WEBVTT

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Book 5, Part 4, of Eusebius' Church
History.

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This is a LibriVox recording.

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All LibriVox recordings are in the public
domain.

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For more information, or to volunteer,
please visit LibriVox.org.

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Recording by David Leeson Church History
by Eusebius of Caesarea Translated by

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Arthur Cushman McGiffert Book 5,
Part 4, Chapters 21-28 Chapter 21 How

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Apollonius Suffered Martyrdom at Rome
About the same time, in the reign of

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Commodus, our condition became more
favorable, and through the grace of God

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the churches throughout the entire world
enjoyed peace, and the word of salvation

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was leading every soul, from every race of
man, to the devout worship of the God of

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the universe.

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So that now at Rome, many who were highly
distinguished for wealth and family turned

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with all their household and relatives
unto their salvation.

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But the demon who hates what is good,
being malignant in his nature,

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could not endure this, but prepared
himself again for conflict, contriving

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many devices against us.

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And he brought to the judgment seat
Apollonius of the city of Rome,

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a man renowned among the faithful for
learning and philosophy, having stirred up

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one of his servants, who was well fitted
for such a purpose, to accuse him.

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But this wretched man made the charge
unseasonably, because by a royal decree it

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was unlawful that informers of such things
should live, and his legs were broken

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immediately, perennius the judge having
pronounced this sentence upon him.

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But the martyr, highly beloved of God,
being earnestly entreated and requested by

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the judge to give an account of himself
before the senate, made in the presence of

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all an eloquent defense of the faith for
which he was witnessing.

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And as if by decree of the senate he was
put to death by decapitation, an ancient

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law requiring that those who were brought
to the judgment seat and refused to recant

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should not be liberated.

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Whoever desires to know his arguments
before the judge and his answers to the

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questions of perennius and his entire
defense before the senate, will find them

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in the records of the ancient martyrdoms
which we have collected.

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Chapter 22.

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The bishops that were well known at this
time.

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In the tenth year of the reign of
Commodus, Victor succeeded Eleutherus,

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the latter having held the episcopate for
thirteen years.

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In the same year, after Julian had
completed his tenth year, Demetrius

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received the charge of the parishes at
Alexandria.

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At this time the above mentioned Serapion,
the eighth from the apostles, was still

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well known as bishop of the church at
Antioch.

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Theophilus presided at Caesarea in
Palestine, and Narcissus, whom we have

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mentioned before, still had charge of the
church at Jerusalem.

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Bacchulus at the same time was bishop of
Corinth in Greece, and Pelicrates of the

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parish of Ephesus.

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And besides these a multitude of others,
as is likely, were then prominent.

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But we have given the names of those
alone, the soundness of whose faith has

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come down to us in writing.

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Chapter 23.

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The question then agitated concerning the
Passover.

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A question of no small importance arose at
that time.

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For the parishes of all Asia, as from an
older tradition, held that the fourteenth

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day of the moon, on which day the were
commanded to sacrifice the lamb,

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should be observed as the feast of the
Savior's Passover.

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It was therefore necessary to end their
fast on that day, whatever day of the week

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it should happen to be.

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But it was not the custom of the churches
in the rest of the world to end it at this

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time, as they observed the practice which,
from apostolic tradition, has prevailed to

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the present time, of terminating the fast
on no other day than on that of the

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resurrection of our Savior.

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Synods and assemblies of bishops were held
on this account, and all, with one

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consent, through mutual correspondence,
drew up an ecclesiastical decree that the

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mystery of the resurrection of the Lord
should be celebrated on no other but the

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Lord's day, and that we should observe the
close of the Paschal feast on this day

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only.

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There is still extant a writing of those
who were then assembled in Palestine,

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over whom Theophilus, Bishop of Caesarea,
and Narcissus, Bishop of Jerusalem,

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presided.

