Athanasius in his Epistle to Marcellinus concerning the book of yethe Psalms introduces an old man – – – – – – – & cannot bear them. This was the doctrine of Athanasius wchwhich in the name of the old man he recommended to Marcellinus. & this doctrine he imbibed in his youth. For he wrote this epistle & his exposition upon the Psalms & this Epistle to Marcelline in

Athanasius was of opinion from his youth that the souls of the Prophets & dead saints had knowledge of humane affairs & heard our prayers. For in his Epistle – – – – – doctrine of Athanasius wchwhich he imbibed in his youth & in the name of the old man & this was done in the life time of Athanasius; for he who & with his consent. For he had an Oration upon these 40 martyrs. wchwhich i This Oration is not yeat published but was seen by Gerard Vossius saw it in the library of Cardinal Ascanius in Italy as he mentions in ahis commentary upon the Oration of Ephræm Syrus on the sanme 40 martyrs

In the reign of Iulian when the bones reliques of Iohn the baptist were brought to Athanasius, he hid them saith s he hid them saith Ruffin in the hollowed wall of a church prophesying that by a profetic spirit prophesying that they would be usefull to a future generation. And in the reign of Theodosius the Ægyptians erected to them a very sumptuous temple.

In the life of Antony written in the beginning of the reign of Valentinian & Valens, Athanasius attributes wonderfull effects to f the signe of the cross & & & holy oyle tells many stories of apparitions of Devils & of the souls of dead men & Devils app appearing & ascending up to heaven, & in the end of the boodk introduces Anto, he tells how Antony when he was dying (that is in the year 356) ad exhorted those about him to adhere principally to Christ & then to yethe saints that afte in this manner: Do you adhere in the first take care to to adhere to christ in the first place & then to yethe saints, that after death they may receive you as friensds & acquaintansce into the eternal tabernacles. And after when the church of Alexandria (the metropolis of saint worship) sent realiques into all the world ,[dfor wchwhich Chris & af that they might thereby, saith Chrysostom, procurieng glory with all men & to their city & declrarineg her the metropolis of the whole earth;] & the Church of Antioch following her example, sent the reliques of the 40 martyrs to the other Churches: Athanasius Basil & Ephræm S. composed an Oration on these 40 martyrs., wchwhich celebrated these 40 martyrs wthwith an Orations. Thise Oration of Athanasius is not yet published; But Gerard Vossius saw it in MS in the library of Cardinal Ascanius in Italy as he mentions in his commentary on the Oration of Ephræm Syrus upon the same martyrs.

And by this early encouragement of saints worship in Egypt the veneration of saints their worship was soon established in Egypt. For Palladius going into Egypt in yethe year 388 to visit the monasteries . . . . . . . . ejusmodi tamen Deos fert tellus.

By all these things

By what has beebeen cited out of Basil, the two Gregories & Ephræm you may understand that Saint worship was established in the east among the Catholicks before the year 378. thatis being the year in wchwhich Basil & Ephræm died. Hilary coming from those parts the east in yethe year 360 or 361 brought it with him into Gallia [both MonckeyMonckery & the invocation of Saints. For he was the Master of erected a monastery in Gallia out of wchwhich came tahat famous Monk Martin.] not only the fame of great miracles done by the reliques of the saints at their tumbs in Palæstine,, but also the doctrine of the intercessio protection & intercession of Angels 2Small superscript numerals "2" and "1" indicate an authorial switch of original phrase order. & Saints 1 For upon the 129th Psalm – – – – true, but &c. [These things wewere writen by Hilary before yethe year 368. For he died in] Hilary died in the year 3868 & therefore spread this doctrine of the intercession of Saints & Angels, in Gallia before that year, having learnt it of the Catholicks in Asia before the year 360.

Damasus who was made BpBishop of Rome A. C. 367 & died A. C. 384,

By all that hath been said, is compared with yethe wonderful life of Antony & the stories of his seeing devils & dead mens souls, it may appear that Antony inspired his disciples with these prainciples, that his disciples of wchwhich the chief were B presently after his death they progatedpropagated them among all the Catholicks first in the east & then in the west,

