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. XXV. Concerning His prohibiting of Sacrifices, and Initiations; and concerning His abolishing the Gladiators, and the heretofore impure [Priests] of the Nile.

ON this account it was, that by frequent Laws and Constitutions He prohibited all persons, from Sacrificing to Idols; from a Cu∣rious consulting of a 1.1 Diviners and Soothsayers; from erecting Images; from performing secret Initiations; and from polluting the Cities with the * 1.2 Bloody Shows of Gladiators. And whereas they of Egypt and A∣lexandria had a custom b 1.3 of worship∣ping their River, by the ministery of certain effeminate men; another Law was transmitted to them, [wherein 'twas ordered] that that whole Tribe of * 1.4 Androgyni, in regard they were all an † 1.5 adulterate sort of people, should be ut∣terly destroyed; and that it should not be lawfull for those to be seen in any place whatever, who were distempered with the disease of this sort of uncleanness. Now, whereas the superstitious supposed, that the Nile would not in future any more overflow their Fields, as it had usually done before; God, in favour to the Emperour's Law, performed the quite contrary to what they expected. For those persons who by their ob∣scenity had polluted the Cities, ‖ 1.6 were taken off indeed. But the River Nile, as if that whole Region had been cleansed and purged for it, ran higher than it had ever done before; and overflowing with a rich stream, laid all the fields under water: whereby it effectually taught the unwise, that they ought to have an Aver∣sion for impure persons; but, that the origi∣nal Cause of Blessings and Success was to be ascribed to the only [God, the] Giver of every thing that is Good.

Notes

• a 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The Tran∣slatour has ren∣dred it ill, nec oracu∣la curiosè sectarentur, nor should curiously follow Oracles. For the Damons had long before ceased from giving forth Oracles. Wherefore Constantine's Law was superfluous, where∣in he had forbidden the searching after Oracles. I had rather there∣fore understand here the Diviners, Prophets, Astrologers, and Sooth∣sayers: the consulting of whom was prohibited by Constantine, in the first and second Law Cod. Theod. de Maleficis & Mathematicis. Vales.
• * 1.2

  Or, Murders.
• b 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Amongst the Egyptians, Androgyni were the Priests of the Nile, as Gregory Nazianzen informs us in his second Invective against Julian; as also in his Poem to N••••e••ius. The same Gregorius (in the Oration which he wrote in Sancta Lumina Epiphaniorum,) does elegantly assert, that by this fact the Egyptians reproacht, rather than honoured th•• Nile. Concerning the same Rite of the Egyptians, there is an eminent passage in Libanius's Oration Pro Templis, which, in regard it makes very much for our purpose, and was not understood by the Translatour, deserves to be set down here: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Nor was a permission of Sacrificing reserved to Rome only, but to the City of Sarápis also, that great and populous City, which is possest of a multitude of Temples, by the assistance whereof it renders the plenty of Egypt common to all men. Now this [plenty] is the product of the Nile. They entertain the Nile at a Banquet, and [those Sacred Rites] per∣swade it to rise and overflow the Fields; which [Rites] not being performed both at the stated and solemn time, and by those persons [ap∣pointed for that purpose,] the Nile would not [swell and overflow its Banks.] Which thing when they well understood, who would very willingly have abolished these [Rites] also; nevertheless, on second thoughts they would not abolish them; But suffered that River to be entertained at a banquet, according to the usage of the Ancients, because of the usual Reward it paid, [to wit, a plentifull Crop.] From this place of Libanius it plainly appears, that these Androgyni the Priests of the Nile were not abolished by Constantine: or if they were abo∣lished by him, they were soon after restored. Vales.
• * 1.4

  Persons that were both Males and Fe∣males.
• † 1.5

  Falsified, or, depra∣ved.
• ‖ 1.6

  Or, Were not any more.