From Eusebius Pamphilus: His Ten Books of Ecclesiastical History, Faithfully Translated and Abridg’d from the Original, by Samuel Parker, Gent.; London : Printed for George Sawbridge at the Three Flower de-Luces in Little Britain, 1703; pp. 1-18.
A
Short Account
OF THE
LIFE
OF
E U S E B I U S,
Extracted from the best Authors
That have Written on that Subject:
With a Catalogue of his Writings.
EUsebius, surnam’d Pamphilus from the Martyr so call’d, his intimate and dearest Friend (and, as some will have it, his near Relation) was a Native of Palestine, and Born toward the latter end of the Reign of Gallienus, and ii the Third Century, about the Year 266, probably at Cæsarea, where he settled a famous Seminary for Learning. He was a compleat and universal Scholar, and sometime a Disciple of the Great Dorotheus of Antioch. His principal Study, to which he directed his other Acquisitions and Labours, was Ecclesiastical Learning; and herein he was so very Diligent and Curious as to gather and consult all the Monuments and Authorities, whether in Archives or Libraries, that Antiquity adminster’d. But how great a Zeal and Concern he had for the Promotion of this sort of Knowledge himself sufficiently express’d, when upon an Offer of the Emperor Constantine, to bestow any Donation Eusebius should think proper upon the Church of Cæsarea; he told him that Church was as well Endow’d already as he could desire, but that he should think himself a very happy Man if his Imperial Majesty would, by his Special Order, be pleas’d to procure him all the Several Acts and Records, from every Quarter of the Empire, relating to the Martyrs and their Sufferings. The Emperor accordingly gratify’d him, and out of these he compos’d his Ecclesiastical History and his Martyrology.
iiiIn the Year 307. Pamphilus being confin’d for the Faith, Eusebius constantly attended him, and the Opportunity inviting, they united their Endeavours for the Propagation of Sacred Learning; for which as Pamphilus was admirably qualify’d, especially having for some time enjoy’d the Benefit of Pierius’s Instructions, Regent of the Catechetick School at Alexandria, stil’d for the Severity of his Life, and the Excellency of his Learning, The Second Origen, and very intimate with Eusebius; so Eusebius was, no doubt, not a little animated and assisted in it by the Conversation and Familiarity he then contracted and cultivated with Meletius, Bishop of Sebastea in Pontus, a Man of extraordinary Piety and Learning. After Two Years Imprisonment (a good Portion of which time was employ’d between the two Friends upon their Apology for Origen) Pamphilus receiv’d his Crown, and Eusebius withdrew to Tyre, where, as he tells us in the Eighth Book of his History, himself was present at the Execution of several eminent Martyrs.
From thence he went into Egypt, and was laid in Chains, under which Trial he was afterwards accus’d in the Synod of iv Tyre, to have done Sacrifice to Idols, but without any better Proof or Pretence than bare Conjecture from the Mouths of Men professedly prejudic’d against him, grounded only upon the favourable Usage he had met with at the Hands of the Infidels. And the weakness of the Accusation is undeniably evinc’d from his retaining the Orders and Authority of a Presbyter, which according to the Discipline current in that Age, he could no longer have kept after the Proof of such an Apostacy; much less have rose to the Episcopal Dignity, as he did after his Return into Palestine, where he was consecrated Successor, in the Bishoprick of Cæsarea, to Agapius, by whom he had been ordain’d Presbyter.
About the Year 316. (according to others 313, or 314.) at the Consecration of a magnificent Church, which Paulinus, the Bishop of the Place, a great Friend and Admirer of Eusebius, had erected at Tyre, our Author deliver’d that Excellent Oration which he has inserted (concealing his Name) in the Tenth Book of his History, and which I have left out of the Abridgment, both because it would be an Injury to Epitomize it, and because it is a v wide Digression from the Course of the History.
In the Council of Nice, in the Year 324. he was a very Significant Party from the beginning to the end of it. He was appointed to Welcome and Harangue the Emperor upon his Entrance into the Council, and plac’d the next Person to himself at his Right Hand. After long canvassing of Arius’s Cause, Eusebius having drawn up a Confession of Faith, presented it to the Fathers, and they unanimously approv’d of it; but judging it not altogether so full and expressive as was requisite, they concluded upon another, or indeed rather the same, a little enlarged and improv’d, asserting the Consubstantiality of the Son with the Father, by the word Ὁμοούσιος, and annexing their Anathema’s against the Adversaries of that Doctrine. At this Term Eusebius hesitates some time, till upon maturer Thoughts, and a clearer Insight into the meaning of the Fathers, he assented to the publick Use of it, (though it must be confess’d he was never a very cordial Friend to it) and sent an Account of the whole matter to his Diocess. And here it may be expected I should purge my Author from the Imputation vi of Arianism, that has been charg’d upon him by several of the Ancients, and very furiously by St. Jerom, but the Merits of the Cause requiring a larger Compass of Time and Paper, than can be conveniently alotted it at present, I refer the curious Reader to Socrate’s Ecclesiastical History, l. 2. c. 21. Gelasius Cyzicenus Hist. Council. Nic. l. 2. c. 1. Vales. de Vita & Scriptis Euseb. Dr. Cave in his Life of Eusebius, among the Lives of the Primitive Fathers, §. 22. and in his Hist. Litteraria. And Dr. Parker in the First Part of Religion and Loyalty, p. 360.