In yethe year 524 the Greek Emperor Iustin put out an edicte ytthat the churches of yethe Arians should be every nconsecrated to the catholic religion. Whereupon Theodericus the Gothic king of Italy the G Italy sent Pope Iohn I wthwith some of the senators to yethe Emperor to desire theell tell desire him to tell him that unless he restored yethe Churches Arians to the Churches to theos Arians, of his religion their owners, he would treat the catholicks in Italy in the same manner. The Pope going the next year upon this embassy was received very honorably by the Emperor & received great presents from him & instead of perswading the Emperor to restore the churches conspired with him & consecrated as many of them as he could to the use of yethe catholicks, & upon his return to Italy was imprisoned for it & died in prison. wrot by Theodericus & wrote from prison to the bishops of Italy, to arm themselves with yethe sword of the Spirit against the Arian religion for extirpating it & to consecrate all the churches of the Arians for the Catholick wherever they could find them for yethe use of the Catholicks,, as he had done at Constantinople,. Whence it may be concluded is apparent that he acted in confederacy with the Greek Emperor against the Gothic king of the Goths Italy. In the year 532 The new emperor Iustinian succeded Iustin & in the year 532 or 533 sent an Epistle conteining a profession of his faith to designing to make war upon the Vandals sent to Pope Iohn II bishop of Rom wthwith great presents with an Epistle conteining a propfession of his faith, to be approved by him & & & pressing represented therein that he had always a desire to keep the unity of the Apostolic seat, & therefore made hast to subject & unite all the Priests of the whole eastern territory th to the seat of his Holiness, – which was the Head of all the Churches. Theis Theodahatus king of Italy sent Pope Agapetus nbeing sent by Thodahatus king of Italy to yethe Emperor Iustinian with a upon an Embassy to yethe Emperor Iustinian for diverting Iustinian having he did to engage the Church of Rome against the kingdoms of the Vandals & Goths who were of another religion. When he had in his party during the wars against those of another religion. When he had conquered the Vandals he began a war upon the Goths & thereupon Theodahatus king of the Goths A. C. 535 sent Pope Agapetus to Iustinan upon an embassy for putting to Iustinian for putting a stop to the war. Agapetus went very unwillingly, was received splendidly by the Emperor, & against the mind of the Emperor & Empress deposed Anthimius Patriarch of Constantinople & substituted Mennas in his rome in his rome into that bishopric, [& soon after died.] Whence it is manifest that the Emperor for keeping the Church of Rome in his interest against the Goths, still suffererd the Bishop of Rome to act in the east as universal bishop. The next year A. C. 536 Bellisarius, having taken Sicily from the Goths sailed into Italy & landing at Regiusm & marched to Naples all the v all those of all the people in the villages the villages cam out of hatred to the Goths immediately came over to him. Thence he marched to Naples & the Neopolitans were at first inclined to surrender, but by reason the City being garrisoned by Goths held out a siege of a few twenty days. Thence he marched to Rome, & the Romans being by the perswadedsion to it by of Pope Silverius surrendred their city sending to him to come, inviting him & promising to senurrender their city so soon as he came near it. Thiseis surrendder was done in December A. C. 536, the Garrison of the Goths withdrawing wh✝en they found themselves betrayed. ✝ ✝ And the next year the Romans assisted Sammium Calabria Apulia Beneventum & All Italy southward of Rome also revolted to bBelisarius & so did Tuscia Narnia Spoletum & Perusia. And all the next year the Romans assisted the small army & the small forces of Belisarius of Belisarius defendinedg Rome against 150000 the an army of 150000 Goths, .& ruined that so theirat great army And the year following A. C. 538 Dacius the Bishop of Millain with the chief men of that city went to Belisarius desiring him to send them a small force because Millain & all Liguria were ready to revolt. And accordingly a force being sent, Millain & revolted with almost all Liguria, did revolted. Thus did & maintained another siege against the Goths. Thus did the Roman Church of Rome, by conspiring with the Greek Emperorsr & causing their people to revolt from the Goths, & causing their people to revolt from yethe Goths & revolting to him, in all places where & join him, weakened & imbroiled the Goths & gave such a turn to their affairs war as ended in that kingdom the ruin of that kingdom. The Franks also seized part of the Gothic territories. And now now now thus the Pope, having by the assistance of his allies removed subdued one kingdom which stoo had reigned over him & hindred his rise;, And deserved by this conquest of& the aquisition of the universal bishopric over the Greek Churches, he deserved to weare the Crown which he had been lately conveyed to him a little before from the Emperor by the Franks, they helping him as well to the conquest as to the crown. Yet the he enjoyed the bishop of Rome being carried during the reign of Iustinian in A. C. 545 being carried prisoner to Constanitinople A. C. 545 & there imprisoned by Iustinian the year following, & the City of Rome by these wars being almost emptied of inhabitaants & its buildings ruined, the some of the Greeks bishops revolted from h [first (viztvidelicet A. C. 551 & then some of the bishops of Italy A. C. 554 revolted from him & abrogated his universal bishopric for a time contemned his authority for a time.] A. C. 551 began to neglect disregard his authority till the Emperor Phocas restored it. And this conspiracy of the Romans Church with the Greek Emperor gave such a turn to yethe affairs of the Goths as ended in the ruin of that kingdom. The Goths Francks also assisted the Emperor in sompe part of the warr being invited to it for extirpating Arrianism. seized part of their territories. And now the Pope having by the assistance of his friends & allies, removed one kingdom wchwhich reigned over him & wh hindred his rise,, he deserved by this conquest & the acquisition of the universal bishopric to weare the one crown, the crown which came to him ofrom the Emperor by the hands of the King of France a little before, as a prognostication of the success, & may be looked on as a prognostication of the success.

Thus the Church of Rome on account by conspiring with the Greek Emperor against their Goths K & inclinging the people of their communion to revolt from him, gave such a turn to this war in the beginning. them gave such a turn to this war, as end enabled Belisarius with a smaller force assisted by the revolting Romans to ruin the Kingdom of yethe Gothsic kingdom. The Francks also

