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Eusebius of Caesarea, The Church History. — Preface
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§2. Eusebius’ Birth and Training. His Life in Cæsarea until the Outbreak of the Persecution.
§3. The Persecution of Diocletian.
§4. Eusebius’ Accession to the Bishopric of Cæsarea.
§5. The Outbreak of the Arian Controversy. The Attitude of Eusebius .
§7. Continuance of the Arian Controversy. Eusebius’ Relations to the Two Parties.
§3. Eusebius as a Historian. The Merits and Defects of his History .
Testimonies of the Ancients in Favor of Eusebius.
Testimonies of the Ancients Against Eusebius.
The Church History of Eusebius.
Chapter II.— Summary View of the Pre-existence and Divinity of Our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ.
Chapter IV.— The Religion Proclaimed by Him to All Nations Was Neither New Nor Strange.
Chapter V.— The Time of his Appearance among Men.
Chapter VII.— The Alleged Discrepancy in the Gospels in regard to the Genealogy of Christ.
Chapter VIII.— The Cruelty of Herod toward the Infants, and the Manner of his Death.
Chapter IX.— The Times of Pilate.
Chapter X.— The High Priests of the Jews under whom Christ taught.
Chapter XI.— Testimonies in Regard to John the Baptist and Christ.
Chapter XII.— The Disciples of our Saviour.
Chapter XIII.— Narrative concerning the Prince of the Edessenes.
Chapter I.— The Course pursued by the Apostles after the Ascension of Christ.
Chapter II.— How Tiberius was affected when informed by Pilate concerning Christ.
Chapter III.— The Doctrine of Christ soon spread throughout All the World.
Chapter V.— Philo’s Embassy to Caius in Behalf of the Jews.
Chapter VI.— The Misfortunes which overwhelmed the Jews after their Presumption against Christ.
Chapter VII.— Pilate’s Suicide.
Chapter VIII.— The Famine which took Place in the Reign of Claudius.
Chapter IX.— The Martyrdom of James the Apostle.
Chapter XI.— The Impostor Theudas and his Followers.
Chapter XII.— Helen, the Queen of the Osrhœnians.
Chapter XIV.— The Preaching of the Apostle Peter in Rome.
Chapter XV.— The Gospel according to Mark.
Chapter XVI.— Mark first proclaimed Christianity to the Inhabitants of Egypt.
Chapter XVII.— Philo’s Account of the Ascetics of Egypt.
Chapter XVIII.— The Works of Philo that have come down to us.
Chapter XIX.— The Calamity which befell the Jews in Jerusalem on the Day of the Passover.
Chapter XX.— The Events which took Place in Jerusalem during the Reign of Nero.
Chapter XXI.— The Egyptian, who is mentioned also in the Acts of the Apostles.
Chapter XXIII.— The Martyrdom of James, who was called the Brother of the Lord.
Chapter XXIV.— Annianus the First Bishop of the Church of Alexandria after Mark.
Chapter II.— The First Ruler of the Church of Rome.
Chapter III.— The Epistles of the Apostles.
Chapter IV.— The First Successors of the Apostles.
Chapter V.— The Last Siege of the Jews after Christ.
Chapter VI.— The Famine which oppressed them.
Chapter VII.— The Predictions of Christ.
Chapter VIII.— The Signs which preceded the War.
Chapter IX.— Josephus and the Works which he has left.
Chapter X.— The Manner in which Josephus mentions the Divine Books.
Chapter XI.— Symeon rules the Church of Jerusalem after James.
Chapter XII.— Vespasian commands the Descendants of David to be sought.
Chapter XIII.— Anencletus, the Second Bishop of Rome.
Chapter XIV.— Abilius, the Second Bishop of Alexandria.
Chapter XV.— Clement, the Third Bishop of Rome.
Chapter XVI.— The Epistle of Clement.
Chapter XVII.— The Persecution under Domitian.
Chapter XVIII.— The Apostle John and the Apocalypse.
Chapter XIX.— Domitian commands the Descendants of David to be slain.
Chapter XX.— The Relatives of our Saviour.
