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. XXI. That the Novatians also disagreed amongst them∣selves.

A Gelius Presided over the Church of the No∣vatians at Constantinople during the space of fourty years, from the times of Constantine untill the sixth year of the Emperour Theodosius, as I have * 1.1 somewhere related before. Being near his death, he ordains Sisinnius to succeed him in his Bishoprick. He was a Presbyter of that Church over which Agelius Presided; a person of great eloquence, and had been instructed in Philosophy by Maximus the Philosopher at the same time [that he read to] the Emperour Julian. But when the Novatian Congregation found fault with this Ordination, because [Age∣lius] had not rather ordained Marcianus, a per∣son of an eminent piety, by † 1.2 whose interest the Novatians had continued unmolested during Va∣lens's Reign; Agelius, desirous to appease the people's discontent, ordained Marcianus also: and being somewhat recovered from his distem∣per, he went into the Church, and spake these words to the people on his own account: After my decease, (saies he) take Marcianus [for your Bishop,] and after Marcianus, Sisinnius. Ha∣ving survived these words a small time, he ended his life. Marcianus therefore being constituted Bi∣shop over the Novatians, there arose a division in their Church also, upon this account. One Sab∣batius, (a person that had turned Christian from being a Jew,) being by Marcianus promoted to the dignity of a Presbyter, continued notwith∣standing a zealous promoter of Judaism, where∣with he had been leavened before. Moreover, he was extreamly ambitious of being made a Bishop. Having therefore procured two Presbyters (The∣octistus and Macarius, who were privy to his am∣bitious design,) to be his Assistants, he took a resolution of defending that innovation [made by the Novatians] in Valens's Reign, concerning the Festival of Eaester, at Pazum a Village in Phrygia; which I have mentioned ‖ 1.3 before. And first of all, under pretence of [following] an Ascetick and more austere course of life, he secretly withdrew from the Church, saying that he was aggrieved upon the account of some persons; in regard he had a suspicion, that they were unworthy of a participation of the * 1.4 My∣steries. But in process of time his design was discovered, to wit, that his desire was to hold private and separate meetings. When Marci∣anus understood this, he himself complained of his own mistake in ordaining, to wit, because he had promoted persons so ambitious of vain∣glory to the † 1.5 Presbyterate. And being grieved, did frequently use to say, that it had been better he had laid his hands on thorns, than when he pre∣ferred Sabbatius to the dignity of a Presbyter.

Moreover, * 1.6 he procured a Synod of Novatian Bishops to be convened at * 1.7 Sangarum; which is a Mart-Town in Bithynia, lying near Heleno∣polis. [The Bishops] being convened there, sent for Sabbatius, and ordered him to set forth before the Synod the reasons of his grief. Upon his affirming, that the dissention about [the ob∣servation] of the Feast [of Easter] was the cause of his being troubled, (for it ought [as he said] to be kept in the same manner that the Jews observed it, and agreeable to that Sanction which those convened at Pazum promulged:) the Bishops present at the Synod, having a suspi∣tion, that Sabbatius pretended all this on account of his being desirous of a Bishoprick, bound him with an oath, that he should never accept of a Bishoprick. When he had sworn to this, they published a * 1.8 Rule concerning the Feast of Easter, to which Canon they gave this Title, † 1.9 Adiaphoros: affirming that a disagreement a∣bout the Festival [of Easter] was not a suf∣ficient reason for a separation from the Church; and that those convened at Pazum did no pre∣judice to the Catholick and universal Rule. For, the Ancients [they said,] and those who lived nearest the Apostles times, although they differed in the observation of this Festival, yet communi∣cated one with another, and in no wise raised any dissention [on that account.] Besides, the Novations [they added,] who inhabit the Im∣perial City Rome, never followed the Jewish usage; but always kept Easter after the Aequi∣nox; and yet they separated not from those of their own Faith, who observed not the Feast of Easter after the same manner that they them∣selves did. Upon these and many such like mature considerations, they made that Indifferent Canon (which I have mentioned) concerning Easter: whereby it was left to every ones ar∣bitrement, to celebrate Easter according to that usage which by a prejudicate opinion he had embraced: and that there should be no dissen∣tion in relation to communion, but that those who celebrated that Festival after a different man∣ner, should notwithstanding continue in the unity and agreement of the Church. This Rule there∣fore concerning the Feast of Easter: having at that time been constituted and confirmed by them; Sabbatius being bound by his oath, (if at any time there hapned any discrepancy in the celebration of the Feast of Easter,) himself an∣ticipated the Fast by keeping it in private by him∣self, b 1.10 and having watched all night, he celebra∣ted the solemn day of the Sabbath of the Passover. And again, on the day following, he came to the Church at such time as the whole congregation were assembled there, and together with them partook of the Mysteries. This he did for many years: and therefore could not avoid being taken notice of by the multitude. Upon which account some of the simpler sort of people, more espe∣cially the Phrygians and Galatians, thinking they should be justified by this fact, imitated Sabbatius, and kept the Passover in secret agreeable to his fashion. But some time after this, Sabbatius dis∣regarding his oath, held Schismatical Meetings by himself, and was constituted Bishop over those that were his own followers, as we shall manifest in the procedure of our History.