By this it is manifest that before the year 378 the Orations & lif Sermons upon the saints went much beyond the bounds of orat mere oratorical flourishes & that the common people of the Catholicks in the east were already generally corrupted with Saint-worship. And its further observable ytthat the reliques of these 40 martyrs which are here said to be sent into many regions & to adorn many countries, were sent into Egypt b in the life time from Antioch to those places & particularl before the year 373. For Athanasius who died that year had also an oration upon them. This Oration is not yet published, but Gerrard Vossius saw it in MS in the K of France library of Cardinal Ascanius in Italy, as he mentions in his commentary upon the Oration of Ephræm Syrus on the same 40 martyrs. And since Alexandria sent the reliques of the martyrs of Egypt in to all the parts of the earth & thereby acq that they & thereby acquireding glory to their city & & declareding her the Metropolis of the whole earth, (as you have heard out of Chrysostom:) it may be concluded that before she received the reliques of yethe 40 martyrs from Antioch & began to celebrate their anniversary day, festival she began to sentd out the relique of her own martyrs into all parts, that is that their anniversary days might be every where celebrated. This practice therefore began some t considerable time before the death of Athanasius; & th by consequence by his approbation & encouragement. He had been a Monck For iIn Multiple authorial changes here: 1. "He had been a Monck" 2. "For in his..." 3. "In his..." his younger days & he had been a Monck attending upon Antony, as he himself in acknowledges in the beginning of the life of Antony written by himself, & all the Moncks were entirely at his devotion & they were the men who propa unanimously progagated this devotion sort of devotion religion this superstition into all the world this veneration, pretending to find out the bodies of the martyrs by dreams, erecting a running upon & down all the empire with their reliques & erecting altars over the graves for worshipping them untill these shamefull practices were checkt by publick laws as you have heard above.

The year in wchwhich these parctisespractises began is difficult to assigne. I take it to be presently after the death of Antony the Monck or at the furthest, after the death of Iulian & Iovian A. C. 364.. For t in the end of thise life written by of Antony Athanasius relates that these to have been were his dying words to those his disciples who stood about him. Do you take care to adhere to to Christ in the first place & then to yethe saints, that after death they may receive you as friends & acquaintance unto the eternal tabernacles. Think upon these things, perceive these things: & if you have any regard to me, remember me as a father &c This being the common doctring of Antony & Athanasius & being delivered by Antony in charge to the Moncks at his death A. C. 356 & published by Athanasius in his life of Antony written in the beginning of the reign of Valentinian & Valens A. C. 364 or 365, could not but set inflame the wholde body of the Moncks in flame to their devotion towards the saints, next after Christ, as the ready way to be received by them into yethe eternall tabernacles. But And this put the Moncks in the end of the reign of Constantius upon crying up the miracles pretended to be done by the reliques of the saints, & after the death of Iulian & the return of Athanasius from banishment, upon sending the miracle-working reliques of the Egyptian martyrs saints & martyrs from Alexandria into all the world. For even in the reign of Iulian the Apostate Athanasius with a prophetic spirit (as Ruffin tells us) hid the bones of Iohn yethe baptist, not in the grownd to be forgotten, but in the hollowed wall of a church, in the before proper witnesses, that they might again see the light & be be profitable to a future generation.

For Athanatsius looked upon the even from his youth was addicted to the superstitious use of yethe sign of the cross & looked upon the dead saints & martyrs as mediators of orour prayers. For in his epistle to Marcellinus written in the days of Constantine yethe great, he saith that yethe words of yethe Psalms – – – – – assisting us.

Now by the working of the Monks, who abounded more in Egypt then in any other country, the veneration of the saints spread there so fast that in the year 388 Palladius going into Egypt in the year 388 to visit the Monasteries & & visiting the msepulchre of Apollonius & other martyrs of Thebais who had suffered under Maximinus, saith of them – – – – salutavimus.

The following matches material at the middle of 4r. And Eunapius a heathen, but yet a competent witness of what he saw done in his times own times – – – – – fert tellus – – – – – – – et pdapibus. But let us return to take a fuller view of the propagation of saint-worsphipsaint-worship by the monks in the east.

Gregory Nazianzen

Not a new paragraph. Continues, using the following add, the paragraph before the above deletion. was first embraced by the Moncks, & by their influence began to overspred the Empire between the years 356 & 3665, & grew general among the catholicks before the year 380 & in all the Empire befor soon after before the year 390. For between —

○ Gregory Nazianzen in the end of his Oration upon Athanatius written presently after his death A. C. 372 thus invokes him. LDo thou look down upon us from above propitiously & govern this people a perfect adorer of the perfect Trinity wchwhich in the father son & holy ghost is understood contemplated & adored, & if there shall be peace preserve me & feed my flock with me, but if war reduce me & assume me & place wme wthwith your self & wthwith such as you are, attltho it be great wchwhich I desire. And in the end of the funeral Oration upon Basil written A. C. 378 he thus invokes Basil. But thou, O divine & sacred head look down upon us from heaven & by thy prayers either take away that that thorn of the flesh wchwhich is given us by God for exercise or perswade that we may beare it with courage, & direct all our life to that wchwhich is most conducible & when we depart this life receive us there in your tabernacles, [&c. And in the lif end of the his Oration upon Cyprian he directs the like prayer to Cyprian & tells us also how a pious virgin called Iustina was protected by invoking the virgin Mary.] that living together & beholding the holy & happy blessed Trinity more purely & perfectly whereof we have now but an slend imperfect view, we maty there come to the end of orour desires, & receive this reward of the wars wchwhich we have waged or suffered. And in his Oration upon Cyprian bishop of Carthage he invokes Cyprian after the same manner & tells us also how a pious virgin called Iustina was protected by invoking the Virgin Mary.

Gregory Nyssen in his funeral Oration upon Meletius Bishop Bishop of Antioch spoken before the Bishops of the Council of Constantinople A. C. 381 said that Meletius interceded for them & for the sins of the people: by wchwhich you may know, saith Barronius that this was the Opinion of the second general Council & by consequence of the Church Catholick.

