys. Alexandrin. in the 11^th year of the said Gallienus the Emperour. Which is most absurd, whenas 'tis evident that Dionys. Alexand. dedicated his four Books against Sabellius to Dionys. Roman. as our Authour tells us in Chap. 26. of this 7^th Book. Vales.