WEBVTT 00:19.270 --> 00:24.950 CHURCH HISTORY by EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA translated by ARTHUR CUSHMAN MCGUIRE. 00:25.710 --> 00:29.650 Book 6, Part 3, Chapters 25-40. 00:31.310 --> 00:32.670 Chapter 25. 00:33.070 --> 00:35.250 His Review of the Canonical Scriptures. 00:36.170 --> 00:40.650 When expounding the first psalm, he gives a catalog of the sacred 00:40.650 --> 00:43.030 scriptures of the Old Testament as follows. 00:43.850 --> 00:48.130 It should be stated that the canonical books, as the Hebrews have handed them 00:48.130 --> 00:52.290 down, are twenty-two, corresponding with the number of their letters. 00:52.710 --> 00:58.050 Farther on, he says, The twenty-two books of the Hebrews are the following. 00:58.950 --> 01:03.110 That which is called by us Genesis, but by the Hebrews from the beginning of 01:03.110 --> 01:09.450 the book, Bereshit, which means in the beginning, Exodus, Velesmoth, that is, 01:09.670 --> 01:16.610 these are the names, Leviticus, Veikra, and he called, Numbers, 01:16.610 --> 01:23.010 Amasphicodim, Deuteronomy, Elea Devarim, these are the words, Jesus the son of 01:23.010 --> 01:28.950 Naveh, Joshua ben Noan, Judges and Ruth, among them in one book, Shoftim, 01:29.470 --> 01:34.210 the first and second of kings, among them one, Shamuel, that is, 01:34.310 --> 01:40.290 the called of God, the third and fourth of kings in one, Vamaut David, that is, 01:40.410 --> 01:45.730 the kingdom of David, of the Chronicles, the first and second in one, Dabriamin, 01:46.270 --> 01:51.710 that is, records of days, Esdras, first and second in one, Ezra, 01:51.950 --> 01:57.810 that is, an assistant, the book of Psalms, Sfartalim, the Proverbs of Solomon, 01:58.230 --> 02:05.410 Meloth, Ecclesiastes, Koalit, the song of songs, not as some suppose songs of songs, 02:05.870 --> 02:11.750 Shir Hashirim, Isaiah, Yeshia, Jeremiah with lamentations and the epistle 02:11.750 --> 02:21.090 in one, Jeremiah, Daniel, Daniel, Ezekiel, Job, Jov, Esther, Esther, 02:21.730 --> 02:26.450 and besides these there are the Maccabees, which are entitled Sharbeth Shabaniel. 02:26.910 --> 02:29.630 He gives these in the above mentioned work. 02:30.450 --> 02:35.190 In his first book on Matthew's gospel, maintaining the canon of the church, 02:35.410 --> 02:39.450 he testifies that he knows only four gospels, writing as follows. 02:40.550 --> 02:45.590 Among the four gospels, which are the only indisputable ones in the heaven, 02:46.230 --> 02:50.690 I have learned by tradition that the first was written by Matthew, who was once a 02:50.690 --> 02:55.590 publican, but afterwards an apostle of Jesus Christ, and it was prepared for the 02:55.590 --> 02:59.170 converts from Judaism and published in the Hebrew language. 02:59.990 --> 03:04.250 The second is by Mark, who composed it according to the instructions of Peter, 03:04.670 --> 03:08.470 who in his Catholic epistle acknowledges him as a son, saying, 03:16.130 --> 03:22.070 And the third by Luke, the gospel commended by Paul and composed for Gentile 03:22.070 --> 03:22.570 converts. 03:23.210 --> 03:25.050 Last of all, that by John. 03:25.890 --> 03:30.830 In the fifth book of his expositions of John's gospel, he speaks thus concerning 03:30.830 --> 03:35.770 the epistles of the apostles, but he who was made sufficient to be a minister of 03:35.770 --> 03:40.290 the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit, that is, Paul, 03:40.470 --> 03:44.390 who fully preached the gospel from Jerusalem and round about even unto 03:44.390 --> 03:48.030 Illyricum, did not write to all the churches which he had instructed, 03:48.130 --> 03:51.190 and to those to which he wrote he sent but few lines. 03:52.610 --> 03:57.150 And Peter, on whom the church of Christ is built, against which the gates of hell 03:57.150 --> 04:01.790 shall not prevail, has left one acknowledged epistle, perhaps also a 04:01.790 --> 04:03.450 second, but this is doubtful. 