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. I. Concerning the wickedness of Decius and Gallus.

GALLUS succeeds Decius, who was slain in a short time, together with his a 1.1 Children, before he had fully compleated the b 1.2 Second year of his Reign. c 1.3 About this time died Origen, having lived Seventy years wanting one. But Dionysius in his Epistle to Hermammon, writes thus concerning Gallus.

But neither did Gallus understand what was Decius's destruction; neither did he before see what brought his ruine: But he also stumbled upon the same stone, which lay before his eyes. He, (his Kingdom being in a happy state, and all affairs succeeding according to his d 1.4 desire) persecu∣ted the holy men who offered up their prayers to God for his peace and safety, and together with them, drove away those prayers, by which they interceded for him.

This he writes con∣cerning Gallus.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Decius the Empe∣rour had 2 sons, the el∣der was na∣med, Quin∣tus Heren∣nius Etrus∣cus Messius Decius; The youn∣ger, Caius Valens Ho∣stilianus Messius Quintus. They were both made Caesars by their father, and afterwards Augusti, as may appear by their Coins, and the inscri∣ptions upon them. Vales.
• b 1.2

  Eusebius in his Chronicle saith Decius Reigned one year, and three moneths. Aurelius Victor saith he died after he had Reigned two years compleat. But Victor in his Epitomy saith he Reigned 30 moneths. Eusebius in his Chronicle Assigns one year and three moneths to Decius, because he had before said that Philip Reigned seven years, whereas he Reigned but six. After his death Decius proclaimed himself both Emperour, and Consul, which was in the year of Christ 249. And in the year 250. he was again Consul. And also the year after he kept his Government, as we may gather, by a Decree of the Senate which was made in that year, which Pollio in Valerian relates. Wherefore he died the year following, together with his sons (when Gallus, and Volusianus were Consuls,) being all kill'd in the Wa••••s in Thrace. Vales.
• c 1.3

  Baronius placeth Origen's death at the year of Christ 256, in the third year of Gallus and Volusianus; Eusebius here placeth it in the same year that Decius died▪ and Gallus began to Govern. But Eusebius himself in the 36^th chap. of the 6^th book of this History confirmeth what Baronius saith: for he says that in the 3^d year of Philip the Emperours Reign, Origen was above 60 years old. And from the 3^d year of Philip's Reign to the 3^d year of Gallus and Volusianus's Consulship, 'tis 9 years. Moreover, if we say Origen liv'd 69 years, and died in the first year of Gallus the Emperour, he must ne∣cessarily be born in the 4^th year of Commodus the Emperour: but the Chronicon Alexandr▪ assigns his birth to the ninth year of that Em∣perour. Vales.
• d 1.4

  Some Copies, as the King's M. S. and Stephan. Edit. in∣stead of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 read 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. And make it a Metaphor taken from them who sail with tide and stream. Vales.