Ptōchomuseion [sic]. = The poore mans librarie Rapsodiæ G.A. Bishop of Exceter vpon the first epistle of saint Peter, red publiquely in the cathedrall church of saint Paule, within the citye of London. 1560. Here are adioyned at the end of euery special treatie, certaine fruitful annotacions which may properly be called miscellanea, bicause they do entreate of diuerse and sundry matters, marked with the nombre and figures of Augrime. 2.

Athanasius. 18.

AThanasius bishop of Alexandria was a famous man in holines & knowlege: he suffred many & greuous persecutions of the Arri∣ans. For he being constituted against the Arrians, in the coūsell of Laodicen, with most euident reasons & very strong argumēts affirmed, God the sonne to be of one substāce with the father, which thing Arrius and his adherents could not refel. Therfore stirred vp almost the whole world to persecute Athanasius: who flieng away (as Hierome saith) dyd hide himself .6. yeares continually, in an empty and dry Cestern, where he neuer saw the sunne. VVhich yeares being expired, when a certayne wench had vttered him to be ther, by Gods prouidence he fled frō thence. For then al princes, countries and kingdoms with their hosts, came toge∣ther to pursue him, by means wherof he wandred about the world, inso∣much that he could finde no place to hide him selfe safely. At the lēgth af∣ter many vexations and sufferinges, he dyed in the time of Valentinia∣nus and Valens the Emperours, in the yeare of the Lord .379. the syxt Nones of May, and in the .46. yeare of his priesthood.

Ruffinus writeth in his Ecclesiasticall historie, that the Arrians fea∣ring lest Athanasius should haue occasion of accesse to the Emperor Cō∣stantine, did accuse Athanasius of Magicke and murther, and sayd, that he had cut of one of the armes from the body of one Arsenius to practise Magicke. VVhich thing the Emperour hearing, commaunded a councell to be gathered at Tirus, where he bad Athanasius to be condēned. Atha∣nasius was led thither, & one of the Emperours noble men was sent the∣ther to be as Lord iudge and examiner of the said cause. Now this Arse∣nius whose arme was said to be cut of, had somtime bene Athanasius his reader, which Arsenius, fering lest he should be corrected for some fault, withdrew himselfe from Athanasius, and fled away. VVhose running a∣way (the wicked taking to be a iust occasion of laieng the fore said crime to Athanasius charge) tooke Arsenius, and kept him close in a certaine mans house, who was of the same conspiracie with them against Atha∣nasius. And whither it were by the contēplation of his owne humanity, or by gods prouidence escaping, priuily in the night out of the prison ar∣riued by ship vnto Tirus. And the day before Athanasius should be ar∣reigned, Arsenius came to his maister Athanasius, & opened all the mat∣ter vnto him, how his enemies wēt about falsly to accuse him of murther. Athanasius cōmaūded Arsenius to kepe him selfe close within the house, that no man might know of his returne againe and presence there. The councell did sit, to the which al they which were of a malicious and spite∣full minde against Athanasius, did repaire. At y^t tyme one Paphnutius a confessor of God, was presēt with Athasius, who knew very well Atha∣nasius innocencie and giltlesnes. VVhen he saw Maximus Bishop of Hie¦rusalem (who had his eye cut out, and his hamme cut of, as Paphnutius had for the confessing of gods truth) to sit with other of y^e Arrian factiō, came before the middest of the coūcel, and said: O Maximus, with whom I haue one & the same badge of Christiā confession, with whom also one of my bodily eyes being put out, hath purchased a more cleare sight of hea¦uenly light, I will not suffer the to sit in the councell of the wicked, & to entre in with them that imagine mischief. And so casting his hande vnto him, did lift him vp, and tooke him from the middest of the councell. And geuing him instructions of the whole matter, coupled him euer after to the communion and felowship of Athanasius.

But in the meane time the cause agaynst Athanasius went forward. First of all they brought in a certaine woman (whome they had suborned to exhibite false accusation and testimonie agaynst him) who sayd, that vpon a certaine night she receyued Athanasius into her house to lodging, and that she suspecting nothing lesse, was violently corrupted and raui∣shed

of Athanasius the same night. The iudges commaunded Athana∣sius to be brought forth, who commyng in, admonished Timotheus his Chaplayn, that assone as the woman had tolde her tale, he shuld aunswer and speake vnto her, for he would holde his peace. Nowe when this wo∣man had finished her Oration, as she was taught, Timotheus turnyng vnto her, sayd: VVas I euer receyued into thy house, O woman? and did I euer oppresse thee, as thou hast sayd? then she (as the malapertnes of women is shameles, speaking sharply vnto him. Thou, thou (sayth she) euē thou hast defiled my chastitie, and turning vnto the iudges made obtesta¦tion of her faith in God, that she had spoken nothing but the truth. Then were they all ashamed, and laughed at the matter, that the faction of this forged crime was so euidently and manifestly knowen.

Notwithstanding the iudges could not be suffred to examine this wo∣man, where and by whom she receyued the lesson of this forged slaunder, for the accusers did vsurpe to them selues the whole libertie of geuyng iudgement. VVell (this pageaunt beyng played) they obiected agaynst him an other crime. They brought forth such a wicked dede, as was ne∣uer herde of before. They set before the iudges a coffin, vpon the whiche lay a dead mans arme. This is that, sayd they, that cannot be coloured by crafty wordes, the matter is apparente, you may see it with your eyes, although wordes ceasse. This is the right arme of Arsenius, thy seruaunt, which how thou didest cut it of, or wherfore, now shewe and declare.

Then sayd Athanasius: whiche of you all here did knowe Arsenius, that you do knowe so well his right arme? Certayne arose vp, who were not of this faction and sayde, that they knewe Arsenius very well. Then Athanasius requested the iudges: that they would be so good, as to com∣maund his seruaunt whom he had sent out for certaine busines, to be cal∣led and brought thither. And when Arsenius came in, Athanasius lyf∣ting vp his head, sayd to the whole coūcell and to the iudges: there is Ar∣senius, this is euen he, and lifting vp his right hande, behold sayd he, here is his right hande, and this is his left hande. Nowe inquire you, whose arm this is, which they haue broght here before you. Then a certain myst and darckenes came before the eyes of the accusers, not knowyng, what they might do, nor what waye to turne them. For sure testimony was brought, that this was very Arsenius, who stoode there.

Neuertheles, bycause the councell was not kept for right iudgements sake, but onely to oppresse an innocent man, forthwith, they al made a great shout and cryed, saying, that Athanasius was a Magitian, and that he had deceyued their sight, and therfore was a man not worthy to lyue any longer. And comming vpon him with great violence, would haue

torne and rente him with their handes. But Archelaus, who was presi∣dent of the sayd counsell, at the Emperours commaundement, tooke hym out of their handes, conueighed him into a priuie way, and bad him saue him selfe by flight, and depart from thence. Notwithstanding the coun∣sell sitting agayne, as though nothing had bene perceyued of their malice and despitefull slaūders, cōdēned Athanasius of the crimes before layd to his charge, and did send the acts therof through all the world,* 1.1 & allured al the Bishops by the Emperours commaundemēt to consent to the same. Haec Ruffinus.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Lib. 1. cap. 15.16 & 17.