04:04.910 --> 04:10.090 Why need we speak of him who reclined upon the bosom of Jesus, John, who has left us 04:10.090 --> 04:14.210 one gospel, though he confessed that he might write so many that the world could 04:14.210 --> 04:15.150 not contain them? 04:15.670 --> 04:20.410 And he wrote also the apocalypse, but was commanded to keep silence and not 04:20.410 --> 04:22.510 to write the words of the seven thunders. 04:23.770 --> 04:28.970 He has left also an epistle of very few lines, perhaps also a second and third, 04:29.270 --> 04:33.850 but not all consider them genuine, and together they do not contain a hundred 04:33.850 --> 04:34.430 lines. 04:35.630 --> 04:39.590 In addition, he makes the following statements in regard to the epistle to the 04:39.590 --> 04:43.870 Hebrews in his homilies upon it, that the verbal style of the epistle 04:43.870 --> 04:48.890 entitled to the Hebrews is not rude like the language of the apostle who 04:48.890 --> 04:53.690 acknowledged himself rude in speech, that is, in expression, but that its 04:53.690 --> 04:58.970 diction is purer Greek, any one who has the power to discern differences of will 04:58.970 --> 04:59.850 acknowledge. 05:01.070 --> 05:05.950 Moreover, that the thoughts of the epistle are admirable and not inferior to the 05:05.950 --> 05:09.810 acknowledged apostolic writings, anyone who carefully examines the 05:09.810 --> 05:11.410 apostolic text will admit. 05:12.550 --> 05:17.870 Farther on, he adds, if I gave my opinion, I should say that the thoughts are those 05:17.870 --> 05:22.010 of the apostle, but the diction and phraseology are those of someone who 05:22.010 --> 05:26.250 remembered the apostolic teachings and wrote down at his leisure what had been 05:26.250 --> 05:27.270 said by his teacher. 05:28.150 --> 05:32.670 Therefore, if any church holds that this epistle is by Paul, let it be commended 05:32.670 --> 05:37.390 for this, for not without reason have the ancients handed it down as Paul's. 05:38.290 --> 05:41.170 But who wrote the epistle in truth, God knows. 05:41.570 --> 05:46.050 The statement of some who have gone before us is that Clement, bishop of the Romans, 05:46.270 --> 05:50.230 wrote the epistle, and of others that Luke, the author of the gospel and the 05:50.230 --> 05:51.130 acts, wrote it. 05:51.130 --> 05:53.990 But let this suffice on these matters. 05:55.470 --> 05:56.890 Chapter 26. 05:57.270 --> 05:59.610 Heraclius becomes bishop of Alexandria. 06:00.610 --> 06:04.910 It was in the tenth year of the above-mentioned reign that Origen removed 06:04.910 --> 06:09.930 from Alexandria to Caesarea, leaving the charge of the catechetical school in that 06:09.930 --> 06:11.210 city to Heraclius. 06:11.750 --> 06:15.530 Not long afterward, Demetrius, bishop of the church of Alexandria, 06:15.890 --> 06:21.590 died, having held the office for 43 full years, and Heraclius succeeded him. 06:22.290 --> 06:27.370 At this time, Firmilianus, bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, was conspicuous. 06:28.630 --> 06:30.030 Chapter 27. 06:30.370 --> 06:32.270 How the bishops regarded Origen. 06:33.230 --> 06:37.970 He was so earnestly affected toward Origen that he urged him to come to that country 06:37.970 --> 06:42.330 for the benefit of the churches, and moreover he visited him in Judea, 06:42.650 --> 06:46.610 remaining with him for some time, for the sake of improvement in divine 06:46.610 --> 06:47.170 things. 06:47.870 --> 06:52.670 And Alexander, bishop of Jerusalem, and Theoctistus, bishop of Caesarea, 06:53.030 --> 06:57.850 attended on him constantly, as their only teacher, and allowed him to expound the 06:57.850 --> 07:02.250 divine scriptures and to perform the other duties pertaining to ecclesiastical 07:02.250 --> 07:02.870 discourse. 07:04.230 --> 07:05.370 Chapter 28. 07:05.830 --> 07:07.910 The persecution under Maximinus. 07:09.050 --> 07:13.730 The Roman emperor Alexander, having finished his reign in 13 years, 07:14.070 --> 07:16.330 was succeeded by Maximinus Caesar. 