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. That, after Jovianus's death, Valentinianus is Pro∣claimed Emperour, who made his Brother Valens his Colleague in the Empire. And, that Valen∣tinianus was a Catholick, but Valens an A∣rian.

THE Emperour Jovianus having en∣ded his life (as we have declared) at Dadastana, in his own and his Son Varronianus's Consulate, on the seventeenth of February; the Souldiers departing from Galatia, on the seventh day after came to Nicaa in Bythinia, where by a general suffrage they proclaim Valentinianus Emperour, on the five and twentieth of Febru∣ary, a 1.1 in the same Consu∣late. By original extract he was a Pannonian, born at the City Cibalis. Having been entrusted with the leading of an Army, he had given a demonstration of his great skill in * 1.2 Tacticks▪ He was a personage of a large soul, and always appeared supe∣riour † 1.3 to that degree of honour he had arrived at. When therefore they had created him Em∣perour, He went immediately to Constantinople, and thirty days after his being proclaimed, he makes his Brother Valens his Colleague in the Empire. They were both Christians, but they disagreed about the Faith of the Christian Re∣ligion. For Valentinianus had a veneration for the Creed of the Nicene Synod: but Valens, by reason of a prepossession, adhered rather to the Arian opinion. The reason of this his preposses∣sion was, because he had been baptized by Eu∣doxius [Bishop] of Constantinople, a Prelate of the Arian Religion. Both of them entertained a warmth and ardency for that Religion which each adhered to: and yet after they came to the Empire, they differed one from the other very much, in their dispositions. For formerly, in the Reign of Julianus, (when Valentinianus was Tribune of the Souldiers, and Valens had a Mili∣tary employ in the Emperours Guards) each of them gave a demonstration of the zeal they had for their Religion: For being compelled to sa∣crifice, they chose to leave their Military em∣ployments, rather than relinquish Christianity. But, at that time the Emperour Julianus, know∣ing them to be persons usefull to the Publick, re∣moved neither of them from their Military pre∣ferment; nor yet Jovianus, who was his Suc∣cessour in the Empire. But, being afterwards promoted to the Empire, * 1.4 they were at first like to one another, as to their care about the management of the publick affairs; but they dif∣fered (as I have said) about the Christian Re∣ligion, and behaved themselves after a disagreeable manner towards the Christians. For Valentini∣anus did indeed favour such persons as embraced his own sentiments; but he was not in the least troublesome to the Arians. But Valens, desirous to promote the Arians, did most grievously dis∣quiet and disturb those who differed in opinion from them; as the procedure of our History will evidence. At that very time, Liberius presided over the Roman Church: at Alexandria Athanasius [was Bishop] of the Homoöusians; and Lucius of the Arians, whom▪ the Arians had constituted Georgius's successour. Euzoïus presided over the Arians at Antioch. Those of the Homoöusian opinion in that City, were divided into two parties, Paulinus headed the one party, and Me∣litius the other. Cyrillus was again put into pos∣session of the Church at Jerusalem. The Go∣vernment of the Churches at Constantinople was in the hands of Eudoxius, an assertour of the Arian opinion: the Homoöusians kept their as∣semblies in a little Oratory within that City. Those of the Macedonian Heresie, who had b 1.5 dis∣sented from the Acacians at Seleucia, at that time retained their Churches in every City. In this posture were the affairs of the Church at that time.

Notes

• a 1.1

  I doubt not, but instead of [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in his Con∣sulate] Socrates wrote [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in the same Con∣sulate;] that is, in the Con∣sulate of Jovianus Augustus and Varronianus that noble young Prince, his Son. Vales.
• * 1.2

  That is, in Marshalling of an Army.
• † 1.3

  Or, to his present for∣tune.
• * 1.4

  That is, Valentini∣anus, and Valens.
• b 1.5

  I am of the same mind with Christo∣phorson, who in∣stead of [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, had declared for the Acacians] read [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 had dissented from the Aca∣cians.] Which reading I have followed in my Version. The reading may be [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 separated from] which is perhaps truest. Nicephorus has altered this passage of Socrates thus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, asserting the same things with the Acacians,] which is worst of all. Vales.