Chapter XXI.— Cerdon becomes the Third Ruler of the Church of Alexandria.
Chapter XXII.— Ignatius, the Second Bishop of Antioch.
Chapter XXIII.— Narrative Concerning John the Apostle.
Chapter XXIV.— The Order of the Gospels.
Chapter XXV.— The Divine Scriptures that are accepted and those that are not.
Chapter XXVI.— Menander the Sorcerer.
Chapter XXVII.— The Heresy of the Ebionites.
Chapter XXVIII.— Cerinthus the Heresiarch.
Chapter XXIX.— Nicolaus and the Sect named after him.
Chapter XXX.— The Apostles that were Married.
Chapter XXXI.— The Death of John and Philip.
Chapter XXXII.— Symeon, Bishop of Jerusalem, suffers Martyrdom.
Chapter XXXIII.— Trajan forbids the Christians to be sought after.
Chapter XXXIV.— Evarestus, the Fourth Bishop of the Church of Rome.
Chapter XXXV.— Justus, the Third Bishop of Jerusalem.
Chapter XXXVI.— Ignatius and His Epistles.
Chapter XXXVII.— The Evangelists that were still Eminent at that Time.
Chapter XXXVIII.— The Epistle of Clement and the Writings falsely ascribed to him.
Chapter XXXIX.— The Writings of Papias.
Chapter II.— The Calamities of the Jews during Trajan’s Reign.
Chapter III.— The Apologists that wrote in Defense of the Faith during the Reign of Adrian.
Chapter IV.— The Bishops of Rome and of Alexandria under the Same Emperor .
Chapter V.— The Bishops of Jerusalem from the Age of our Saviour to the Period under Consideration
Chapter VI.— The Last Siege of the Jews under Adrian .
Chapter VII.— The Persons that became at that Time Leaders of Knowledge falsely so-called .
Chapter VIII.— Ecclesiastical Writers .
Chapter IX.— The Epistle of Adrian, decreeing that we should not be punished without a Trial .
Chapter X.— The Bishops of Rome and of Alexandria during the Reign of Antoninus .
Chapter XI.— The Heresiarchs of that Age .
Chapter XII.— The Apology of Justin addressed to Antoninus.
ChapterXIII.— The Epistle of Antoninus to the Common Assembly of Asia in Regard to our Doctrine .
Chapter XIV.— The Circumstances related of Polycarp, a Friend of the Apostles .
Chapter XV.— Under Verus, Polycarp with Others suffered Martyrdom at Smyrna
Chapter XVI.— Justin the Philosopher preaches the Word of Christ in Rome and suffers Martyrdom.
Chapter XVII.— The Martyrs whom Justin mentions in his Own Work.
Chapter XVIII.— The Works of Justin which have come down to us.
Chapter XIX.— The Rulers of the Churches of Rome and Alexandria during the Reign of Verus.
Chapter XX.— The Rulers of the Church of Antioch.
Chapter XXI.— The Ecclesiastical Writers that flourished in Those Days.
Chapter XXII.— Hegesippus and the Events which he mentions.
Chapter XXIII.— Dionysius, Bishop of Corinth, and the Epistles which he wrote.
Chapter XXIV.— Theophilus Bishop of Antioch.
Chapter XXV.— Philip and Modestus.
Chapter XXVI.— Melito and the Circumstances which he records.
Chapter XXVII.— Apolinarius, Bishop of the Church of Hierapolis.
Chapter XXVIII.— Musanus and His Writings.
Chapter XXIX.— The Heresy of Tatian.
Chapter XXX.— Bardesanes the Syrian and his Extant Works.
Chapter II.— The Martyrs, beloved of God, kindly ministered unto those who fell in the Persecution.
Chapter III.— The Vision which appeared in a Dream to the Witness Attalus.
Chapter IV.— Irenæus commended by the Witnesses in a Letter.
Chapter VI.— Catalogue of the Bishops of Rome.
Chapter VII.— Even down to those Times Miracles were performed by the Faithful.