07:16.910 --> 07:20.810 On account of his hatred toward the household of Alexander, which contained 07:20.810 --> 07:25.730 many believers, he began a persecution, commanding that only the rulers of the 07:25.730 --> 07:29.530 churches should be put to death as responsible for the gospel teaching. 07:30.190 --> 07:35.710 Thereupon Origen composed his work on martyrdom, and dedicated it to Ambrose and 07:35.710 --> 07:40.990 Protoctedus, a presbyter of the parish of Caesarea, because in the persecution there 07:40.990 --> 07:45.510 had come upon them both unusual hardships, in which it is reported that they were 07:45.510 --> 07:50.490 imminent in confession during the reign of Maximinus, which lasted but three years. 07:51.110 --> 07:55.370 Origen has noted this as the time of the persecution in the 22nd book of his 07:55.370 --> 07:58.330 commentaries on John, and in several epistles. 07:59.530 --> 08:00.830 Chapter 29. 08:01.470 --> 08:05.570 Fabianus, who was wonderfully designated bishop of Rome by God. 08:07.150 --> 08:12.070 Gordianus succeeded Maximinus as Roman emperor, and Pontianus, who had been 08:12.070 --> 08:16.230 bishop of the church at Rome for six years, was succeeded by Anteros. 08:16.730 --> 08:20.750 After he had held the office for a month, Fabianus succeeded him. 08:22.370 --> 08:27.170 They say that Fabianus, having come after the death of Anteros, with others from the 08:27.170 --> 08:31.190 country, was staying at Rome, and that while there he was chosen to the office 08:31.190 --> 08:35.010 through a most wonderful manifestation of divine and heavenly grace. 08:36.090 --> 08:40.710 For when all the brethren had assembled to select by vote him who should succeed to 08:40.710 --> 08:45.030 the episcopate of the church, several renowned and honorable men were in the 08:45.030 --> 08:49.490 minds of many, but Fabianus, although present, was in the mind of none. 08:49.730 --> 08:53.870 But they relate that suddenly a dove flying down lighted on his head, 08:54.430 --> 08:58.170 resembling the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Savior in the form of a dove. 08:59.450 --> 09:04.650 Thereupon all the people, as if moved by one divine spirit, with all eagerness and 09:04.650 --> 09:09.270 unanimity cried out that he was worthy, and without delay they took him and placed 09:09.270 --> 09:10.850 him upon the episcopal seat. 09:12.150 --> 09:17.670 About that time Zembinus, bishop of Antioch, died, and Babilus succeeded him, 09:18.170 --> 09:22.210 and in Alexandria Heraclius, having received the episcopal office after 09:22.210 --> 09:27.030 Demetrius, was succeeded in the charge of the catechetical school by Dionysius, 09:27.310 --> 09:29.830 who had also been one of Origen's pupils. 09:31.070 --> 09:32.210 Chapter 30. 09:32.510 --> 09:33.910 The Pupils of Origen. 09:34.790 --> 09:40.310 While Origen was carrying on his customary duties in Caesarea, many pupils came to 09:40.310 --> 09:43.850 him not only from the vicinity, but also from other countries. 09:44.690 --> 09:49.150 Among these Theodorus, the same that was distinguished among the bishops of our day 09:49.150 --> 09:53.870 under the name of Gregory, and his brother Athenodorus, we know to have been 09:53.870 --> 09:55.130 especially celebrated. 09:55.490 --> 10:00.190 Finding them deeply interested in Greek and Roman learning, he infused into them a 10:00.190 --> 10:04.570 love of philosophy, and led them to exchange their old zeal for the study of 10:04.570 --> 10:05.050 divinity. 10:05.990 --> 10:10.250 Remaining with him five years, they made such progress in divine things, 10:10.650 --> 10:14.430 that although they were still young, both of them were honored with a bishopric 10:14.430 --> 10:15.970 in the churches of Pontus. 10:17.550 --> 10:18.710 Chapter 31. 10:19.590 --> 10:20.230 Africanus. 10:21.230 --> 10:26.970 At this time also, Africanus, the writer of the books entitled Sesti, was well 10:26.970 --> 10:27.350 known. 10:28.030 --> 10:32.730 There is extant an epistle of his to Origen, expressing doubts of the story of 10:32.730 --> 10:36.470 Susanna in Daniel as being spurious and fictitious. 10:37.050 --> 10:38.970 Origen answered this very fully. 