WEBVTT

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Book 6, 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.

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Church History by Eusebius of Caesarea.

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Translated by Arthur Cushman McGiffert.

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Book 6, Part 4, Chapters 41-46.

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Chapter 41.

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The Martyrs in Alexandria.

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The same writer, in an epistle to Fabius,
bishop of Antioch, relates as follows the

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sufferings of the martyrs in Alexandria
under Decius.

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The persecution among us did not begin
with the royal decree, but preceded it an

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entire year.

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The prophet and author of evils to this
city, whoever he was, previously moved and

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aroused against us the masses of the
heathen, rekindling among them the

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superstition of their country.

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And being thus excited by him and finding
full opportunity for any wickedness,

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they considered this the only pious
service of their demons, that they should

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slay us.

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They seized first an old man named Metrus,
and commanded him to utter impious words.

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But as he would not obey, they beat him
with clubs, and tore his face and eyes

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with sharp sticks, and dragged him out of
the city, and stoned him.

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Then they carried to their idol temple a
faithful woman named Quinta, that they

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might force her to worship.

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And as she turned away in detestation,
they bound her feet and dragged her

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through the entire city over the
stone-paved streets, and dashed her

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against the millstones, and at the same
time scourged her.

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Then, taking her to the same place,
they stoned her to death.

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Then all with one impulse rushed to the
homes of the pious, and they dragged forth

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whomsoever any one knew as a neighbor,
and despoiled and plundered them.

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They took for themselves the more valuable
property, but the poorer articles and

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those made of wood they scattered about
and burned in the streets, so that the

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city appeared as if taken by an enemy.

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But the brethren withdrew and went away,
and took joyfully the spoiling of their

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goods, like those to whom Paul bore
witness.

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I know of no one, unless possibly someone
who fell into their hands, who,

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up to this time, denied the Lord.

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Then they seized also that most admirable
virgin Apollonia, an old woman,

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and smiting her on the jaws, broke out all
her teeth.

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And they made a fire outside the city,
and threatened to burn her alive if she

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would not join with them in their impious
cries.

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And she, supplicating a little,
was released, when she leaped eagerly into

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the fire and was consumed.

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Then they seized Serapion in his own
house, and tortured him with harsh

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cruelties.

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And having broken all his limbs,
they threw him headlong from an upper

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storey.

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And there was no street, nor public road,
nor lane open to us, by night or day.

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For always and everywhere, all of them
cried out that if anyone would not repeat

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their impious words, he should immediately
be dragged away and burned.

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And matters continued thus for a
considerable time.

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But a sedition and civil war came upon the
wretched people, and turned their cruelty

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toward us against one another.

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So we breathed for a little while,
as they ceased from their rage against us.

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But presently the change from that milder
rain was announced to us, and great fear

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of what was threatened seized us.

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For the decree arrived, almost like unto
that most terrible time foretold by our

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Lord, which, if it were possible,
would offend even the elect.

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All truly were affrighted, and many of the
more eminent in their fear came forward

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immediately.

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Others who were in the public service were
drawn on by their official duties,

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others were urged on by their
acquaintances.

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And as their names were called,
they approached the impure and impious

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sacrifices.

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Some of them were pale and trembled,
as if they were not about to sacrifice,

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but to be themselves sacrifices and
offerings to the idols, so that they were

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jeered at by the multitude who stood
around, as it was plain to everyone that

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they were afraid either to die or to
sacrifice.

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But some advanced to the altars more
readily, declaring boldly that they had

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never been Christians.

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Of these the prediction of our Lord is
most true that they shall hardly be saved.

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Of the rest some followed the one,
others the other of these classes,

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some fled, and some were seized.

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And of the latter, some continued faithful
until bonds and imprisonment, and some who

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had even been imprisoned for many days yet
abjured the faith before they were brought

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to trial, others having for a time endured
great tortures, finally retracted.

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But the firm and blessed pillars of the
Lord being strengthened by him,

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and having received vigor and might
suitable and appropriate to the strong

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faith which they possessed, became
admirable witnesses of his kingdom.

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The first of these was Julian,
a man who suffered so much with the gout

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that he was unable to stand or walk.

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They brought him forward with two others
who carried him.

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One of these immediately denied,
but the other, whose name was Cronion,

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and whose surname was Eunus, and the old
man Julian himself, both of them having

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confessed the Lord, were carried on camels
through the entire city, which,

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as you know, is a very large one,
and in this elevated position were beaten

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and finally burned in a fierce fire,
surrounded by all the populace.