1 Athanasius who died A. C. 372 in his Epistle to Marcellinus on the interpretation of the Psalms saith that yethe words of the Psalms are not to be transposed or anywise changed but to be recited & sung without any artifice as they are written: that the holy men who delivered them, unto knowing them to be their own words may pray with us; or rather that the Holy ghost who spake in the holy men, seing his own words wthwith wchwhich he inspired them, may joyntly assisting us.

This In this cond

This Gregory Nazianzen declares relates to have been the sattaate of the Christian Churches when he f retired fled & retired into the wilderness wchwhich was in the abo in yethe reign of Iulian the Apostate about four years before he wrote this Epistle Oration, & he adds that the troublesome & tempestuous way of life in yethe among in the Churches made him then retire into yethe wilderness & & that he then retired as out of a tempest for the sake of a quiet life. These ecclesiastical feuds & calamities – – – – appetuntur. So Sidonius Appollinaris a writer of the same age ascribes the sinking of the Western Empire – – – oppress the people. And Ammianus Marcellinus who was a faithful historian contemporary to Gregory Nazianzen, gives us a signal instance of the very wicked disposition factious & violent spirit of the Christians of Rome. Damasus & Vrsicinus, saith he, supra – – – – regales superent mensas. By this This was the state of yethe Roman Church when Damasus was elected made Bishop of Rome wchwhich was in yethe year of Christ 367 VAnd by theis early pomp & luxury of that Church you maty know And the Bishops & Clergy of Rome And the Church of Rome being thus given up to pomp & luxury, & tis not to be wondered & living now like Princes & faction & arrived at this state of magnificence, tis not to be wondered thtat if ytthat yethe most ambitious men contended most for those places, & succeeded byest in yethe contention & that being got into them they ambitious men were made bishops of Rome & thus prevailed to be prest most into this bishopric & then studied nothing soe much as under a shew of religion to encrease their power & honour & wealth. For this end they made supported a Schism in Afric against the major part main body of the African Church who by their rejecting the the baptism of hereticks, are manifested to be the genuine Church of Afric successors of Cyprians Church. For this end they claimed appeals from all the world [For this was the true reason of the Bishop of Rome's beginning to claiming appeales from all the world immediately presently after the death of Constantine the great & of the western Bishops supporting him in this claim]. And tThis This And tThis made Basil say that condem complain of complain of yethe Western superciliousness & say he hated the hautiness of that Church: And & This made Socrates say write that thatthe Bishops of Rome & Alexandria had of old (that is long before the Papacy of Cælestine of whom he was speaking) trāansgressed the bounds of yethe Priesthod & degenerated into external dominion: And The corruption was univ This made universall & therefore the Luciferans complain conspicuously asserted that the whole world was become the Devils & yethe Church was turned into a stew bawdy house. This A This made Sidonius Appollinaris & others complaineyethed ytthat yethe corruptions of the Christians were yethe occasion of yethe fall of yethe Western Empire., T & that for common swearing & that for 5 Luxury, 6 drunkenness, whoring keeping of whores concubines adultery, 8 Sodomy, 103 murders, 9 injustice, 101 oppression, 12 rapine, 3 voluptuousness, 124 common swearing, affecting of players T 15 faction backbiting 24 frequenting of Theaters & publick shows, 910 bribery, 1 pride, 2 ambition, & all manner of impiety & immoralyimmorality the Roman Catholicks in yethe fift century & end of the fourth outdid all mankind. And These wbereing the works of the Devil & shew that he was no sooner cast out of heaven & but he began to caome down among yethe inhabitants of yethe earth & sea.

Ierom also tells us describes the vices of the Clergy of& tells us that Bishops were chosen not by merit but by affection & interest & by the power of great men & that yethe Apostles command ytthat a bishop should be ob not be a Novice was observed by no body. Yesterday in yethe Amphitheater to day in yethe Church, yesterday a Catechumen to day a Bishop lately an enco a pat a patron of stageplayers now a consecrator of Virgins & to advance from bishopric to bishopric was the common was the common practise. [And instead of gravity & a modest dress it was usual for Presbyters to spruce themselves up that they might visit weomen & go about from house to house visit weomen & fare daintily.] And that yethe Presbiters affected to go spruce fare deliciously, & visit weomen & sick persons for lucre.

had the Iewish new Moon & Iewish ceremonies under her feet & upon her head a crown o