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And there is also another writing extant
of those who were assembled at Rome to

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consider the same question, which bears
the name of Bishop Victor, also of the

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bishops in Pontus, over which Palmus,
as the oldest, presided, and of the

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parishes in Gaul, of which Irenaeus was
bishop, and of those in Osrene,

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and the cities there, and a personal
letter of Bacchulus, Bishop of the Church

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at Corinth, and of a great many others,
who uttered the same opinion and judgment,

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and cast the same vote.

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And that which has been given above was
their unanimous decision.

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Chapter 24 THE DISAGREEMENT IN ASIA But
the bishops of Asia, led by Polycrates,

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decided to hold to the old custom handed
down to them.

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He himself, in a letter which he addressed
to Victor and the Church of Rome,

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set forth in the following words the
tradition which had come down to him.

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We observe the exact day, neither adding
nor taking away, for in Asia also great

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lights have fallen asleep, which shall
rise again on the day of the Lord's

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coming, when he shall come with glory from
heaven, and shall seek out all the saints.

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Among these are Philip, one of the twelve
apostles, who fell asleep in Hierapolis,

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and his two aged virgin daughters,
and another daughter, who lived in the

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Holy Spirit and now rests at Ephesus,
and moreover John, who was both a witness

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and a teacher, who reclined upon the bosom
of the Lord, and being a priest,

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wore the sacerdotal plate.

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He fell asleep at Ephesus.

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And Polycarp in Smyrna, who was a bishop
and martyr, and Thrasius, bishop and

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martyr from Eumenia, who fell asleep in
Smyrna.

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Why need I mention the bishop and martyr
Sagaris, who fell asleep in Laodicea,

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or the blessed Papirius, or Melito,
the eunuch who lived altogether in the

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Holy Spirit, and who lies in Sardis,
awaiting the episcopate from heaven,

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when he shall rise from the dead?

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All these observed the fourteenth day of
the Passover according to the Gospel,

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deviating in no respect but following the
rule of faith.

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And I also, Polycrates, the least of you
all, do according to the tradition of my

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relatives, some of whom I have closely
followed.

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For seven of my relatives were bishops,
and I am the eighth.

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And my relatives always observed the day
when the people put away the leaven.

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I, therefore, brethren, who have lived
sixty-five years in the Lord, and have met

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with brethren throughout the world,
and have gone through every holy

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scripture, am not affrighted by terrifying
words.

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For those greater than I have said,
We ought to obey God rather than man.

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He then writes of all the bishops who were
present with him, and thought as he did.

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His words are as follows.

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I could mention the bishops who were
present, whom I summoned at your desire,

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whose names, should I write them,
would constitute a great multitude.

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And they, beholding my littleness,
gave their consent to the letter,

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knowing that I did not bear my gray hairs
in vain, but had always governed my life

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by the Lord Jesus.

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Thereupon Victor, who presided over the
church at Rome, immediately attempted to

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cut off from the common unity the parishes
of all Asia, with the churches that agreed

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with them, as heterodox.

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And he wrote letters and declared all the
brethren there wholly excommunicate.

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But this did not please all the bishops.

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And they besought him to consider the
things of peace, and of neighborly unity

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and love.

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Words of theirs are extant, sharply
rebuking Victor.

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Among them was Irenaeus, who, sending
letters in the name of the brethren in

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Gaul over whom he presided, maintained
that the mystery of the resurrection of

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the Lord should be observed only on the
Lord's day.

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He fittingly admonishes Victor that he
should not cut off whole churches of God

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which observe the tradition of an ancient
custom.

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And after many other words, he proceeds as
follows.

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For the controversy is not only concerning
the day, but also concerning the very

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manner of fast.

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For some think that they should fast one
day, others two, yet others more.

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Some, moreover, count their day as
consisting of forty hours day and night.

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And this variety in its observance has not
originated in our time, but long before in

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that of our ancestors.

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It is likely that they did not hold to
strict accuracy, and thus formed a custom

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for their posterity according to their own
simplicity and peculiar mode.

