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.

A Copy of a Letter written by King Abgarus to Jesus, and sent to him to Jerusalem by Ananias the Courier.

Abgarus Prince of Edessa, to Jesus the good Saviour, who hath manifested himself within the confines of Jerusalem, sendeth gree∣ting. I have heard of thee, and of the Cures, wrought by thee without Herbs or Medicines, for, as it is reported, thou dost restore sight to the Blind, thou makest the Lame to walk, thou cleansest the Leprous, and thou dost cast out devills and unclean spirits, and thou healest those that are tormented with diseases of a long con∣tinuance, and thou dost raise the dead. When I heard all this of thee, I was fully perswaded to believe one of these two things, either that thou art very God, and art come down from heaven to doe such things, or else the Son of God, and so performest them. Wherefore, I have now written to thee, beseeching thee to come to me, and cure my disease. For, I have heard that the Jews murmur against thee, and contrive to doe thee mischief. I have a City, a little one in∣deed, but it is beautifull, and capable of recei∣ving us both.

Thus wrote Agbarus, as then but a little enlightned from above. It is also worth while to hear the Answer of Jesus returned to him by the same Courier; short indeed it is, but it has much of power and efficacy in it; It was thus:

The Answer of Jesus to Agbarus the King, sent by Ananias the Courier.

Blessed art thou, Agbarus, who hast belie∣ved in me whom thou hast not seen. For it is c 1.1 written of me, that they which have seen me should not believe in me, that so they which have not seen me may believe and be saved. But as concerning what thou writest about my coming to thee, Know, that all things for which I am sent must be here by me fulfilled; which being finished, I shall be taken up and return to him that sent me. But after I am ascended, I will send thee one of my disciples, who shall cure thy distemper, and give life to thee, and to them that are with thee.

To this Letter there is this farther added in the Syriack Language;

After Jesus was ascended, Judas, called also d 1.2 Thomas, sent Thaddaeus the e 1.3 Apostle who was one of the Seventy disciples, to Agbarus. When he was come thither, he abode with Tobias the son of Tobias. As soon as it was heard that he was come, having manifested himself by the miracles he wrought; Ag∣barus was told, that the Apostle of Jesus was come thither according to his pro∣mise in his Letter. Now Thaddaeus began to cure every disease and distemper by the power of God, to the wonder of all. When Ag∣barus heard of the great and wonderfull works wrought by him, and how in the Name and by the power of Jesus Christ he cured diseases, he had some suspicion, that this was the person about whom Jesus wrote to him, saying, when I am taken up, I will send thee one of my disciples, who shall heal thy distemper. Having therefore called for Tobias, with whom Thaddaeus abode, I have heard, said he, that there is a certain powerfull man come from Jerusalem, who lodges at thy house, that performs many Cures in the name of Jesus. There is a stranger, Sir, replied he, come to my house who does many miracles: Bring him, said Abgarus, to me. Tobias went home to Thaddaeus and told him, Agbarus the Governour of this City having sent for me, commands me to bring thee to him, that thou mayest cure his distemper. I will go, replied Thaddaeus, for it is chiefly upon his ac∣count that I am with power sent hither. Tobias therefore getting up early next morning, took Thaddaeus along with him, and went to Ag∣barus. When he was come, to Agbarus (his Nobles being present and standing round him) there appeared a wonderfull sight in the face of the Apostle Thaddaeus, as he came in to him, and therefore he worshipped him. All that were present wondred at that, for they saw nothing of that sight which appeared onely to Agbarus. Then he asked Thaddaeus, art thou, in truth a disciple of Jesus the Son of God, who wrote thus to me, I will send thee one of my disciples, who shall cure thy distemper and give life to thee, and to all with thee? Thaeddaeus answer∣ed, for as much as thou hast firmly believed in the Lord Jesus who sent me, therefore am I sent to thee, and if thy Faith in him does still increase, according to thy Belief thou shalt have the desires of thine heart fulfilled. Agbarus made him an∣swer, I did so firmly believe in him, that I would have raised Forces to have destroyed the Jews who crucified him, had I not been inhibited from that purpose by the Roman Empire. Jesus Christ, replied Thaeddaeus, our Lord God fulfilled the will of his Father, and having finished that, was taken up to his Father. Agbarus said unto him,