Gregory Nazianzen in his first Oration upon against the Emperor Iulian speaks thus of expostulates thus with Constantius for making him Emperor. What happened to you, most divine & Christ-loving Emperor (for I am carried on to expostulate with you as if you were present & heard me), altho I know that you are much more excellent then that you should be deserve to be reprehended by me, For your are joyned to God & have received an inheritance of heavenly glory & are so foar gone from us as to deserve a change your Empire with kingdom for a a better.) What counsel is this that you have taken who hastve far transcended in skilfulness of mind & sharpness of wit not only all the Emperors not only of your own but also of former memory. Who hast didst hast driven out the barbarous nations round about & partly by speeches partly by arms subdued intestine tyrants to your dominion., & both so dexterously & notably as if neither gave you any trouble. — And a litltle after excusing Constantius for electing Iulian Emperor he thus goes on. When I have named his benignity I have made his apology. For who is there knows not (even among those who knew him but moderately) that for the sake of piety & the love of us & desire to do us all good, he would not only neglect the honour of his family whole family & the increase of his kingdom Empire but also he would willingly prefer our safety & prosperity to his kingdom empire it self & to all his fortunes & &even to his own life then wchwhich nothing is more dear to any man For never was any man taken with so eager a desire of any thing as he was that the Christians should increase & come to the height of glory & power. And neither the conquered nations nor the good laws constitution & government of the Empire, nor to be & to be called king of kings, nor any thing else in wchwhich the happiness of men is placed nor any thing whatsoever rejoiced him so much as tohat we by him & he by us might flourish before with God & men & enjoy a firm & stable power to all ages. — Who if he gave us any trouble, he did it not owt of contempt of us, nor to reproach us, nor to do good to favour others before us, but that we might all unite & become of one mind & not be divided & sepearated by schisms. Thus far Gregory tho an enemy to this Emperor in point of religion. It was with this designe therefore that Constantius supprest the schismatical proceedings of the Bishop of Rome & his adherents for gaining the universal BpBishopric & caused the western clergy to subscribe acknowledge the independent & supreme authority of the eastern Councils in judicial matters over her own members, & banished those who refused to acknowledg it as factious & schismatical spirits behavour disturbers of the peace of the Churches. of Christ It was therefore out of love to the Christian religion & with a designe to quiet put a stop to the growing schisms & to quiet restore the peace of the churches & reduce to them to a peaceable &a flourishing condition, that h Constantius supprest the proceedings of the Bishop of Rome & his adherents for compassing the universal bishopric & caused the western Clergy. And that he acted out of love affection to yethe Christian religion may be gathered also is further manifest from the mischief wchwhich he did to the religion of the heathen TFor Libanius the Orator a heathen thus complains of him: It is Constantius & his reign wchwhichwhich having received the sparks of the wil from his father carried on the work to a great fire. For he spoiled the Gods of their riches wealth but this Emperor threw down their Temples to the grownd, & abrogating all the sacred laws gave himself to whom we know.

The controversy about yethe universal bishopric being thus composed & the of & the peace & discipleine of the Church catholick restored: things continued in this state till the year 3957, & then a new controversy brake wout between the eastern & western churches about the use of the language of the sons being, μιᾶς οὐσίας & μίας ὑποστάσεως of one usia & one hypostasis wthwith the father. For this lan not being the language of the Council of Nice but F tending to Monctanism & Sabellianism: the Greeks for putting a stop to the growth of those errors thought it necessary to abrogate it. And because it had its rise from the language of ὁμόούσιος & that language was not in scripture nor received by tradition nor understood by the people but but had been used by Paul of Samosat & some other hereticks & rejected by the peoa Council of Antioch & wchwhich met against Paul in the third century: the Greeks & those of their opinion in the west rejected the use of the word usia wthwith its compounds in several Councils as was said above, & did it with an universal success. For, saith Greg. Nazian.7v Nazianzen, if you except a very few who either by reason of the obscurity of their name were sleighted, or by their vertue resisted (whosem were requite to be left to Israel as a seed & root that she might by the influences of the Spirit she might flourish again & be restored to life) all complied wthwith the time. This was the only difference between them that some fell into that fraud sooner & others later, & some were were captains & leaders in the impiety & others were placed in the second order: being either struck wthwith fear or overcome with gain & advantage or ensnared with flatteries or lastly circumvented by ignorance, wchwhich is the least of the offences. Greg. Naz. Orat. 21. p. 387.

This was the state of things in the end of the reign of Constantius. And in this state they Church continued till the reign of Iovian excepting the persecution that she suffered in the reign of Iulian the apostate. Iovian reigned but seven months & in the reign of his successors Valentinian & Valens the t Liberius b in the beginning of their reign communicated the one wthwith Eudoxius at Constant Auxentius at Millain & the other atwthwith Eudoxius at Constantinople. But Atha the excommunicated Bishops Athanasius & his j in Egypt & Hilary & Eusebius Vercellensis in Gallia & Italy drew off to their party what as many of the bishops to th to their party pretending that the Ch. Cath. was Arian for abolishing the use of the word usia wthwith it comp. & Liberi thee bBishop of Rome for recovering his pretences to the universal bishopric separated fr first favoured their proceedings & then joyned with them in communion. For he had no other way to gain the Ecclesiastical supremacy then by condemning theat Church as erronous & heretical wchwhich in the late Councils of Biters Millain & Aquileia had condemned & baffled his pretences to that dominion And the emperor Valentinian went over to this party. The Macedonians & the also joyned with th in the east joyned in communion with the Church of Rome in com for reestablishing the Nicene decree that yethe Son was consubstantial to the father. And then Emperor Valentinian went over to the same party as hath been explained But Athanasius having gone a step further & declared that the holy Ghost was also consubstantial to thiemeim both & that this doctinerine was included in the Nicene faith & to deny it was Arrianism: the bishop of Rome & the western Churches, asA. C. 373 declared for the opinion of Athanasius, by & wrote to the Macedonians to come over to this opinion, & in yethe years 378 & 379 upon the death of the Emperor Valens it began to be preached openly in all the east as was mentioned above & in after two years more was esta [blishedestablished the next year by an Imperial decree Edict & the year following by the authority of the Council of Constantinople usually called the second general Council] & about a year & six months after the death of Valens the new Emperor Theodosius by the following Edict dated Feb 28 commanded all — – – . . . . as old as this law.