10:40.190 --> 10:44.530 Other works of the same Africanus which have reached us are his five books on 10:44.530 --> 10:48.050 chronology, a work accurately and laboriously prepared. 10:48.770 --> 10:53.150 He says in this that he went to Alexandria on account of the great fame of Heraclus, 10:53.490 --> 10:57.170 who excelled especially in philosophic studies and other Greek learning, 10:57.510 --> 11:00.750 and whose appointment to the bishopric of the church there we have already 11:00.750 --> 11:01.230 mentioned. 11:02.650 --> 11:07.890 There is extant also another epistle from the same Africanus to Aristides on the 11:07.890 --> 11:12.230 supposed discrepancy between Matthew and Luke in the genealogies of Christ. 11:12.770 --> 11:17.370 In this he shows clearly the agreement of the evangelists from an account which had 11:17.370 --> 11:21.710 come down to him, which we have already given in its proper place in the first 11:21.710 --> 11:22.730 book of this work. 11:23.910 --> 11:25.110 Chapter 32. 11:25.590 --> 11:29.670 The commentaries which Origen composed in Caesarea in Palestine. 11:31.150 --> 11:35.630 About this time Origen prepared his commentaries on Isaiah and on Ezekiel. 11:36.290 --> 11:40.810 Of the former there have come down to us 30 books, as far as the third part of 11:40.810 --> 11:46.710 Isaiah, to the vision of the beasts in the desert, on Ezekiel 25 books, which are all 11:46.710 --> 11:48.210 that he wrote on the whole prophet. 11:49.570 --> 11:54.350 Being at that time in Athens, he finished his work on Ezekiel and commenced his 11:54.350 --> 11:58.450 commentaries on the Song of Songs, which he carried forward to the fifth 11:58.450 --> 11:58.830 book. 11:59.430 --> 12:03.970 After his return to Caesarea, he completed these also, 10 books in number. 12:05.750 --> 12:10.190 But why should we give in this history an accurate catalogue of the man's works, 12:10.430 --> 12:12.550 which would require a separate treatise? 12:12.830 --> 12:16.730 We have furnished this also in our narrative of the life of Pamphilus, 12:16.950 --> 12:18.910 a holy martyr of our own time. 12:19.370 --> 12:23.370 After showing how great the diligence of Pamphilus was in divine things, 12:23.670 --> 12:28.090 we give in that a catalogue of the library which he collected of the works of Origen 12:28.090 --> 12:30.370 and of other ecclesiastical writers. 12:31.190 --> 12:35.330 Whoever desires may learn readily from this which of Origen's works have reached 12:35.330 --> 12:35.690 us. 12:36.130 --> 12:38.490 But we must proceed now with our history. 12:39.890 --> 12:43.090 Chapter 33, The Error of Beryllus. 12:44.190 --> 12:49.470 Beryllus, whom we mentioned recently as bishop of Bostra in Arabia, turned aside 12:49.470 --> 12:54.050 from the ecclesiastical standard and attempted to introduce ideas foreign to 12:54.050 --> 12:54.530 the faith. 12:54.530 --> 12:59.690 He dared to assert that our savior and lord did not pre-exist in a distinct form 12:59.690 --> 13:04.470 of being of his own before his abode among men, and that he does not possess a 13:04.470 --> 13:08.110 divinity of his own but only that of the father dwelling in him. 13:09.710 --> 13:14.350 Many bishops carried on investigations and discussions with him on this matter, 13:14.810 --> 13:19.310 and Origen, having been invited with the others, went down at first for a 13:19.310 --> 13:21.730 conference with him to ascertain his real opinion. 13:22.210 --> 13:25.950 But when he understood his views and perceived that they were erroneous, 13:26.310 --> 13:30.030 having persuaded him by argument and convinced him by demonstration, 13:30.350 --> 13:34.890 he brought him back to the true doctrine and restored him to his former sound 13:34.890 --> 13:35.310 opinion. 