I believed both in Him and in his Father. There∣fore, said Thaddaeus, I lay my hand on thee, in the name of the same Lord Jesus Christ: and having done so, he was presently cured of the disease and distemper that he had. Agbarus wondred greatly when he saw that really accom∣plished, which he had heard concerning Jesus, by his disciple and Apostle Thaddaeus, who without the help of Herbs or Medicines, re∣stored him to his former soundness. And not onely him, but one Abdus also the son of Ab∣dus who had the Gout; he coming and falling down at Thaddaeus's feet, received a blessing by prayer and the laying on of his hands, and was healed. Many others also of the same City with them were cured by the Apostle, who wrought wonderfull Miracles, and Preached the Word of God. After all this, Agbarus spake thus, We believe, Thaddaeus, whatever thou dost, thou performest by the power of God, and therefore we greatly admire thee. But, We pray thee moreover, give us some farther account of the Advent of Jesus, How and after what manner it was; of his power also, and by what virtue he wrought those mighty Works we have heard. I shall now be silent, replied Thaddaeus, because I am sent to publish the Word of God: But assemble all the men of thy City together to me to morrow, and I will Preach the Word of God to them, and will disperse the Word of life among them, and ex∣pound the Advent of Jesus, after what manner it was, his Commission, and for what reason his Father sent him; the power of his Works, the Mysteries he declared to the world, by what power he wrought so great Miracles, his new Preaching, the slender and mean reputation he made himself of, the despicableness of his out∣ward man, how he humbled himself even unto death, how he lessened his Divinity, how many and great things he suffered of the Jews, how he was Crucified, how he descended into Hell, and rent asunder that Inclosure never before se∣vered; how he rose again, and together with him∣self, raised those from the dead who had layn buried many ages; how he descended from hea∣ven alone, but ascended to his Father accom∣panied with a great multitude, how with glory he is set down at the right hand of God his Fa∣ther in Heaven, and how he will come again with power and glory to judge both quick and dead. Agbarus therefore commanded the men of his City to come together very early and hear Thaddaeus Preach. After this he commanded, that Gold and Silver should be given to Thad∣daeus: But he refused it, saying, how shall we, who have left all that was our own, take any thing that is anothers? These things were done in the f 1.4 Three hundredth and fortieth year.

All this, being translated word for word out of the Syriack Tongue, and not unprofitable to be read▪ we have thought good to set down opportunely in this place.

Notes

• c 1.1

  In what part of the Old Testa∣ment these words occur I am yet to seek. Indeed, in the Gospel of S^t John it is written that our Lord said to Thomas after his Resurrection, Job. 20▪ 29. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. But this Epistle of Christ to King Abgarus, if it be genuine, preceded that re∣prehension of the Apostle Thomas some years. Vales.
• d 1.2

  Thomas indeed, that was one of the twelve Apostles, was called Didymus; but that the same per∣son was surnamed Judas, is not, that I know, any where else to be found. Upon this account there∣fore this story is deservedly to be suspected. Vales.
• e 1.3

  Apostle here is to be taken in a large sense; (See Eusebius at the latter end of the foregoing Chapter.) after the same man∣ner every Nation and City ter∣med them Apostles, from whom they first received the truth of the Gospel. This name was not onely given to the 12; but all their di∣sciples, companions, and assistants, were generally called Apostles. Vales.
• f 1.4

  This Three hun∣dredth and fortieth year accor∣ding to the account of the Edes∣sens, falleth with the first year of the two hundredth and second O∣lympiad. For the Edessens numbred their years from the hun∣dredth and seventeenth Olympiad, fixing their Aera upon the first year of Seleucus his Reign in Asia (as Eusebius writes in his Chronicon) from which time to the beginning of the two hundredth and second Olympiad, there are just three hundred and forty years. Now the beginning of the two hundredth and second Olympiad falleth with the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar; in which year, as many of the Antients believed, our Blessed Saviour suffered and ascended. So that this account falls right, placing Thaddaeus his coming to Edessa, and his curing King Agbarus on the same year, in which our Blessed Saviour suffered. Note that the Edessens began their year, from the Autumnal Aequinox, according to the custom of the Syrlans, and almost all the Eastern Nations. Vales.