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 Subject of this Work.

THE successions of the Holy Apo∣stles, together with the series of times continued from our Saviour to our age, and how many and great things are said to have been done, agreeable to the sub∣ject of an Ecclesiastical History, and who have eminently governed and presided over the Church, especially in the most famous Sees a 1.1; also who in every age have set forth the Divine Word, ei∣ther by preaching or wri∣tings; And also, what men, and how many, and when, through a desire of innova∣tion, falling into extream er∣rours, have published them∣selves authors of knowledge falsly so called, and sparing none, as ravening wolves, have devoured the flock of Christ; and moreover, what evils and calamities befell straightway the whole nati∣on of the Jews, because of their conspiracy against our Saviour; and again, by how great and what manner of means, and in what times the Divine Word hath been im∣pugned of the Gentiles, and what singular men in every age have undergone the greatest perills in defence thereof, by shedding their bloud, and suffering torments; and besides all this, the Martyrdoms that have happened in our own times, together with the merciful and benign assi∣stance of our Saviour graciously exhibited towards every one: These things, I say, I determining to pub∣lish in writing, will not take my entrance from any other place, than from the very b 1.2 Incarnation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus, who is the Christ of God. But truly even in the beginning we must modestly crave pardon; for we confess ingeni∣ously, it is far beyond our strength to finish what we design and promise perfectly and com∣pleatly, so as to omit nothing. For we taking this argument in hand first, adventure to tread a solitary and untroden way, praying that God may be our guide, and the power of our Lord our present help and aid; but we can no where find so much as the bare steps of any men who have passed the same path before us: ex∣cepting onely some small shews and tokens di∣vers here and there have left us, particular decla∣rations of the times they lived in, holding forth as it were Torches a far off, and lifting up their voi∣ces from one high, and calling as out of a Watch∣tower to direct us what way we ought to goe, and how without errour or danger to order our discourse. Whatsoever things therefore we think will be expedient for this present argument, these we carefully chusing, as they are here and there by them mentioned, and culling and gathering the commodious and fit sentences of former Wri∣ters, as it were flowers out of Wisdoms Mea∣dows, we will endeavour by an Historical narra∣tion to compact the same into one body, resting well contented to preserve from oblivion the suc∣cessions, although not of all, yet of the most famous Apostles of our Saviour in those Churches which

then were eminent, and are still renowned. I sup∣pose that I have taken in hand a subject very ne∣cessary, because I have not found any Ecclesi∣astical Writer which hath hitherto employed any diligence in a work of this nature; I hope also it will appear a most profitable work to those who prize the usefull knowledge of History. And in∣deed I heretofore wrote an Epitome of these things, when I compiled my c 1.3 Chronical Canons; but the more ample declaration hereof I now purpose to undertake. And the beginning of my narration (as I said) will I take from the d 1.4 Dispensation of our Saviour Christ, and from his e 1.5 Divinity, the conception whereof far exceeds the reach of hu∣mane capacity. For it is requisite for him that would commit to writing an Ecclesiastical History, thence to begin, even from the incarnation of Christ, diviner than it seemeth to many, in as much as from him we are honoured with the name of Christians.

Notes

• a 1.1

  I cannot approve of Christophor∣sons translat on who renders the word [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] Provinces. Neither am I pleased with the amendment of Curterius, or whoever it was that translated it [Churches.] Indeed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies a Church amongst Christian Writers, and particularly in our Eusebius, not in one place. The original of which signification came from hence, as I judge; because the Church is as it were, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a Stranger or Sojourner in the earth; but its Country and freedom is in heaven. Hence we often meet with this phrase in our Eusebius, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Book. 4. & B 4. Chap. 23. And Clemens, in His Epist. to the Corinthians, writes thus - 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. But in this place of Eusebius we must not translate this word [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] Churches. For then the same word must be repeated twice in the same clause, thus - Who have governed and presided over the Church especially in the most famous Churches. I should rather translate it [Cities or Sees] or, with Rufinus, in celeberrimis locis, in the most famous places. Sometimes this word is taken for the whole Diocess, as it occurs in Eusebius in very many places; and in several other Authours: sometimes it is taken in a more strict sense, not for the whole Diocess, but for one particular Church: So Apollonius in his book against the Cataphrygians, whose words Eusebius quotes Chap. 18. B. 5. In both these senses the word is used amongst the Latines. See Jac. Sermondus in his notes on the last Epistle of Sidonius. Vales. See J. Gs. Notes on Ridleys view of the Civil Law. p. 152. edit. Oxford, 1634.
• b 1.2

  Whatso∣ever our Saviour did on earth in order to the procuring the salvati∣on of man∣kind, that the antient Greek-fa∣thers called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Therefore [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] which is the phrase here used, signi∣fies the In∣carnation▪ as the last 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 i•• His passion. For they are mista∣ken who think that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies no∣thing else but the In∣carnation. For this word is ta∣ken in a lar∣ger sense, and comprehends the whole Life of Christ among men. Nicephorus therefore (B. 1. Chap. 2.) has rightly used, instead of this phrase here in Eusebius, this [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] i. e. His conversation in the Flesh. In this sense Justin Martyr uses this word, in his disputation adversus Tryphon. p. 331. Clemens in the 6. of his Stromat. And Irencus, Lib. 1. cap. 10. calls the passion of Christ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. So Chrysostom in his second Homilie on Matt. and Cyrill, in his 6. B. against Julian, pag. 213. and Origen, in the beginning of his 11 Tome of his commentaries on John. Vales.
• c 1.3

  In the Maz. M. S. I found this Scholion written in the Mar∣gin [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] that is, Observe that the Chronical Canons were first written by Eusebius. Vales.
• d 1.4

  There being in Christ a twofold nature, the one Divine, the other Humane, which conjoyfied make one person: as often as He is treated of, the discourse must be divided into two parts. And those things which are spoken of His Humanity belong to the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as we said before; But those which are spoken of His Divinity are to be referred to the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (which are the two terms here used by Eusebius.) Thus Gregor. Nazian. in his 38 Orat. upon Christs birth, distinguishes the Oeconomia from the Theologia in these words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. And Chry∣sostome, in his Sermon De sigillis which is in his sixth Tome, says, that the three former Evangelists, being to preach the Gospel of Christ to all Nations, began their discourse from his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉▪ but, that John, after them three, ayplyed himself to the explicating of his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; and took the beginning of his discourse from the Divinity of Christ. Whence it appears why Eusebius here used these words [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.] For when we speak of Christ, we must necessarily understand His two Natures. Vales.
• e 1.5

  The Antients called that Theologicen, which we now commonly Stile Theologiam; Jerom in his 155. Epist. Ad Paulam Urbicam—Aut de Logicâ pro quâ nostri Theologicen sibi Vindicant; so its written in the old M. S. of Henricus Memmius (not as it is now commonly printed, Theoricen, without any sense) which I have heretofore seen. After the same manner Pliny called that Geometricen, and Magicen, which we now call Geometriam and Magiam. In the Books of Jerome you will never find it termed Theologiam, but in Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. See him on Chap. 40. Ezechiel. Vales.