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Yet all of these lived nonetheless in
peace, and we also live in peace with one

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another, and the disagreement in regard to
the fast confirms the agreement in the

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faith.

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He adds to this the following account,
which I may properly insert.

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Among these were the presbyters before
Soter, who presided over the church which

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thou now rulest.

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We mean Anicetus, and Pius, and Hyginus,
and Telesphorus, and Zistus.

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They neither observed it themselves,
nor did they permit those after them to do

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so.

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And yet though not observing it,
they were nonetheless at peace with those

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who came to them from the parishes in
which it was observed, although this

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observance was more opposed to those who
did not observe it.

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But none were ever cast out on account of
this form, but the presbyters before thee

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who did not observe it, sent the Eucharist
to those of other parishes who observed

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it.

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And when the blessed Polycarp was at Rome
in the time of Anicetus, and they

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disagreed a little about certain other
things, they immediately made peace with

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one another, not caring to quarrel over
this matter.

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For neither could Anicetus persuade
Polycarp not to observe what he had always

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observed with John the disciple of our
Lord, and the other apostles with whom he

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had associated, neither could Polycarp
persuade Anicetus to observe it,

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as he said that he ought to follow the
customs of the presbyters that had

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preceded him.

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But though matters were in this shape,
they communed together, and Anicetus

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conceded the administration of the
Eucharist in the church to Polycarp,

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manifestly as a mark of respect.

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And they parted from each other in peace,
both those who observed and those who did

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not, maintaining the peace of the whole
church.

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Thus Irenaeus, who truly was well named,
became a peacemaker in this matter,

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exhorting and negotiating in this way in
behalf of the peace of the churches.

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And he conferred by letter about this
mooted question, not only with Victor,

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but also with most of the other rulers of
the churches.

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Chapter 25.

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How All Came to an Agreement Respecting
the Passover.

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Those in Palestine whom we have recently
mentioned, Narcissus and Theophilus,

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and with them Cassius, bishop of the
church of Tyre, and Clarus of the church

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of Ptolemaeus, and those who met with
them, having stated many things respecting

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the tradition concerning the Passover
which had come to them in succession from

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the apostles, at the close of their
writing add these words, Endeavor to send

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copies of our letter to every church,
that we may not furnish occasion to those

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who easily deceive their souls.

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We show you indeed that also in Alexandria
they keep it on the same day that we do.

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For letters are carried from us to them
and from them to us, so that in the same

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manner and at the same time we keep the
sacred day.

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Chapter 26.

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The Elegant Works of Irenaeus which have
come down to us.

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Besides the works and letters of Irenaeus
which we have mentioned, a certain book of

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his, On Knowledge, written against the
Greeks, very concise and remarkably

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forcible, is extant, and another which he
dedicated to a brother Marcian,

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in demonstration of the apostolic
preaching, and a volume concerning various

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dissertations, in which he mentions the
epistle to the Hebrews and the so-called

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wisdom of Solomon, making quotations from
them.

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These are the works of Irenaeus which have
come to our knowledge.

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Commodus having ended his reign after 13
years, Severus became emperor in less than

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six months after his death, Pertinax
having reigned during the intervening

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time.

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Chapter 27.

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The Works of Others that Flourished at
that Time.

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Numerous memorials of the faithful zeal of
the ancient ecclesiastical men of that

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time are still preserved by many.

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Of these, we would note particularly the
writings of Heraclitus, on the apostle,

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and those of Maximus, on the question so
much discussed among heretics,

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the origin of evil, and on the creation of
matter.

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Also those of Candidas, on the hexameron,
and of Appion, on the same subject,

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likewise of Sextus, on the resurrection,
and another treatise of Arabianus,

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and writings of a multitude of others,
in regard to whom, because we have no

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data, it is impossible to state in our
work when they lived, or to give any

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account of their history.

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And works of many others have come down to
us whose names we are unable to give,

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orthodox and ecclesiastical, as their
interpretations of the divine scriptures

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show, but unknown to us, because their
names are not stated in their writings.