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But a soldier named Besus, who stood by
them as they were led away, rebuked those

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who insulted them, and they cried out
against him, and this most manly warrior

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of God was arraigned, and having done
nobly in the great contest for piety,

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was beheaded.

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A certain other one, a Libyan by birth,
but in name and blessedness a true Makar,

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was strongly urged by the judge to recant,
but as he would not yield, he was burned

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alive.

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After them, Epimachus and Alexander,
having remained in bonds for a long time

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and endured countless agonies from
scrapers and scourges, were also consumed

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in a fierce fire.

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And with them there were four women,
Ammonerium, a holy virgin, the judge

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tortured relentlessly and excessively,
because she declared from the first that

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she would utter none of those things which
he commanded, and having kept her promise

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truly, she was dragged away.

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The others were Mercuria, a very
remarkable old woman, and Dionysia,

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the mother of many children, who did not
love her own children above the Lord.

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As the governor was ashamed of torturing
thus ineffectually and being always

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defeated by women, they were put to death
by the sword without the trial of

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tortures, for the champion Ammonerium
endured these in behalf of all.

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The Egyptians, Heron, and Ather,
and Isidorus, and with them Dioscorus,

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a boy about fifteen years old,
were delivered up.

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At first the judge attempted to deceive
the lad by fair words, as if he could be

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brought over easily, and then to force him
by tortures, as one who would readily

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yield, but Dioscorus was neither persuaded
nor constrained.

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As the others remained firm, he scourged
them cruelly and then delivered them to

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the fire.

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But admiring the manner in which Dioscorus
had distinguished himself publicly,

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and his wise answers to his persuasions,
he dismissed him, saying that on account

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of his youth he would give him time for
repentance.

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And this most godly Dioscorus is among us
now, awaiting a longer conflict and more

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severe contest.

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But a certain Nemesion, who also was an
Egyptian, was accused as an associate of

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robbers.

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But when he had cleared himself before the
centurion of this charge most foreign to

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the truth, he was informed against as a
Christian, and taken in bonds before the

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governor.

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And the most unrighteous magistrate
inflicted on him tortures and scourgings

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double those which he executed on the
robbers, and then burned him between the

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robbers, thus honoring the blessed man by
the likeness of Christ.

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A band of soldiers, Ammon and Zeno and
Ptolemy and Ingenes, and with them an old

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man, Theophilus, were standing close
together before the tribunal.

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And as a certain person who was being
tried as a Christian seemed inclined to

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deny, they standing by gnashed their
teeth, and made signs with their faces,

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and stretched out their hands,
and gestured with their bodies.

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And when the attention of all was turned
to them, before anyone else could seize

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them, they rushed up to the tribunal,
saying that they were Christians,

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so that the governor and his council were
affrighted.

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And those who were on trial appeared most
courageous in prospect of their

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sufferings, while the judges trembled.

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And they went exultingly from the
tribunal, rejoicing in their testimony,

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God himself having caused them to triumph
gloriously.

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Chapter 42.

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Others of whom Dionysius gives an account.

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Many others in cities and villages were
torn asunder by the heathen, of whom I

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will mention one as an illustration.

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Iscariot was employed as a steward by one
of the rulers.

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His employer commanded him to sacrifice,
and on his refusal insulted him,

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and as he remained firm, abused him.

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And as he still held out, he seized a long
staff, and thrust it through his bowels,

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and slew him.

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Why need I speak of the multitude that
wandered in the deserts and mountains,

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and perished by hunger and thirst,
and cold and sickness, and robbers and

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wild beasts?

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Those of them who survived are witnesses
of their election and victory.

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But I will relate one occurrence as an
example.

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Charimon, who was very old, was bishop of
the city called Nihilus.

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He fled with his wife to the Arabian
mountain, and did not return.

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And though the brethren searched
diligently, they could not find either

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them or their bodies.

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And many who fled to the same Arabian
mountain were carried into slavery by the

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barbarian Saracens.

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Some of them were ransomed with difficulty
and at a large price.

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Others have not been to the present time.

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I have related these things, my brother,
not without an object, but that you may

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understand how many and great distresses
came upon us.

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Those indeed will understand them the best
who have had the largest experience of

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them.

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A little further on, he adds, these divine
martyrs among us, who now are seated with

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Christ, and are sharers in his kingdom,
partakers of his judgment, and judges with

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him, received some of the brethren who had
fallen away and become chargeable with the

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guilt of sacrificing.

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When they perceived that their conversion
and repentance were sufficient to be

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acceptable with him who by no means
desires the death of the sinner,

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but his repentance, having proved them,
they received them back and brought them

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together, and met with them and had
fellowship with them in prayers and

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feasts.

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What counsel then, brethren, do you give
us concerning such persons?

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What should we do?

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Shall we have the same judgment and rule
as theirs, and observe their decision and

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charity, and show mercy to those whom they
pitied?

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Or shall we declare their decision
unrighteous, and set ourselves as judges

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of their opinion, and grieve mercy and
overturn order?

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These words Dionysius very properly added
when making mention of those who had been

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weak in the time of persecution.

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Chapter 43.

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Novatus, his manner of life and his
heresy.

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After this Novatus, a presbyter of the
church at Rome, being lifted up with

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arrogance against these persons,
as if there was no longer for them a hope

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of salvation, not even if they should do
all pertaining to a genuine and pure

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conversion, became leader of the heresy of
those who, in the pride of their

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imagination, call themselves Cathari.

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Thereupon a very large synod assembled at
Rome of bishops in number sixty,

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and a great many more presbyters and
deacons, while the pastors of the

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remaining provinces deliberated in their
places privately concerning what ought to

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be done.

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A decree was confirmed by all that Novatus
and those who joined with him,

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and those who adopted his brother-hating
and inhuman opinion, should be considered

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by the church as strangers, but that they
should heal such of the brethren as had

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fallen into misfortune, and should
minister to them with the medicines of

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repentance.

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There have reached us epistles of
Cornelius, bishop of Rome, to Fabius,

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of the church at Antioch, which show what
was done at the synod at Rome,

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and what seemed best to all those in Italy
and Africa and the regions thereabout.

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Also other epistles, written in the Latin
language, of Cyprian and those with him in

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Africa, which show that they agreed as to
the necessity of succoring those who had

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been tempted, and of cutting off from the
Catholic church the leader of the heresy

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and all that joined with him.

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Another epistle of Cornelius, concerning
the resolutions of the synod, is attached

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to these, and yet others, on the conduct
of Novatus, from which it is proper for us

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to make selections, that anyone who sees
this work may know about him.

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Cornelius informs Fabius what sort of a
man Novatus was in the following words.

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But that you may know that a long time ago
this remarkable man desired the

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episcopate, but kept this ambitious desire
to himself and concealed it, using as a

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cloak for his rebellion those confessors
who had adhered to him from the beginning,

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I desire to speak.

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Maximus, one of our presbyters,
and Urbanus, who twice gained the highest

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honor by confession, with Sidonius and
Selurinus, a man who by the grace of God

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most heroically endured all kinds of
torture, and by the strength of his faith

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overcame the weakness of the flesh and
mightily conquered the adversary,

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these men found him out and detected his
craft and duplicity, his perjuries and

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falsehoods, his unsociability and cruel
friendship.

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And they returned to the holy church and
proclaimed in the presence of many,

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both bishops and presbyters and a large
number of the laity, all his craft and

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wickedness, which for a long time he had
concealed.

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And this they did with lamentations and
repentance, because through the

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persuasions of the crafty and malicious
beast they had left the church for the

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time.

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A little farther on he says...

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"...which had not been given him from
above, chose two of his companions who had

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given up their own salvation.

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And he sent them to a small and
insignificant corner of Italy,

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that there by some counterfeit argument he
might deceive three bishops, who were

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rustic and very simple men.

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And they asserted positively and strongly
that it was necessary that they should

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come quickly to Rome, in order that all
the dissension which had arisen there

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might be appeased through their mediation,
jointly with other bishops.

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When they had come, being, as we have
stated, very simple in the craft and

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artifice of the wicked, they were shut up
with certain selected men like himself.

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And by the tenth hour, when they had
become drunk and sick, he compelled them

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by force to confer on him the episcopate
through a counterfeit and vain imposition

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of hands.

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Because it had not come to him,
he avenged himself by craft and treachery.

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One of these bishops shortly after came
back to the church, lamenting and

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confessing his transgression.

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And we communed with him as with a layman,
all the people present interceding for

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him.

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And we ordained successors of the other
bishops, and sent them to the places where

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they were.

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This avenger of the gospel then did not
know that there should be one bishop in a

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Catholic church.

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Yet he was not ignorant, for how could he
be, that in it there were forty-six

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presbyters, seven deacons, seven
subdeacons, forty-two acolytes,

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fifty-two exorcists, readers and janitors,
and over fifteen hundred widows and

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persons in distress, all of whom the grace
and kindness of the Master nourish.

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But not even this great multitude,
so necessary in the church, nor those who,

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through God's providence, were rich and
full, together with the very many,

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even innumerable people, could turn him
from such desperation and presumption,

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and recall him to the church.

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Again, farther on, he adds these words,
Permit us to say further.

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On account of what works or conduct had he
the assurance to contend for the

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episcopate?

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Was it that he had been brought up in the
church from the beginning, and had endured

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many conflicts in her behalf, and had
passed through many and great dangers for

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religion?

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Truly this is not the fact.

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But Satan, who entered and dwelt in him
for a long time, became the occasion of

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his believing.

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Being delivered by the exorcists,
he fell into a severe sickness,

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and as he seemed about to die,
he received baptism by effusion on the bed

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where he lay, if indeed we can say that
such a one did receive it.

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And when he was healed of his sickness,
he did not receive the other things which

18:21.500 --> 18:26.440
it is necessary to have according to the
canon of the church, even the being sealed

18:26.440 --> 18:27.220
by the bishop.

18:27.740 --> 18:31.240
And as he did not receive this,
how could he receive the Holy Spirit?

18:33.160 --> 18:38.120
Shortly after, he says again, in the time
of persecution, through cowardice and love

18:38.120 --> 18:40.620
of life, he denied that he was a
presbyter.

18:41.180 --> 18:45.380
For when he was requested and entreated by
the deacons to come out of the chamber in

18:45.380 --> 18:49.740
which he had imprisoned himself and give
aid to the brethren, as far as was lawful

18:49.740 --> 18:53.760
and possible for a presbyter to assist
those of the brethren who were in danger

18:53.760 --> 18:58.460
and needed help, he paid so little respect
to the entreaties of the deacons that he

18:58.460 --> 19:00.460
went away and departed in anger.

19:00.860 --> 19:06.060
For he said that he no longer desired to
be a presbyter, as he was an admirer of

19:06.060 --> 19:07.060
another philosophy.

19:08.240 --> 19:10.840
Passing by a few things, he adds the
following.

19:11.440 --> 19:16.300
For this illustrious man forsook the
church of God, in which, when he believed,

19:16.440 --> 19:20.180
he was judged worthy of the presbyterate
through the favor of the bishop who

19:20.180 --> 19:22.560
ordained him to the presbyterial office.

19:23.280 --> 19:27.820
This had been resisted by all the clergy
and many of the laity, because it was

19:27.820 --> 19:32.420
unlawful that one who had been effused on
his bed on account of sickness as he had

19:32.420 --> 19:37.520
been should enter into any clerical
office, but the bishop requested that he

19:37.520 --> 19:40.080
might be permitted to ordain this one
only.

19:40.980 --> 19:46.240
He adds to these yet another, the worst of
all the man's offenses, as follows.

19:47.220 --> 19:51.560
For when he has made the offerings and
distributed a part to each man,

19:51.900 --> 19:55.820
as he gives it he compels the man to swear
in place of the blessing.

19:56.400 --> 20:00.940
Holding his hands in both of his own,
he will not release him until he has sworn

20:00.940 --> 20:03.580
in this manner, for I will give his own
words.

20:03.960 --> 20:08.040
Swear to me by the body and blood of our
Lord Jesus Christ that you will never

20:08.040 --> 20:10.200
forsake me and turn to Cornelius.

20:11.480 --> 20:15.780
And the unhappy man does not taste until
he has called down imprecations on

20:15.780 --> 20:21.280
himself, and instead of saying Amen as he
takes the bread, he says, I will never

20:21.280 --> 20:22.500
return to Cornelius.

20:22.500 --> 20:28.320
Farther on he says again, But know that he
has now been made bare and desolate,

20:28.700 --> 20:32.140
as the brethren leave him every day and
return to the church.