13:36.230 --> 13:40.690 There are still extant writings of Beryllus and of the synod held on his 13:40.690 --> 13:45.930 account, which contain the questions put to him by Origen and the discussions which 13:45.930 --> 13:49.970 were carried on in his parish, as well as all the things done at that 13:49.970 --> 13:50.390 time. 13:51.770 --> 13:56.230 The elder brethren among us have handed down many other facts respecting Origen, 13:56.330 --> 13:59.970 which I think proper to omit as not pertaining to this work. 14:00.590 --> 14:04.990 But whatever it has seemed necessary to record about him can be found in the 14:04.990 --> 14:10.470 Apology in his behalf, written by us and Pamphilus, the holy martyr of our day. 14:10.950 --> 14:15.650 We prepared this carefully and did the work jointly on account of fault finders. 14:17.090 --> 14:18.330 Chapter 34. 14:18.750 --> 14:19.530 Philip Caesar. 14:21.010 --> 14:25.490 Gordianus had been Roman emperor for six years when Philip, with his son Philip, 14:25.690 --> 14:26.470 succeeded him. 14:26.670 --> 14:31.550 It is reported that he, being a Christian, desired on the day of the last paschal 14:31.550 --> 14:36.090 vigil to share with the multitude in the prayers of the church, but that he was not 14:36.090 --> 14:40.850 permitted to enter by him who then presided, until he had made confession and 14:40.850 --> 14:45.030 numbered himself among those who were reckoned as transgressors and who occupied 14:45.030 --> 14:46.290 the place of penance. 14:46.870 --> 14:50.790 For if he had not done this, he would never have been received by him, 14:51.130 --> 14:53.570 on account of the many crimes which he had committed. 14:54.030 --> 14:59.070 It is said that he obeyed readily, manifesting in his conduct a genuine and 14:59.070 --> 15:00.450 pious fear of God. 15:02.090 --> 15:03.270 Chapter 35. 15:03.930 --> 15:06.890 Dionysius succeeds Heraclius in the Episcopate. 15:07.570 --> 15:12.950 In the third year of this emperor, Heraclius died, having held his office for 15:12.950 --> 15:18.270 sixteen years, and Dionysius received the Episcopate of the churches of Alexandria. 15:19.810 --> 15:21.050 Chapter 36. 15:21.530 --> 15:23.010 Other works of Origen. 15:23.830 --> 15:28.910 At this time, as the faith extended and our doctrine was proclaimed boldly before 15:28.910 --> 15:34.050 all, Origen being, as they say, over sixty years old, and having gained 15:34.050 --> 15:38.490 great facility by his long practice, very properly permitted his public 15:38.490 --> 15:42.990 discourses to be taken down by stenographers, a thing which he had never 15:42.990 --> 15:43.950 before allowed. 15:45.270 --> 15:49.930 He also at this time composed a work of eight books in answer to that entitled 15:49.930 --> 15:54.870 true discourse, which had been written against us by Celsus the Epicurean, 15:55.210 --> 15:59.730 and the twenty-five books on the Gospel of Matthew, besides those on the Twelve 15:59.730 --> 16:02.830 Prophets, of which we have found only twenty-five. 16:03.810 --> 16:09.670 There is extant also an epistle of his to the emperor Philip, and another to Severa 16:09.670 --> 16:12.570 his wife, with several others to different persons. 16:13.110 --> 16:17.610 We have arranged in distinct books to the number of one hundred, so that they might 16:17.610 --> 16:21.710 be no longer scattered, as many of these as we have been able to collect, 16:22.170 --> 16:25.050 which have been preserved here and there by different persons. 16:26.150 --> 16:30.850 He wrote also to Fabianus, bishop of Rome, and to many other rulers of the churches 16:30.850 --> 16:32.390 concerning his orthodoxy. 16:32.850 --> 16:37.130 You have examples of these in the Eighth Book of the Apology, which we have written 16:37.130 --> 16:38.070 in his behalf. 16:39.610 --> 16:40.670 Chapter 37. 16:41.150 --> 16:43.090 The Dissension of the Arabians. 16:44.010 --> 16:48.930 About the same time others arose in Arabia, putting forward a doctrine foreign 16:48.930 --> 16:53.670 to the truth, they said that during the present time the human soul dies and 16:53.670 --> 16:57.850 perishes with the body, but that at the time of the resurrection they will be 16:57.850 --> 16:58.810 renewed together. 