Chapter VIII.— The Statements of Irenæus in regard to the Divine Scriptures.
Chapter IX.— The Bishops under Commodus.
Chapter X.— Pantænus the Philosopher.
Chapter XI.— Clement of Alexandria.
Chapter XII.— The Bishops in Jerusalem.
Chapter XIII.— Rhodo and his Account of the Dissension of Marcion.
Chapter XIV.— The False Prophets of the Phrygians.
Chapter XV.— The Schism of Blastus at Rome.
Chapter XVI.— The Circumstances related of Montanus and his False Prophets.
Chapter XVII.— Miltiades and His Works.
Chapter XIX.— Serapion on the Heresy of the Phrygians.
Chapter XX.— The Writings of Irenæus against the Schismatics at Rome.
Chapter XXI.— How Appolonius suffered Martyrdom at Rome.
Chapter XXII.— The Bishops that were well known at this Time.
Chapter XXIII.— The Question then agitated concerning the Passover.
Chapter XXIV.— The Disagreement in Asia.
Chapter XXV.— How All came to an Agreement respecting the Passover.
Chapter XXVI.— The Elegant Works of Irenæus which have come down to us.
Chapter XXVII.— The Works of Others that flourished at that Time.
Chapter II.— The Training of Origen from Childhood.
Chapter III.— While still very Young, he taught diligently the Word of Christ.
Chapter IV.— The pupils of Origen that became Martyrs.
Chapter VI.— Clement of Alexandria.
Chapter VII.— The Writer, Judas.
Chapter VIII.— Origen’s Daring Deed.
Chapter IX.— The Miracles of Narcissus.
Chapter X.— The Bishops of Jerusalem.
Chapter XII.— Serapion and his Extant Works.
Chapter XIII.— The Writings of Clement.
Chapter XIV.— The Scriptures mentioned by Him.
Chapter XVI.— Origen’s Earnest Study of the Divine Scriptures.
Chapter XVII.— The Translator Symmachus.
Chapter XIX.— Circumstances Related of Origen.
Chapter XX.— The Extant Works of the Writers of that Age.
Chapter XXI.— The Bishops that were well known at that Time.
Chapter XXII.— The Works of Hippolytus which have reached us.
Chapter XXIII.— Origen’s Zeal and his Elevation to the Presbyterate.
Chapter XXIV.— The Commentaries which he prepared at Alexandria.
Chapter XXV.— His Review of the Canonical Scriptures.
Chapter XXVI.— Heraclas becomes Bishop of Alexandria.
Chapter XXVII.— How the Bishops regarded Origen.
Chapter XXVIII.— The Persecution under Maximinus.
Chapter XXIX.— Fabianus, who was wonderfully designated Bishop of Rome by God.
Chapter XXX.— The Pupils of Origen.
Chapter XXXII.— The Commentaries which Origen composed in Cæsarea in Palestine.
Chapter XXXIII.— The Error of Beryllus.
Chapter XXXV.— Dionysius succeeds Heraclas in the Episcopate.
Chapter XXXVI.— Other Works of Origen.
Chapter XXXVII.— The Dissension of the Arabians.
Chapter XXXVIII.— The Heresy of the Elkesites.
Chapter XXXIX.— The Persecution under Decius, and the Sufferings of Origen.
Chapter XL.— The Events which happened to Dionysius.
Chapter XLI.— The Martyrs in Alexandria.
Chapter XLII.— Others of whom Dionysius gives an Account.
Chapter XLIII.— Novatus, his Manner of Life and his Heresy.
Chapter XLIV.— Dionysius’ Account of Serapion.
Chapter XLV.— An Epistle of Dionysius to Novatus.
Chapter XLVI.— Other Epistles of Dionysius.
Chapter I.— The Wickedness of Decius and Gallus.
Chapter II.— The Bishops of Rome in those Times.
Chapter IV.— The Epistles which Dionysius wrote on this Subject.
Chapter V.— The Peace following the Persecution.
Chapter VI.— The Heresy of Sabellius.
Chapter VIII.— The Heterodoxy of Novatus.