Notes

• * 1.1

  See So∣crat. book 4. chap. 9. & book 5. chap. 10.
• † 1.2

  See So∣crat. book 4. chap. 9.
• ‖ 1.3

  Socrat. book 4. chap. 28.
• * 1.4

  That is, the Eucha∣rist.
• † 1.5

  The Office of Presby∣ter.
• * 1.6

  That is, Marcianus.
• * 1.7

  Instead of [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, at An∣garum] the rea∣ding must doubtless be [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, at Sanga∣rum:] so Epiphan. Scholasti∣cus, and Nicephorus read it; and the same rea∣ding occurs in Sozo∣men, book 7. chap. 18. Vales.
• * 1.8

  Or, Ca∣non.
• † 1.9

  That is, Indifferent.
• b 1.10

  This place is corrupted; nor is this fault of a short stan∣ding. For, even in E∣piphanius Scholasti∣cus's age, this mistake had crept into the copies of Secrates, as 'tis ap∣parent from his Version. For Epi∣phanius ren∣ders it thus: Cum haec ab els tunc fuissetregular definita, &c. When this determination had at that time been made by them, Sabbatius bound by his oath, (if at any time there hapned any discrepancy in the Paschal solemnity,) fasted by himself, and by night celebrated the solemn day of the Passover on the Sabbath: and again, mes with the whole congre∣gation in the Church, and partook of the Mysteries. Christophorson has exprest the same sense in his Version. Nicephorus also (Eccles. Hist. book 12. chap. 31,) has followed the same sense. For he says, that Sabbatius, (as often as the Christians differed from the Jews in the celebration of Easter,) was wont to fast in private by himself, and to celebrate the Passover on the Paschal-Sabbath about evening, after the Jewish manner. Then on the Sunday following, after the Solemn Vigills, his usage was to celebrate Easter with the rest of the Chri∣stians, or rather Novatians. But this interpretation does in no wise please me. For thus Sabbatius (as often as the Jewish Passover dif∣fered from the Christian-Paschal-Feast,) could not have celebrated the first Paschal-solemnity with the Jews. Then, if Sabbatius always celebrated the first Paschal-solemnity on the Sabbath day at evening after the Jewish manner, how is it possible, that he could celebrate the Solemn Vigills in the Church on the same Sabbath-day? For this is attested in express words by Socrates here, and by Sozomen, book 7. chap. 18. My Sentiment therefore is, that the words in this place of Socrates are transposed, and must be put into their Pristine order after this manner: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; that is, Sabbatius being bound by his oath, (if at any time a disagreement hapned in the celebration of the Paschal-Fe∣stival,) himself by way of anticipation fasted in private at home, and celebrated the Passover. And watching all night on the solemn day of the Sabbath, again on the next day he went to Church together with the rest of the congregation, and partook of the mysteries. Sozomen does evidently confirm this our emendation, in his seventh book chap. 18; where he sets forth the same thing much more clearly in these words: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. But from that time Sabbatius following the Jews, (unless it by chance hapned that all persons [as well Christians, as Jews] did celebrate the Feast [of Easter] at one and the same time,) fasted before hand, a•• the man∣ner is, and celebrated the Paschal solemnity in private by himself, ac∣cording to the sanctions [of the Mosaick Law.] But on the Sabbath, from the evening to a fit time, be continued watching and making the usuall prayers, and on the day following met in the Church in common with the congregation, and partook of the mysteries. Sabbatius there∣fore kept the Paschal solemnity twice in one and the same year; the first time with the Jews, the second with the Christians: unless it by chance hapned, that the Christians agreed with the Jews in the time of celebrating the Paschal Feast. Which could very rarely happen. Vales. Our English-rendition of this passage agrees with the Greek Text in Rob. Stephens's Edition, and that in this Edition of Valesius's.