16:59.590 --> 17:04.350 And at that time also a synod of considerable size assembled, and Origen, 17:04.530 --> 17:08.990 being again invited thither, spoke publicly on the question with such effect 17:08.990 --> 17:12.310 that the opinions of those who had formerly fallen were changed. 17:13.290 --> 17:14.630 Chapter 38. 17:15.290 --> 17:17.130 The Heresy of the Elkicites. 17:18.110 --> 17:22.990 Another error also arose at this time called the heresy of the Elkicites, 17:23.210 --> 17:25.350 which was extinguished in the very beginning. 17:25.970 --> 17:30.470 Origen speaks of it in this manner in a public homily on the 82nd Psalm. 17:42.570 --> 17:46.930 I will show you what evil things that opinion teaches, that you may not be 17:46.930 --> 17:48.130 carried away by it. 17:48.570 --> 17:51.190 It rejects certain parts of every scripture. 17:51.810 --> 17:56.230 Again, it uses portions of the Old Testament and the Gospel, but rejects the 17:56.230 --> 17:57.350 apostle altogether. 17:58.050 --> 18:02.250 It says that to deny Christ is an indifferent matter, and that he who 18:02.250 --> 18:06.830 understands will, under necessity, deny with his mouth, but not in his heart. 18:07.170 --> 18:10.470 They produce a certain book which they say fell from heaven. 18:10.930 --> 18:14.970 They hold that whoever hears and believes this shall receive remission of sins, 18:15.410 --> 18:18.170 another remission than that which Jesus Christ has given. 18:18.670 --> 18:20.990 Such is the account of these persons. 18:22.670 --> 18:23.930 Chapter 39. 18:24.530 --> 18:28.210 The Persecution Under Decius and the Sufferings of Origen. 18:30.010 --> 18:33.530 After a reign of seven years, Philip was succeeded by Decius. 18:34.070 --> 18:37.670 On account of his hatred of Philip, he commenced a persecution of the 18:37.670 --> 18:42.830 churches, in which Fabianus suffered martyrdom at Rome, and Cornelius succeeded 18:42.830 --> 18:44.210 him in the episcopate. 18:45.530 --> 18:50.830 In Palestine, Alexander, bishop of the Church of Jerusalem, was brought again on 18:50.830 --> 18:55.070 Christ's account before the governor's judgment seat in Caesarea, and having 18:55.070 --> 18:58.910 acquitted himself nobly in a second confession, was cast into prison, 18:59.410 --> 19:02.110 crowned with the hoary locks of venerable age. 19:02.850 --> 19:06.650 And after his honorable and illustrious confession at the tribunal of the 19:06.650 --> 19:11.930 governor, he fell asleep in prison, and Mazabanes became his successor in the 19:11.930 --> 19:13.150 bishopric of Jerusalem. 19:14.670 --> 19:19.230 Babilus in Antioch, having like Alexander passed away in prison after his 19:19.230 --> 19:23.750 confession, was succeeded by Fabius in the episcopate of that church. 19:24.570 --> 19:29.170 But how many and how great things came upon Origen in the persecution, 19:29.170 --> 19:34.130 and what was their final result, as the demon of evil marshaled all his 19:34.130 --> 19:38.990 forces, and fought against the man with his utmost craft and power, assaulting him 19:38.990 --> 19:43.550 beyond all others against whom he contended at that time, and what and how 19:43.550 --> 19:48.190 many things he endured for the word of Christ, bonds and bodily tortures and 19:48.190 --> 19:53.050 torments under the iron collar and in the dungeon, and how for many days with his 19:53.050 --> 19:58.110 feet stretched four spaces in the stocks, he bore patiently the threats of fire and 19:58.110 --> 20:02.550 whatever other things were inflicted by his enemies, and how his sufferings 20:02.550 --> 20:07.350 terminated as his judge strove eagerly with all his might not to end his life, 20:07.890 --> 20:12.570 and what words he left after these things, full of comfort to those needing aid, 20:13.030 --> 20:16.510 a great many of his epistles show with truth and accuracy. 20:18.150 --> 20:19.050 Chapter 40. 20:19.470 --> 20:21.650 The Events Which Happened to Dionysius. 20:22.530 --> 20:27.110 I shall quote from the epistle of Dionysius to Germanus, an account of what 20:27.110 --> 20:28.130 befell the former. 