Chapter IX.— The Ungodly Baptism of the Heretics.
Chapter X.— Valerian and the Persecution under him.
Chapter XI.— The Events which happened at this Time to Dionysius and those in Egypt.
Chapter XII.— The Martyrs in Cæsarea in Palestine.
Chapter XIII.— The Peace under Gallienus.
Chapter XIV.— The Bishops that flourished at that Time.
Chapter XV.— The Martyrdom of Marinus at Cæsarea.
Chapter XVI.— Story in Regard to Astyrius.
Chapter XVII.— The Signs at Paneas of the Great Might of our Saviour.
Chapter XVIII.— The Statue which the Woman with an Issue of Blood erected.
Chapter XIX.— The Episcopal Chair of James.
Chapter XX.— The Festal Epistles of Dionysius, in which he also gives a Paschal Canon.
Chapter XXI.— The Occurrences at Alexandria.
Chapter XXII.— The Pestilence which came upon them.
Chapter XXIII.— The Reign of Gallienus.
Chapter XXIV.— Nepos and his Schism.
Chapter XXV.— The Apocalypse of John.
Chapter XXVI.— The Epistles of Dionysius.
Chapter XXVII.— Paul of Samosata, and the Heresy introduced by him at Antioch.
Chapter XXVIII.— The Illustrious Bishops of that Time.
Chapter XXX.— The Epistle of the Bishops against Paul.
Chapter XXXI.— The Perversive Heresy of the Manicheans which began at this Time.
Chapter I.— The Events which preceded the Persecution in our Times.
Chapter II.— The Destruction of the Churches.
Chapter III.— The Nature of the Conflicts endured in the Persecution.
Chapter V.— Those in Nicomedia.
Chapter VI.— Those in the Palace.
Chapter VII.— The Egyptians in Phœnicia.
Chapter VIII.— Those in Egypt .
Chapter IX.— Those in Thebais.
Chapter X.— The Writings of Phileas the Martyr describing the Occurrences at Alexandria.
Chapter XI.— Those in Phrygia.
Chapter XII.— Many Others, both Men and Women, who suffered in Various Ways.
Chapter XIV.— The Character of the Enemies of Religion.
Chapter XV.— The Events which happened to the Heathen.
Chapter XVI.— The Change of Affairs for the Better.
Chapter XVII.— The Revocation of the Rulers.
Chapter II.— The Subsequent Reverse.
Chapter III.— The Newly Erected Statue at Antioch.
Chapter IV.— The Memorials against us.
Chapter VI.— Those who suffered Martyrdom at this Time.
Chapter VII.— The Decree against us which was engraved on Pillars.
Chapter IX.— The Victory of the God-Beloved Emperors.
Chapter X.— The Overthrow of the Tyrants and the Words which they uttered before their Death.
Chapter XI.— The Final Destruction of the Enemies of Religion.
Chapter II.— The Restoration of the Churches.
Chapter III.— The Dedications in Every Place.
Chapter IV.— Panegyric on the Splendor of Affairs.
Chapter V.— Copies of Imperial Laws.
Chapter VI. — Copy of an Imperial Epistle in which Money is granted to the Churches.
Chapter VII.— The Exemption of the Clergy.
Chapter VIII.— The Subsequent Wickedness of Licinius, and his Death.
Supplementary Notes and Tables.
On Bk. III. chap. 3, § 5 (note 17, continued).
On Bk. III. chap. 3, § 6 (note 22, continued).
On Bk. III. chap. 24, § 17 (note 18 continued).
On Bk. III. chap. 25, § 4 (note 18 continued).
On Bk. III. chap. 32, § 6 (note 14 a ).
On Bk. III. chap. 39, § 1 (note 1, continued).
On Bk. V. Introd. § I (note 3, continued). The Successors of Antoninus Pius .
On Bk. V. chap. 1, § 27 (note 26, continued).
On Bk. VI. chap. 2 (note 1, continued). Origen’s Life and Writings .
On Bk. VI. chap. 8, § 5 (note 4). Origen and Demetrius .