Upon Eustathius’s being depos’d from the Chair of Antioch about the Year 330. the Antiochians unanimously voted Eusebius his Successor, and apply’d themselves to the Emperor for his Approbation and Encouragement of the Choice. But Eusebius, being sensible what Provisions the Church had made in her Canons, particularly in the 15th of the Council of Nice, against the Practice of Translations, very generously declin’d the Offer, though the Bishoprick of Antioch was much more considerable than his own of Cæsarea. This Refusal the good Emperor look’d upon as such a noble Instance of Ingenuity and vii Sincerity, that he highly applauded the Resolution, and congratulated the Happiness of Eusebius, that had receiv’d such a remarkable Testimony of a general Esteem and Love, as a Person whose Pastorship the Churches contended for, or rather seem’d, all of them, to wish themselves combin’d in. The truth on’t is, Eusebius was the Darling of this Excellent Emperor, who maintain’d a Correspondence with him when absent by Letters, and bestow’d upon him all the Marks imaginable of his Favour, and was not very long surviv’d by him; for having reach’d a good old Age, and acquir’d himself a sure universal Reputation, both for his Piety and Learning, our Author deceas’d about the Year 340. or according to others 338. a little before the Death of Constantine the Younger.
CHronicon, translated into Latin, and enlarged by St. Jerom.
Fifteen Books of Evangelical Preparation.
Ten Books (the other Ten being lost) of Evangelical Demonstration.
Ten Books of Ecclesiastical History; and at the end of the Eighth, his Book of the Martyrs of Palestine.
Book against Hierocles, who had writ a Comparison between the Miracles of Christ and Apollonius Tyaneus.
Two Books against Marcellus the Sabellian.
Three Books of Ecclesiastical Theology, upon the same Points as the former.
Epistle to the Cæsareans, concerning the Nicene Faith.
Account of the Cities and Places mention’d in the Holy Scriptures, Translated by St. Jerom into Latin; wherein mention is made of Two other of his Treatises since lost: the one of The Signification of Names which the Jews give to other Nations; the other, A Description of the Holy Land and the Temple.
Oration in Praise of Constantine.
Four Books of Constantine’s Life.
Exposition, or Collections, upon the Canticles; Supposititious with Du Pin.
Lives of the Prophets.
Ten Canons or Rules of the Sacred Gospels.
ixThe first Book of the Apology for Origen, in Rufinus’s Version.
A Sermon upon the Words, Early in the Morning, and upon The Vision of Angels at the Sepulchre.
Of Ecclesiastical Preparation, the Number uncertain
Of Ecclesiastical Demonstration, the Number uncertain.
Against Porphyry, Thirty Books.
Of the Differences in the Gospels, together with a Letter to Carpianus.
Of the Incarnation, Five Books.
Comment upon the Psalms.
Comment upon Isaiah, in Ten Books.
Comment upon the First Epistle to the Corinthians.
Collections upon all the Holy Scripture.
Apology for Origen, in Six Books: The first Five compos’d in Concert with Pamphilus; the Sixth added afterwards by himself.
Three Books of the Life of Pamphilus.
Two Books of Confutation and Apology; perhaps that Defence of himself (mention’d by Gelasius Cyzicenus) against the Imputation of Arianism; though others upon better Grounds and Authority, suppose it to have been a general Apology for the Christian Religion; and Confutation of Gentilism.
A Martyrology, in Eleven Books, a Greek MSS. of which, ’tis said, is still to be seen at Rome.
A Description of the Church of Jerusalem, built by Constantine.
A Paschal Cycle.
xAn Epistle to Constantia, concerning Christ’s Picture, which is quoted in Concil. Nic. II. Act. VI. In this Quotation he reproves her Curiosity for sending to him for an Artificial Representation of Christ’s Human Form.
An Epistle to Alexander, Bishop Alexandria, concerning Arius.
An Epistle to Euphration.
Archæologia, or Ancient History, perhaps the same with his Chronicon.
Of the Polygamy of the Patriarchs, probably a Part of the former.
Lives of the Prophets.
Two Books of the Faith against Sabellius.
Of the Resurrection.
Of the Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord.
Of the Incorporeal and Invisible God.
Of that which is Incorporeal.
Of the Incorporeal Soul.
Of Cogitation in the Spirit of Man.
A Proof of the Incorporeality of God the Father.
Another Discourse upon the same Subject.
A Discourse upon that Text, I came not to seek Peace, but a Sword.
A Discourse upon that Text, What ye hear in the Ear, that Preach ye upon the House tops.
Of Good and Evil Works.
Of Good Works, according to the Doctrine deliver’d in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians.