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. VII. Concerning the most execrable Errour of the Here∣ticks, and concerning the vision sent from God which appeared to Dionysius, and the Ecclesiastick Canon he received.

THE same Dionysius in his third Epistle, con∣cerning Baptism, written to Philemon Pres∣byter of the Church of Rome, annexeth these words:

I have read over the books and tra∣ditions of the Hereticks, defiling my mind for a little while with their most accursed inven∣tions: Indeed, I received this advantage from them, that I can the better confute them in my own thoughts, and do grow to a greater de∣testation of them. And when one of my bro∣ther Presbyters prohibited me, fearing least I should be mixed and disordered with the filth of their wickedness; (for he said my mind would be defiled, and truly I was sensible he said true:) a vision sent from God corroborated me. And a voice came to me, which gave me this express command, saying; Read all things that thou shalt take into thy hands, for thou art able to search into, and to examine every thing, and this was the principal cause of thy becoming a Christian: I gladly received the vision, as being consonant with the a Words of the A∣postle, who speaketh thus to those who are able, Be ye skilful Examiners.

Afterwards, having spoken something concerning all the Heresies, he continues saying;

I received this Rule and Canon from Heraclas our blessed Pope. For those who were Converts from Heresies, (al∣though they were b Apostates from the Church; or rather not Apostates, but seemingly assembled themselves, and were privately discovered to frequent any of the Heterodox teachers) he excommunicated, and would not again admit them into the Church although they intreated him, before they had made a publick confession of what they had heard from the ••dverse party. And then he again admitted them to commu∣nion, but thought no second Baptism was re∣quisite for them, because they had before re∣ceived holy [Baptism] from him.

Again, after a copious discourse upon this question, he ••hus concludes.

This furthermore I understand, that the Africans of this Age were not the onely introducers of this custom, but this was establisht long before by Bishops, who were before our Age, in their most populous Assem∣blies, and in the c Synods of the Brethren at Iconium, and at Synnada, and amongst many other persons; whose sentiments and determi∣nations I will by no means overthrow, nor ex∣cite them to contention and strife. For it is

written: thou shall not remove thy neighbour's land-mark, which thy fathers have set in thine inheritance.

His fourth Epistle concerning Ba∣ptism, is written to Dionysius, who was at that time Presbyter of the Church of Rome, and a little while after obtained the Bishoprick there. From which Epistle we may learn what a learned and admirable man this same Dionysius was, by Dionysius Alexandrinus's testimonies of him. Af∣ter other things he writes to him in that Epistle concerning Novatus in these words:

Notes

• a

  These words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, be ye skilful Tryers or Examiners, are no where ••ound in the Apostle, indeed we have, in the first Epistle to the Thessalonians chap. 5. ver. 21. these words, prove all things, and hold fast that which is good: which are the same in effect with these, be ye Tryers, &c. But Origen, and Hieronymus say that these words, Estote boni Trapezit••, are an express command of our Saviour's. And that the place out of the Thessalonians above quoted has relation to these words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and exactly agrees with them, wherefore I am of the same mind with the Learned Usher, who in his Proleg. to I••nati••s's Epist. cap. 8. says, this command of Christ is taken out of the Gospel according to the Hebrews. These words are also quoted in Cyril Hierosolymit. his 6 Catechism, neer the end. Vales.
• The term in the ori∣ginal is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which word oc∣curs Matth. 25. 27. where our translation renders it Exchan∣gers. The Is∣raelites be∣ing bound by the Law (Exod. 30. 13.) to come up to Jerusalem, how far so∣ever they dwelt from it, and there to sacrifice, and offer the half shekel for the use of the Tem∣ple, (which by the length of their journey they were sometimes disabled to do) these Trapezitae set up their tables in the very Temple, that so they might traffick with all that had use of them; in like manner as others brought Oxen and Sheep and Doves, to sell there to them which had not brought their sacrifices with them. See D^r Hammond on Matth. 21. v. 12.
• b

  Here we may see the Difference between Apostates, and those which are simply called Hereticks. Apostates were them, who had been baptiz'd in the Catholick Church, but had deserted the Church and revolted to Hereticks: Simple Hereticks were those who had never been admitted into the Church. And this was the custom in the Church that Apostates as well as simple Hereticks should be received (when they returned to the Church) by imposition of hands. S^t August. in his 48 Epistle to Vincentius saith, the Church dealt more kindly with them who were never received into the Church, (that is with them who were simply Hereticks) then with them who had been received into her and deserted her, (that is Apostates) This is therefore the sence of Dionysius's words here, as we may gather by the afore mentioned words of S August. Dionysius here says, Heraclas his predecessour had this form of admitting Converts, who had been Apostate Hereticks, into the Church. He required a publick confession (which is called Exomologesis) of the Principles of that Heresie which they had fol∣lowed; but he did not rebaptize them, because they had been before baptized: immediately after this confession he laid hands upon them (as we may gather from Dionysius's words) this imposition of hands upon an Apostate, and a simple Heretick, was different. The one was ad panitentiam, in order to Repentance: the other was ad tradendum Spi∣ritum Sanctum, for the delivery of the Holy Ghost, the first was used at the admission of Apostates, the other at the admission of them whom they called pure Hereticks. See Cyprians Epistle to Stephanus. Vales.
• In the Med. M. S. and Rob. Stephens's Edit. the reading is [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. for they had received the holy Spirit, &c.] In the Kings, Maz. and Fuk. M. SS. the word [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, spirit] is wanting: which in my judgment is the truest reading. For Diony∣sius gives the reason why Heraclas did not reiterate Baptism in the ad∣mission of Hereticks in these words [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] [understand 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Baptism] [for they had be∣fore received holy Baptism from him.] Dionysius calls Baptism holy, to difference it from the Baptism of Hereticks; which Cyprian, Firmilian▪ and others (who at that time defended the opinion of not rebaptizing Hereticks) call profane: Dionysius was a favourer of their party, as appears both from his Epistles here quoted by Eusebius, and also from S^t Jeroms testimony. Vales.
• c

  That these Synods were before Dionysius Alexand, his time, we may easily gather by his own words here: for he expresly affirms that these Synods were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, long before our time. The same thing Firmilianus witnesseth, in his Epistle to Cyprian concerning the Synod of Iconium. This Synod was a long time before the days of Stephen Bishop of Rome, as we may gather by Firmilianus's words in his said Epistle to Cyprian, where he expresly affirms that this Synod of Iconium had been long since assembled: Also Dionysius Alexand. in his Epistle to Philemon Presbyter of Rome, which he wrote about the beginning of the presidency of Xystus, saith, that this Synod was solemnly assembled by the Bishops which preceded him a long time. Therefore this Synod seems to have been assembled about the end of Alexander Severus's Reign: about which time, as Euscbius in the 6^th book of this History recordeth, Firmilianus was newly pro∣moted to the dignity of Priest in the Church of Caesarea. Therefore I cannot assent to Baronius, and Binius, who reckon this Synod of Iconium in the year of Christ 258 which was the 2^d year of Stephen's presidency. Vales.