20:32.740 --> 20:37.400
Moses also, the blessed martyr,
who lately suffered among us a glorious

20:37.400 --> 20:42.900
and admirable martyrdom, while he was yet
alive, beholding his boldness and folly,

20:43.380 --> 20:47.800
refused to commune with him and with the
five presbyters who with him had separated

20:47.800 --> 20:49.320
themselves from the church.

20:50.560 --> 20:54.620
At the close of his letter, he gives a
list of the bishops who had come to Rome

20:54.620 --> 20:59.500
and condemned the silliness of Novatus,
with their names and the parish over which

20:59.500 --> 21:00.640
each of them presided.

21:01.760 --> 21:06.420
He mentions also those who did not come to
Rome, but who expressed by letters their

21:06.420 --> 21:10.500
agreement with the vote of these bishops,
giving their names and the cities from

21:10.500 --> 21:12.160
which they severally sent them.

21:12.920 --> 21:16.620
Cornelius wrote these things to Fabius,
bishop of Antioch.

21:17.980 --> 21:22.160
Chapter 44, Dionysius' Account of
Serapion.

21:23.300 --> 21:28.980
To this same Fabius, who seemed to lean
somewhat toward this schism, Dionysius of

21:28.980 --> 21:31.000
Alexandria also wrote an epistle.

21:31.840 --> 21:36.220
He writes in this many other things
concerning repentance, and relates the

21:36.220 --> 21:39.760
conflicts of those who had lately suffered
martyrdom at Alexandria.

21:40.560 --> 21:45.060
After the other account, he mentions a
certain wonderful fact which deserves a

21:45.060 --> 21:46.220
place in this work.

21:46.760 --> 21:47.900
It is as follows.

21:48.940 --> 21:52.380
I will give thee this one example which
occurred among us.

21:52.680 --> 21:57.780
There was with us a certain Serapion,
an aged believer who had lived for a long

21:57.780 --> 22:00.900
time blamelessly, but had fallen in the
trial.

22:01.400 --> 22:05.900
He besought often, but no one gave heed to
him, because he had sacrificed.

22:06.580 --> 22:11.160
But he became sick, and for three
successive days continued speechless and

22:11.160 --> 22:11.740
senseless.

22:12.860 --> 22:16.880
Having recovered somewhat on the fourth
day, he sent for his daughter's son,

22:17.160 --> 22:20.100
and said, How long do you detain me,
my child?

22:20.520 --> 22:23.800
I beseech you, make haste, and absolve me
speedily.

22:24.220 --> 22:26.060
Call one of the presbyters to me.

22:26.540 --> 22:29.440
And when he had said this, he became again
speechless.

22:30.140 --> 22:32.040
And the boy ran to the presbyter.

22:32.040 --> 22:35.900
But it was night, and he was sick,
and therefore unable to come.

22:37.300 --> 22:41.720
But as I had commanded that persons at the
point of death, if they requested it,

22:41.960 --> 22:46.240
and especially if they had asked for it
previously, should receive remission,

22:46.500 --> 22:51.160
that they might depart with a good hope,
he gave the boy a small portion of the

22:51.160 --> 22:56.100
Eucharist, telling him to soak it and let
the drops fall into the old man's mouth.

22:57.200 --> 23:02.080
The boy returned with it, and as he drew
near, before he entered, Serapion,

23:02.180 --> 23:06.960
again arousing, said, Thou art come,
my child, and the presbyter could not

23:06.960 --> 23:10.640
come, but do quickly what he directed,
and let me depart.

23:11.260 --> 23:14.020
Then the boy soaked it and dropped it into
his mouth.

23:14.360 --> 23:18.320
And when he had swallowed a little,
immediately he gave up the ghost.

23:19.440 --> 23:23.760
Is it not evident that he was preserved,
and his life continued till he was

23:23.760 --> 23:28.780
absolved, and his sin having been blotted
out, he could be acknowledged for the many

23:28.780 --> 23:30.400
good deeds which he had done?

23:31.420 --> 23:33.300
Dionysius relates these things.

23:34.640 --> 23:35.900
Chapter 45.

23:36.420 --> 23:39.040
An Epistle of Dionysius to Novatus.

23:39.960 --> 23:45.080
But let us see how the same man addressed
Novatus when he was disturbing the Roman

23:45.080 --> 23:45.820
brotherhood.

23:46.200 --> 23:50.240
As he pretended that some of the brethren
were the occasion of his apostasy and

23:50.240 --> 23:55.320
schism, as if he had been forced by them
to proceed as he had, observe the manner

23:55.320 --> 23:56.760
in which he writes to him.