The Emperor Valentinian also went over to that party & his son & succ

The Macedonians also joyned in communion wthwith the Church of Rome & her for erestoring the language of ὁμοούσιος wthwith relation to yethe Son, but Athanasius going having gone . . . . . . . . . . . . of Rome & the western Churches at length declared for the opinion of Athanasius & the Emperor Valentinian commanded that thise consubstantial & coequal Trinity should be preached in all the west his Empire & after Ghis son Gratian af his son & successor Gratian propa after the death of the Eastern Emperor Valens set himself to be be set him set himself to propagate it in the east supported those that preached it in the east encouragesd the preaching it in the east, & about a year & six montshs after the death of Valens the Kte new eastern Emperor Theodosius by the following Edict dated Feb 28 commanded all.

—translate taken from the p Church wchwhich sohad ejoyed it lasted from the days of the Apostles by an inter uninterrupted succession & throughout all the Empire till the reign of Valentinian & Valens, & given to a defection wchwhich the Bishop of Rome for giaining the universal bishopric made by supporting against her the bishops wchwhich she had excommunicated, Athanasius, Hilary Eusebius of Vercellæ & Macedonius & their parties. And whilst all those of this new. These are the men who set up the worship of the saints And seing they were by this law of the Roman Empire called catholick Christians & taught in their Creed to believe in this holy Catholick Church & were baptized into this faith,: we may be allowed to reccon the Roman Catholick Church as old as this Law.

But yet this law being not sufficient to influence the minds of the people without the authority of a Council: the Emperor Theodosius called a general Council to meet at Constantinople the next year.

with the breath of his mouth represented by the two edged sword, & with the brightness of his coming second coming: & come with all power & signes & lying wonders & all deceivableness of unrighteousness: & the Fals Prophet set up the worship of the Beast & his Image by fals miracles by wchwhich he deceived them that dwell on the earth & the Whore of Babylon deceived all nations by her sorceries. The Man of sin reigned till Christ destroyed him with the breath of his mouth (represented by a two edged soword) & with the brightness of his coming: & so did the Beast & fals Prophet. The man of sin exalteth y exalt opposeth & exalteth himself above all that is called God, & from his opposing is called Antichrist that is the adversary of Christ,: & the the Dragon & Beast & Whore & False Prophet do all agree in persecuting the saints, & particularly the Beast & kings of yethe earth & their army are all of at length gathered together to make war against him the Word of God & his army. The character of Antichrist is that he should deny the father & the son: & in the reign of the Beast all men whose names are not written in the book of life wonder after him & receivieng his mark & instead of worshipping God & Christ worship the Beast & his Image: & to worship a false god is in the language of yethe scripture to forsake & deny the true one Iosh. 24.15, 16, 27. Iob. 31.26, 27, 28.

I know that Christians have generally a great opinion of Christian Churches nations as if they were much better then heathens or Mahometans: but they should consider

T When the Apostle Iohn to wrote thus to the primitive Churches: Little Children it is the last time, & as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come so, even now there are many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us but they were not off us: for if they had been of us they would have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all off us. the meaning is that tmany hereticks then separated from the Church & should continnue to separate untill the great a specious a& gen&eral heresy should arise & separate make a great separation & by its numbers prevail over the Church. For the primitive Christians gave the name of Antichrists to all hereticks who separated from the church, especially if they erred in their doctrines or practises about God & Christ. For all schismaticks being enemies to the Church, the Ch Apostle Iohn & the primitive Christians called them Antichrists that is enemies to Christ & by the great Antichrist understood nothing else then especially if they erred in their opinions or practises wthwith relation to God or Christ: Fo A& by the great Antichrist they understood nothing else then the great & a general schism heresy wchwhich by its plausible appearance should deceive & draw away the greatest part of Christians & & make a separation so great as by its numbers to overcome the true Church of God. For Cyprian Bishop of Carthage speaking of the baptism of such hereticks as had not yet been baptised into the true Church; saith, Hæreticos secundum Evangelicam & Apostolicam constitutionem adversarios Christi Antichristos appellatos, quando ad Ecclesiam venerint, unico Ecclesiæ baptismate baptisandos esse ut possint fieri de adversarijs amici et de Antichristis Christiani. And in another place describing the time & manner of yethe coming of the great Antichrist he saith whose coming was then expected he saith. Cavenda sunt autem non solum – – – – – – – – madke them err & fall away & under the name of Christicans become the great Antichrist. While the Roman Empire continued heathen there where many Antichrists that is many schisms made by hereticks but the true church being far more numerous prevailed against them all. And in these Antichrists the mystery of iniquity began to work in the days of the Apostles & was to work untill there should come a falling away or great Apostacy called by T the Man of sin & the Antichrist, & the Churches should no longer endure sound doctrine but after their own lusts should heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, & turn away their ears from the truth & be turned unto fables But this man of sin was not to appear till that wchwhich letted should be taken out of the way. And that wchwhich letted was the Roman Empire according to the tradition of the primitive Christians, or, as Cyprian explains, the heathen rRoman Empire. When the Christian religion should prevail over the heathen & the Devill should see his idols cast down & temples demolished then (according to Cyprian) he should insinuate himself into the Christian Churches corrupt the truth & divide the unity of the Church by making a schism. This was the expectation of the primitive Christians & it came to pass exactly. For when the Western Empire Christian religion by the victoryies of Constantine the great became Chr prevailed over the heathen9r heathen, the Christian Churches by the flowing in of heath hypocritical heathens became in a short time exceeding vicious, idolized the signe of the Cross & things consecrated with it & reliques & invoked the daded & composing a religion mixed of the christian & the heathen as has been shewed above. And if the placing of supernatural- vertue in words & figuers & ceremonies & things consecrated & reliques & images & invocations of dead men be abominable actions of the same kind with charms & magic & sorcery & idolatry & if Christian sorcerers & Christian idolaters be the worst of hereticks: then the Roman Empire before the end of the fourth century became very he erroneus & heretical, that is, in the language of Cyprian & the primitive Christians, it became very antichristian.