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Chapter 28.

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Those who first advanced the heresy of
Artemon, their manner of life,

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and how they dared to corrupt the sacred
scriptures.

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In a laborious work by one of these
writers against the heresy of Artemon,

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which Paul of Samosata attempted to revive
again in our day, there is an account

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appropriate to the history which we are
now examining.

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For he criticizes, as a late innovation,
the above-mentioned heresy which teaches

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that the Savior was a mere man,
because they were attempting to magnify it

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as ancient.

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Having given in his work many other
arguments in their blasphemous falsehood,

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he adds the following words.

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For they say that all the early teachers
and the apostles received and taught what

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they now declare, and that the truth of
the gospel was preserved until the times

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of Victor, who was the thirteenth bishop
of Rome from Peter, but that from his

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successor, Zepharinus, the truth had been
corrupted.

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And what they say might be plausible,
if, first of all, the divine scriptures

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did not contradict them.

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And there are writings of certain brethren
older than the times of Victor,

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which they wrote in behalf of the truth
against the heathen, and against the

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heresies which existed in their day.

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I refer to Justin, and Miltiades,
and Tatian, and Clement, and many others,

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in all of whose works Christ is spoken of
as God.

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For who does not know the works of
Irenaeus, and of Melito, and of others

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which teach that Christ is God and man?

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And how many psalms and hymns,
written by the faithful brethren from the

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beginning, celebrate Christ the Word of
God, speaking of Him as divine?

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How then, since the opinion held by the
church has been preached for so many

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years, can its preaching have been
delayed, as they affirm, until the times

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of Victor?

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And how is it that they are not ashamed to
speak thus falsely of Victor, knowing well

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that he cut off from communion Theodotus
the cobbler, the leader and father of this

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God-denying apostasy, and the first to
declare that Christ is mere man?

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For if Victor agreed with their opinions,
as their slander affirms, how came he to

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cast out Theodotus, the inventor of this
heresy?

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So much in regard to Victor.

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His bishopric lasted ten years,
and Zephorinus was appointed his successor

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about the ninth year of the reign of
Severus.

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The author of the above-mentioned book,
concerning the founder of this heresy,

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narrates another event which occurred in
the time of Zephorinus, using these words.

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I will remind many of the brethren of a
fact which took place in our time,

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which, had it happened in Sodom,
might, I think, have proved a warning to

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them.

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There was a certain confessor,
Natalius, not long ago, but in our own

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day.

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This man was deceived at one time by
Asclepiodotus, and another Theodotus,

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a money changer.

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Both of them were disciples of Theodotus,
the cobbler, who, as I have said,

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was the first person excommunicated by
Victor, bishop at that time, on account of

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this sentiment, or rather senselessness.

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Natalius was persuaded by them to allow
himself to be chosen bishop of this heresy

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with a salary, to be paid by them,
of 150 denarii a month.

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When he had thus connected himself with
them, he was warned oftentimes by the Lord

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through visions, for the compassionate God
and our Lord Jesus Christ was not willing

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that a witness of his own sufferings,
being cast out of the church, should

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perish.

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But as he paid little regard to the
visions, because he was ensnared by the

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first position among them and by that
shameful covetousness which destroys a

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great many, he was scourged by holy angels
and punished severely through the entire

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night.

18:46.600 --> 18:51.140
Thereupon, having risen in the morning,
he put on sackcloth and covered himself

18:51.140 --> 18:55.880
with ashes, and with great haste and tears
he fell down before Zephyrinus,

18:56.000 --> 19:01.040
the bishop, rolling at the feet not only
of the clergy but also of the laity.

19:01.660 --> 19:05.000
And he moved with his tears the
compassionate church of the merciful

19:05.000 --> 19:05.580
Christ.

19:06.160 --> 19:10.560
And though he used much supplication and
showed the welts of the stripes which he

19:10.560 --> 19:14.340
had received, yet scarcely was he taken
back into communion.