23:57.920 --> 24:00.140
Dionysius to his brother Novatus greeting.

24:00.860 --> 24:06.000
If, as thou sayest, thou hast been led on
unwillingly, thou wilt prove this if thou

24:06.000 --> 24:07.020
retirest willingly.

24:07.640 --> 24:12.060
For it were better to suffer everything,
rather than divide the church of God.

24:12.460 --> 24:16.660
Even martyrdom for the sake of preventing
division would not be less glorious than

24:16.660 --> 24:18.400
for refusing to worship idols.

24:19.200 --> 24:20.780
Nay, to me it seems greater.

24:21.420 --> 24:25.100
For in the one case a man suffers
martyrdom for the sake of his own soul,

24:25.480 --> 24:28.200
in the other case in behalf of the entire
church.

24:28.760 --> 24:33.460
And now, if thou canst persuade or induce
the brethren to come to unanimity,

24:33.900 --> 24:36.260
thy righteousness will be greater than
thine error.

24:36.600 --> 24:39.880
And this will not be counted, but that
will be praised.

24:40.240 --> 24:45.140
But if thou canst not prevail with the
disobedient, at least save thine own soul.

24:45.460 --> 24:49.180
I pray that thou mayst fare well,
maintaining peace in the Lord.

24:49.740 --> 24:51.480
This he wrote to Novatus.

24:53.060 --> 24:54.340
Chapter 46.

24:54.840 --> 24:56.820
Other Epistles of Dionysius.

24:57.800 --> 25:02.260
He wrote also an epistle to the brethren
in Egypt on repentance.

25:03.040 --> 25:07.480
In this he sets forth what seemed proper
to him in regard to those who had fallen,

25:07.760 --> 25:10.560
and he describes the classes of
transgressions.

25:11.180 --> 25:15.860
There is extant also a private letter on
repentance which he wrote to Conan,

25:16.180 --> 25:21.200
bishop of the parish of Hermopolis,
and another of an admonitory character to

25:21.200 --> 25:22.640
his flock at Alexandria.

25:23.600 --> 25:28.240
Among them also is the one written to
Origen on martyrdom, and to the brethren

25:28.240 --> 25:31.780
at Laodicea, of whom Thelimedres was
bishop.

25:32.360 --> 25:37.860
He likewise sent one on repentance to the
brethren in Armenia, of whom Merozenes was

25:37.860 --> 25:38.260
bishop.

25:39.700 --> 25:44.660
Besides all these, he wrote to Cornelius
of Rome, when he had received from him an

25:44.660 --> 25:46.040
epistle against Novatus.

25:46.700 --> 25:51.840
He states in this that he had been invited
by Helinus, bishop of Tarsus in Cilicia,

25:52.380 --> 25:53.920
and the others who were with him.

25:54.780 --> 25:59.960
Formilianus, bishop in Cappadocia,
and Theoctistus of Palestine, to meet them

25:59.960 --> 26:04.540
at the synod in Antioch, where some
persons were endeavoring to establish the

26:04.540 --> 26:05.680
schism of Novatus.

26:06.860 --> 26:11.100
Besides this, he writes that he had been
informed that Fabius had fallen asleep,

26:11.100 --> 26:15.640
and that Demetrianus had been appointed
his successor in the episcopate of

26:15.640 --> 26:16.240
Antioch.

26:16.760 --> 26:21.320
He writes also in these words concerning
the bishop of Jerusalem, for the blessed

26:21.320 --> 26:25.380
Alexander, having been confined in prison,
passed away happily.

26:26.280 --> 26:31.340
In addition to this, there is extant also
a certain other diaconal epistle of

26:31.340 --> 26:34.900
Dionysius, sent to those in Rome through
Hippolytus.

26:35.460 --> 26:40.260
And he wrote another to them on peace,
and likewise on repentance, and yet

26:40.260 --> 26:44.320
another to the confessors there who still
held to the opinion of Novatus.

26:44.720 --> 26:48.640
He sent two more to the same persons after
they had returned to the church.

26:49.200 --> 26:54.100
And he communicated with many others by
letters, which he has left behind him as a

26:54.100 --> 26:58.240
benefit in ways to those who now
diligently study his writings.

26:59.160 --> 27:01.580
End of Book 6, Part 4