20:28.850 --> 20:34.310 Speaking of himself, he writes as follows, I speak before God, and he knows that I do 20:34.310 --> 20:34.950 not lie. 20:35.370 --> 20:39.070 I did not flee on my own impulse, nor without divine direction. 20:40.250 --> 20:44.810 But even before this, at the very hour when the Decian persecution was commanded, 20:45.390 --> 20:50.350 Sabinus sent a Frumentarius to search for me, and I remained at home four days 20:50.350 --> 20:51.370 awaiting his arrival. 20:52.350 --> 20:57.510 But he went about examining all places, roads, rivers, and fields, where he 20:57.510 --> 20:59.910 thought I might be concealed or on the way. 21:00.410 --> 21:04.750 But he was smitten with blindness, and did not find the house, for he did not 21:04.750 --> 21:07.850 suppose that being pursued, I would remain at home. 21:08.430 --> 21:13.250 And after the fourth day, God commanded me to depart, and made a way for me in a 21:13.250 --> 21:17.530 wonderful manner, and I and my attendants, and many of the brethren went away 21:17.530 --> 21:18.070 together. 21:18.810 --> 21:22.470 And that this occurred through the providence of God was made manifest by 21:22.470 --> 21:25.810 what followed, in which perhaps we were useful to some. 21:27.550 --> 21:31.590 Farther on, he relates in this manner what happened to him after his flight. 21:32.110 --> 21:37.070 For about sunset, having been seized with those that were with me, I was taken by 21:37.070 --> 21:38.710 the soldiers to Taposteris. 21:39.150 --> 21:43.130 But in the providence of God, Timothy was not present, and was not captured. 21:43.750 --> 21:47.750 But coming later, he found the house deserted and guarded by soldiers, 21:48.110 --> 21:50.070 and ourselves reduced to slavery. 21:51.690 --> 21:55.910 After a little, he says, and what was the manner of his admirable management? 21:56.310 --> 21:57.850 For the truth shall be told. 21:58.270 --> 22:02.670 One of the country people met Timothy fleeing and disturbed, and inquired the 22:02.670 --> 22:05.050 cause of his haste, and he told him the truth. 22:05.930 --> 22:09.890 And when the man heard it, he was on his way to a marriage feast, for it was 22:09.890 --> 22:14.330 customary to spend the entire night in such gatherings, he entered and announced 22:14.330 --> 22:18.370 it to those at the table, and they, as if on a preconcerted signal, 22:18.770 --> 22:23.210 arose with one impulse, and rushed out quickly, and came and burst in upon us 22:23.210 --> 22:23.890 with a shout. 22:24.610 --> 22:29.410 Immediately the soldiers who were guarding us fled, and they came to us lying as we 22:29.410 --> 22:30.890 were upon the bare couches. 22:31.890 --> 22:36.670 But I, God knows, thought at first that they were robbers who had come for spoil 22:36.670 --> 22:41.790 and plunder, so I remained upon the bed on which I was, clothed only in a linen 22:41.790 --> 22:46.010 garment, and offered them the rest of my clothing which was lying beside me, 22:46.250 --> 22:49.210 but they directed me to rise and come away quickly. 22:50.470 --> 22:55.250 Then I understood why they were come, and I cried out, beseeching and entreating 22:55.250 --> 23:00.250 them to depart and leave us alone, and I requested them, if they desired to 23:00.250 --> 23:05.810 benefit me in any way, to anticipate those who were carrying me off, and cut off my 23:05.810 --> 23:06.570 head themselves. 23:07.290 --> 23:11.050 And when I had cried out in this manner, as my companions and partners in 23:11.050 --> 23:13.630 everything know, they raised me by force. 23:14.010 --> 23:18.310 But I threw myself on my back on the ground, and they seized me by the hands 23:18.310 --> 23:19.750 and feet and dragged me away. 23:20.830 --> 23:25.290 And the witnesses of all these occurrences followed, Gaius, Faustus, Peter, 23:25.470 --> 23:25.970 and Paul. 23:26.210 --> 23:30.830 But they who had seized me carried me out of the village hastily, and placing me on 23:30.830 --> 23:33.250 an ass without a saddle, bore me away. 23:34.570 --> 23:37.430 Dionysius relates these things respecting himself. 23:38.930 --> 23:41.150 End of Book 6, Part 3.