And at the same time that it a great part of the Church became vicious erroneus & idolatrous, it became also schismatical For in the reign of Valentinian & Valens the L Churches of the Latine Empire separated from the Churches of the Greek Empire. Palul of Samosat had taught that the Son was ὁμοούσιος to yethe father, that is, that the father & son were two substances of one kind or nature: for so the word ὁμοούσιος signified in those days has always signified among the Greeks. If it be applied to bodies it signifies two substances bodies substances taken out of one mass, & this is the proper signification. If it be applied to spirits it signifies two homogeneal sp substances without implying that they were taken out of one mass. The Council of Antioch wchwhich convened voluntarily to examin hi Paul of Samoset decreed that the son ought not to be called ὁμοούσιος to yethe father & their decrees againtagainst Paul were communicated to all the Churches & particularly to the Bishops of Rome and Alexandria & agreed to without any dispute. The Council of Antioch convened against Paul of Samosat A. C. 270 decreed that the son ought not to be called ὁμοούσιος to yethe father & their decrees were communicated to all the Churches & particularly to yethe Churches of Rome & Alexandria & received without any dispute. About 55 years after, the Council of Nice by the influence of Constantine the great, decreed th who was then present, decreed that the son was ὁμοούσιος to yethe father. About 34 years after the Councils of Ariminum & Seleuceia abrograted repealed the use of the word & a few with five or six erasyears ~ after the Ch Western churches flew off from those councils resumed the use of theat word adhered to the Council of Nice & separated from yethe greek Church wchwhich adhered to the Councils of Antioch Ariminum & Seleucia. A H Thus the union of the Church was dissolved & one half of the Church b catholick certainly became schismatical. The Greek Church impos Arius a The Arians affirmed that the son was made out of nothing & that there was a time when he was not, the western Church saint worshippers that Latine Church that he was ὁμοούσίος consubstantial to yethe father, T the Greek Church oppos imposed no new article of faith but oppo only opposed the language of both the others as novel, not received by tradition not be to be met with in scripture, & tending to vex & disturb the Churches wthwith endless disputes & broiles. This Church imposed no new article of faith but only opposed the innovations & for this the Latines separated from them & soon after the Egyptians separated & yethe gre Bishop of Rome & soon after the Bishops of Alexandria & Antioch separated from them. By To the father & son the separatists added the Holy ghost & by the word ὁμοούσιος the sepatratists understood that the Father & son were two homogeneal & holy Ghost were three substances of one kind; & soon after or that God Almighty consisted of three homogeneal intelligent substances like Peter Iames & Iohn as Dr Cudworth in his intellectual system & Curcelleius in his Th have proved beyond dispute: & certainly if this opinion be wrong erroneosus the Greek church had great reason to oppose it. & the worshipping of three such substances be polytheism, the Greek Church had great reason to oppose it. But the Latin Churches of Rome Alexandria & Antioch by the decree of that speaking Oracle the Council of Constantinople prevailed & in a short time set up the invocation of Saints wthwith ejected the Greeks & set up the worship of this strange God in all the Empire. together with the invocation of saints in all the Empire making using the magical signe of the cross the badge & mark of their religion in nomine Pat Pa✝tris & Fi✝lij & Spiritu Spi✝ritus sancti as the badge symbol & mark of their religion, & placing more adoring teaching to adore the humane authority of the Church & Councils wchwhich in this prophesy is called worshipping the Beast & his Image. For

NB All hereticks couch their heresies innovate in such language & couch their heresy in such language as has not been derived from the Prophets & Apostles by tradition nor is to be met with in scripture & ininnovation in language is necessary an argument of heresy For he that cannot declare his opinion in the language of the scripture is of an opinion not declared in the la scripture.

Iulian the Emperor, as Cyrill relatesCyril. 1l. 10 contr. Iul. T. 6. p. 335. B, C., thus accused the Christians in his reign. You have filled all places, saith he, wthwith Sepulchres & monuments although you are no where bidden to fall down prostrate your selves to sepulchers & preserve them to keep or cherish them to respect them officiously. And a little after: since Iesus said that sepulchres are full of filthiness how do you invoke God upon them. And again To that ancient dead man you (viztvidelicet Iesus) you have added new dead men. And in another place he saith that: If you had ad if Christians had adhered to yethe precepts of the Hebrews they would have worshipped one God instead of many & not a man, not or rather not many unhappy men. Ib. l. 6. cont. Iul. T. 6. p 301. This was the state of I Christianity in Iulians reign A. C. 362. But But in Egypt things were in a worse state. For Antony the Monk who died A in yethe beginning of yethe year 359 or complained that it was then grown customary among the Egyptians not to bury the swrap up the bodies of yethe holy men & chiefly of yethe martyrs in linnen & not to bury them under grownd but to keep them in their houses upon beds, counting this an honour to the dead. It seems] But in Egypt things were in a worse state. For whereas The ancient heathen Egyptians had a custome of embalming & preserving their dead & this custome it seems was now crept in amongst the Christians, For some some of Egypt before the year 3659 death of Antony, for & by this means they preservinedg the bodies of the saints & martyrs. & by this means they kept them not only in their Churches but even in their private families. And this was the first