19:15.540 --> 19:19.760
We will add from the same writer some
other extracts concerning them,

19:19.940 --> 19:21.220
which run as follows.

19:21.960 --> 19:25.700
They have treated the divine scriptures
recklessly and without fear.

19:26.260 --> 19:30.460
They have set aside the rule of ancient
faith, and Christ they have not known.

19:31.040 --> 19:35.540
They do not endeavor to learn what the
divine scriptures declare, but strive

19:35.540 --> 19:40.240
laboriously after any form of syllogism
which may be devised to sustain their

19:40.240 --> 19:40.920
impiety.

19:41.320 --> 19:46.240
And if anyone brings before them a passage
of divine scripture, they see whether a

19:46.240 --> 19:50.160
conjunctive or disjunctive form of
syllogism can be made from it.

19:51.220 --> 19:56.480
And as being of the earth and speaking of
the earth, and as ignorant of him who

19:56.480 --> 20:01.280
cometh from above, they forsake the holy
writings of God to devote themselves to

20:01.280 --> 20:01.900
geometry.

20:02.940 --> 20:08.280
Euclid is laboriously measured by some of
them, and Aristotle and Theophrastus are

20:08.280 --> 20:12.140
admired, and Galen perhaps by some is even
worshiped.

20:13.620 --> 20:17.820
But that those who use the arts of
unbelievers for their heretical opinions

20:17.820 --> 20:21.720
and adulterate the simple faith of the
divine scriptures by the craft of the

20:21.720 --> 20:24.080
godless are far from the faith.

20:24.520 --> 20:25.880
What need is there to say?

20:26.560 --> 20:30.140
Therefore they have laid their hands
boldly upon the divine scriptures,

20:30.600 --> 20:32.420
alleging that they have corrected them.

20:33.480 --> 20:38.400
But I am not speaking falsely of them in
this manner, whoever wishes may learn.

20:38.920 --> 20:43.140
For if anyone will collect their
respective copies and compare them one

20:43.140 --> 20:46.200
with another, he will find that they
differ greatly.

20:47.460 --> 20:52.580
Those of Asclepius, for example,
do not agree with those of Theodotus,

20:52.780 --> 20:57.660
and many of these can be obtained because
their disciples have assiduously written

20:57.660 --> 21:02.080
the corrections, as they call them,
that is the corruptions of each of them.

21:02.480 --> 21:07.580
Again, those of Hermophilus do not agree
with these, and those of Apollonides are

21:07.580 --> 21:09.140
not consistent with themselves.

21:09.960 --> 21:14.940
For you can compare those prepared by them
at an earlier date with those which they

21:14.940 --> 21:18.320
corrupted later, and you will find them
widely different.

21:19.200 --> 21:23.940
But how daring this offense is,
it is not likely that they themselves are

21:23.940 --> 21:24.400
ignorant.

21:25.000 --> 21:29.120
For either they do not believe that the
divine scriptures were spoken by the Holy

21:29.120 --> 21:34.000
Spirit, and thus are unbelievers,
or else they think themselves wiser than

21:34.000 --> 21:38.260
the Holy Spirit, and in that case what
else are they than demoniacs?

21:38.600 --> 21:43.100
For they cannot deny the commission of the
crime, since the copies have been written

21:43.100 --> 21:44.340
by their own hands.

21:45.060 --> 21:49.420
For they did not receive such scriptures
from their instructors, nor can they

21:49.420 --> 21:52.360
produce any copies from which they were
transcribed.

21:54.020 --> 21:58.520
But some of them have not thought it
worthwhile to corrupt them, but simply

21:58.520 --> 22:02.760
deny the law and the prophets,
and thus through their lawless and impious

22:02.760 --> 22:07.100
teaching under pretense of grace,
have sunk to the lowest depths of

22:07.100 --> 22:07.660
perdition.

22:08.820 --> 22:11.340
Let this suffice for these things.

22:13.040 --> 22:15.380
End of Book 5, Part 4