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. The Preface, wherein he gives an account, why he made a new Edition of his First and Second Book.

Rufinus (he that wrote an Ecclesiastick History in the Latine tongue,) has erred concerning [the notation of] the times. For he supposes, that what was done against Athanasius, hapned after the death of Constantine the Emperour. He was also ignorant of his banishment into the Gallia's, and of several other things. We having at first fol∣lowed Rufinus [as our authour,] wrote the first and second book of our History according to his authority. But from the third to the seventh Book we have made a collection of some passages, partly out of Rufinus, and partly out of various other authours, and related others from those which do yet survive; and so have compleated our work. But when we had afterwards pro∣cured Athanasius's Books, wherein he laments his own calamitous sufferings, and how he was banisht by the calumny of the Eusebian facti∣on; we thought it more expedient to credit him (who had suffered these hardships) and those who had been present at the transacting of these matters; rather then such as have fol∣lowed conjectures [in their relations] thereof, and for that reason have been mistaken. Besides, having gotten [several] Letters of persons at that time very eminent, to our utmost ability we have diligently traced out the truth. Upon which account we have been necessitated * 1.1 entire∣ly to dictate again the first and second Book [of this work,] making use [nevertheless] of those passages, in the relation whereof Ru∣finus hath not forsaken the truth. Moreover, no∣tice is to be taken, that in our former Edition we had not inserted Arius's Libel of deposition, nor the Emperours Letters; but had onely set forth a bare relation of the affairs transacted, that we might not dull our Readers by a prolixe and tedious narration. But in regard that this also was to be done in favour to you a 1.2 O sacred man of God, Theodorus!) that you might not be ignorant of what the Emperours wrote in their Letters, nor of what the Bishops (chan∣ging that faith by little and little) promulged in divers Synods: wherefore, in this latter Edition we have made such alterations and insertions as we judged to be necessary. And, having done this in the first Book, we will also make it our business to do the same in that now under our hands, we mean the second. But we must now begin [the following series of] our History.

Notes

• * 1.1

  That is, to make a new Edi∣tion of, &c.
• a 1.2

  Our Eu∣sebius has given the same title to Pauli∣nus Bishop of Tyre, at the begin∣ning of the tenth book of his Ec∣clesiastick Hist. whose Example Socrates here follows. Who this Theodo∣rus was, to whom Socrates dedicated his History, is uncertain. For I cannot think that Theodorus Bishop of Mopsuestia is here meant. Vales.