It would require a large discourse also to shew how the Empire after it became Christian became in a short time very superstitious. & I shall content my self with noting that in the fourth Century came in the custome of going on prililgramage to visit sacred places & particularly Ierusalem. For theis City at that time became frequententdefrequented wthwith great crouds of people from all nations as Ierome an eye witness represents in some of his Epistles. [Also corporal pennances instead of repentance came in about yethe same time as I perceive by this Edict of yethe Emperor Theodosius: Sacratis – – – 389] At the same time came in Monkery the fountain of all superstitions: For in the reign of Dioclesian Constantine the great & his sons, Antony in Egypt & Hilarion in Syria laid the foundation first of any men laid the foundation of this sect & filled the wildernesses of Egypt this Mo & of Syria with Monks wchwhich in the reign of Constantius Valentinian & Valens bega began to to creetpt into towns & under the Archbishopricks of Alexandria & Antioch compos became the main body of the two horned Beast. At the same time came in all Concerning whom it may be observed that those who became Moncks generaly complained that upon their first going into yethe wilderness they were more tempted toby unchast desires (as they themselves complained) then before. Their idele life in a & violent made their thoughts wander & their forceable restrant of their inclinatio desires their desires made them more vehement whereas Christians should not endeavour to avoid temptation. At the same time came in also the Cælibacy of the Clergy, as I perceive by Ieromes Epistle against Vigilantius where he saith Quid facient Orientis Ecclesiæ? quid EÆgypti et sedis Apostolicæ: quæ aut Virgines Clericos accipiunt, aut continentes, aut si mariti esse uxores habuerint mariti esse desistunt? And The following passage has been re-ordered using circled numerals. ② aAt the same time came in also a greater load – – – – subjiciuntur. ① At the same time came in also the custome of composing le writing fabulous lLegends sin such as were the life of Antony writ by Athanasius. the story of Arsenius produced appearing alive at yethe Council of Tyre invented by Athanasius above 20 years after the lifves of Paul & Hilarion writ by Ierom, the life of Martin writ by Sulpicius Severus, several monkish stories in the Ecclesiastic Historices SocrTof Socrates Sozomen & Theodoret & Ruffin & particularly that of Arsenius appearing alive at yethe Council of Tyre a story broached a story invented above 20 years after the Council The ridiculous story of the hand of Arsenius in a Bagg the Historia Lausiaca writ by Theodoret, the books of miracles done at yethe shrines of Saints & written to be read in churches for the instruction of yethe people as Austin Bishop of Hippo read in Churches & relates; & the lives & miracles of yethe Roman Saints written in all following ages to this day. And 2 At the same time came in also a greater load – – – subjiciuntur.

But that wchwhich is most to the present purpose is the falling away of the ChristiamChristian Empire to Idolartry; this being the apostasy chiefly meant by the Devil's coming down amongst the inhabitants of yethe earth & sea with great wrath knowing that he hath but a short time & by the woman's flying into the wilderness where she commits spiritual fornication wthwith the kings of the earth & makes yethe nations drunk with the wine of her fornication. For this whoredome of in the wilderness is yethe Daniel's Abomination of desolation wchwhich maketh desolate or that is, the abomination turneth wchwhich turneth the Church into a spiritually desolate wilderness By her whoredome she turns the churches in nations into a spiritually desolate 11v wildersnes & therefore she is said by to fly her apostasy is by Iohn called flying into yethe wilderness & her whoredome is by Daniel called the abomination wchwhich maketh desolate.

Gregory Nyssen

Soon aAfterwards, the Emperor Aurelian refused to confirm eject Paul of Samosat at yethe instance of the eastern Bishops without yethe approbation of yethe BpBishop of Rome.

The Cainites were a branch of the Nicolaitans. They had abominable actions & held that yethe way to be saved was to try & satisfy their lusts wthwith abominable actions. They gave barbarous names to many Angels wchwhich they feigned to themselves & invoked. Echard p 432.

Carpocrates a Platonic philosopher & father of yethe Gnosticks p 4

Basilides died A. C. 3133

Valentinus an Egyptian Platonist.

The Ophites were a sect of yethe Nicholaitans & held strange opinions, & worshipped a serpent &c

The synodicon takes notice of a Council held at Hierapolis by Apollonaris bishop of that city wthwithwho wthwith 26 other bishops condemned & excluded from yethe Church Montanus Maximilla & Theodotus. This was the first council of BpsBishops w& met after A. C. 3181 or not long after:

The Council of Iconium called about yethe time of Origens retiremtretirement from Alexandria wchwhich was A. C. 231.

A. C. 260 Gallienus lost Dacia entirely to yethe Quadi & Sarmatans. The AlanGoths & Scythians ravaged all Pontus & a great part of yethe lesser Asia & in Europe all Greece & Macedonia, & carried away many Christians.

it, & by doing so they put a stop to sabellianism & propagated an opinion into all the Empire that the father & Son were two distinct & complete substances, the son being totus ex toto patre & perfectus ex perfecto.