On Bk. VI. chap. 23, § 4 (note 6). Origen’s Visit to Achaia .
On Bk. VII. chap. 26, § 1 (note 4, continued).
On Bk. VIII. chap. 2, § 4 (note 3, continued). The Causes of the Diocletian Persecution .
On Bk. X. chap. 8, § 4 (note I, a).
The Bishops of Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem, mentioned by Eusebius.
Table showing the Roman Method of counting the Days of the Month.
Chapter VII.— The Abominable Error of the Heretics; the Divine Vision of Dionysius; and the Ecclesiastical Canon which he received.
1. In the third epistle on baptism which this same Dionysius wrote to Philemon, 27 Of this Philemon we know no more than we can gather from this chapter. Upon Dionysius’ position on the re-baptism of heretics, see above, chap. 2, note 4, and upon his other epistles on that subject, see chap. 5, note 6. the Roman presbyter, he relates the following: “But I examined the works and traditions of the heretics, defiling my mind for a little time with their abominable opinions, but receiving this benefit from them, that I refuted them by myself, and detested them all the more.
2. And when a certain brother among the presbyters restrained me, fearing that I should be carried away with the filth of their wickedness (for it would defile my soul),—in which also, as I perceived, he spoke the truth,—a vision sent from God came and strengthened me.
3. And the word which came to me commanded me, saying distinctly, ‘Read everything which thou canst take in hand, 28 Dionysius, in following this vision, was but showing himself a genuine disciple of his master Origen, and exhibiting the true spirit of the earlier Alexandrian school. for thou art able to correct and prove all; and this has been to thee from the beginning the cause of thy faith.’ I received the vision as agreeing with the apostolic word, which says to them that are stronger, ‘Be skillful money-changers.’” 29 ὡς ἀποστολικῇ φωνῇ συντρέχον…γίνεσθε δόκιμοι τραπεζιται. This saying, sometimes in the brief form given here, sometimes as part of a longer sentence (e.g. in Clement of Alex. Strom. I. 28, γίνεσθε δὲ δόκιμοι τραπεζιται, τὰ μὲν ἀποδοκιμ€ζοντες, τὸ δὲ καλὸν κατέχοντες), appears very frequently in the writings of the Fathers. In some cases it is cited (in connection with 1 Thess. v. 21, 22) on the authority of Paul (in the present case as an “apostolic word”), in other cases on the authority of “Scripture” (ᾑ γραφή, or γέγραπται, or θεῖος λόγος), in still more cases as an utterance of Christ himself. There can be little doubt that Christ really did utter these words, and that the words used by Paul in 1 Thess. v. 21, 22, were likewise spoken by Christ in the same connection. We may, in fact, with considerable confidence recognize in these words part of a genuine extra-canonical saying of Christ, which was widely current in the early Church. We are to explain the words then not as so many have done, as merely based upon the words of Christ, reported in Matt. xxv. 12 sq., or upon the words of Paul already referred to, but as an actual utterance of the Master. Moreover, we may, since Resch’s careful discussion of the whole subject of the Agrapha (or extra-canonical sayings of Christ), with considerable confidence assume that these words were handed down to post-apostolic times not in an apocryphal gospel, nor by mere oral tradition, but in the original Hebrew Matthew, of which Papias and many others tell us, and which is probably to be looked upon as a pre-canonical gospel, with the “Ur-Marcus” the main source of our present gospels of Matthew and Luke, and through the “Ur-Marcus” one of the sources of our present Gospel of Mark. Looked upon in this light these words quoted by Dionysius become of great interest to us. They (or a part of the same saying) are quoted more frequently by the Fathers than any other of the Agrapha (Resch, on p. 116 sq. gives 69 instances). Their interpretation, in connection with the words of Paul in 1 Thess. v. 21, 22, has been very satisfactorily discussed by Hänsel in the Studien und Kritiken, 1836, p. 170 sq. They undoubtedly mean that we are to test and to distinguish between the true and the false, the good and the bad, as a skillful money-changer distinguishes good and bad coins. For a full discussion of this utterance, and for an exhibition of the many other patristic passages in which it occurs, see the magnificent work of Alfred Resch, Agrapha: Aussercanonische Evangelienfragmente, in Gebhardt and Harnack’s Texte und Untersuchungen, Bd. V. Heft 4, Leipzig, 1889; the most complete and satisfactory discussion of the whole subject of the Agrapha which we have.
4. Then after saying some things concerning all the heresies he adds: “I received this rule and ordinance from our blessed father, 30 π€πα. According to Suicer (Thesaurus) all bishops in the Occident as late as the fifth century were called Papæ as a mark of honor and though the term by that time had begun to be used in a distinctive sense of the bishop of Rome, the older usage continued in parts of the West outside of Italy, until Gregory VII. (a.d. 1075) forbade the use of the name for any other than the pope. In the East the word was used for a long time as the especial title of the bishops of Alexandria and of Rome (see Suicer’s Thesaurus and Gieseler’s Church Hist. Harper’s edition, I. p. 499). Heraclas. 31 On Heraclas, see Bk. VI. chap. 3, note 2. For those who came over from heresies, although they had apostatized from the Church,—or rather had not apostatized, but seemed to meet with them, yet were charged with resorting to some false teacher,—when he had expelled them from the Church he did not receive them back, though they entreated for it, until they had publicly reported all things which they had heard from their adversaries; but then he received them without requiring of them another baptism. 32 Compare Cyprian’s epistle to Quintus concerning the baptism of heretics (Ep. 70, al. 71). Cyprian there takes the position stated here, that those who have been baptized in the Church and have afterward gone over to heresy and then returned again to the Church are not to be re-baptized, but to be received with the laying on of hands only. This of course does not at all invalidate the position of Cyprian and the others who re-baptized heretics, for they baptized heretics not because they had been heretics, but because they had not received true baptism, nor indeed any baptism at all, which it was impossible, in their view, for a heretic to give. They therefore repudiated (as Cyprian does in the epistle referred to) the term re-baptism, denying that they re-baptized anybody. For they had formerly received the Holy Spirit from him.”
5. Again, after treating the question thoroughly, he adds: “I have learned also that this 33 Namely the re-baptism (or, as they would say, the baptism) of those who had received baptism only at the hands of heretics standing without the communion of the Church. is not a novel practice introduced in Africa alone, but that even long ago in the times of the bishops before us this opinion has been adopted in the most populous churches, and in synods of the brethren in Iconium and Synnada, 34 Iconium was the principal city of Lycaonia, and Synnada a city of Phrygia. The synod of Iconium referred to here is mentioned also by Firmilian in his epistle to Cyprian, §§7 and 19 (Cypriani Ep. 74, al. 75). From that epistle we learn that the synod was attended by bishops from Phrygia, Cilicia, Galatia, and other countries, and that heretical baptism was entirely rejected by it. Moreover, we learn that Firmilian himself was present at the synod, and that it was held a considerable time before the writing of his epistle. This leads us to place the synod between 230 (on Firmilian’s dates, see above, Bk. VI. chap. 26, note 3) and 240 or 250. Since it took place a considerable time before Firmilian wrote, it can hardly have been held much later than 240. Of the synod of Synnada, we know nothing. It very likely took place about the same time. See Hefele’s Conciliengesch. I. p. 107 sq. Dionysius was undoubtedly correct in appealing to ancient custom for the practice which he supported (see above, chap. 2, note 3). and by many others. To overturn their counsels and throw them into strife and contention, I cannot endure. For it is said, 35 φησί, i.e. “The Scripture saith.” ‘Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor’s landmark, which thy fathers have set.’” 36 Deut. xix. 14.
6. His fourth epistle on baptism 37 On Dionysius’ other epistles on baptism, see above, chap. 5, note 6. was written to Dionysius 38 On Dionysius of Rome, see below, chap. 27, note 2. of Rome, who was then a presbyter, but not long after received the episcopate of that church. It is evident from what is stated of him by Dionysius of Alexandria, that he also was a learned and admirable man. Among other things he writes to him as follows concerning Novatus: