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My mind has been often exercised in inquiring how it is that other men
are very ready to believe in God the Word, while the Jews are so
incredulous, although it was to them that instruction concerning the
things of God was, from the beginning, imparted by the prophets, who
likewise made them acquainted with the events attendant upon the coming
of Christ, before they came to pass. Besides, Abraham, the
founder of their nation and of the circumcision, was accounted worthy
to be an eye-witness, and the host of the Son of God. And Isaac,
his son, was honored as the type of the sacrifice on the cross, for he
was led bound to the altar by his father and, as accurate students of
the sacred Scriptures affirm, the sufferings of Christ came to pass
in like manner. Jacob predicted that the expectation of the nations
would be for Christ, as it now is; and he likewise foretold the time
in which he came, when he said "the rulers of the Hebrews of the
tribe of Judah, the tribal leader, shah fail."
This dearly referred to the reign of Herod, who was an Idumean, on
his father's side, and on his mother's, an Arabian, and the
Jewish nation was delivered to him by the Roman senate and Augustus
Caesar. And of the rest of the prophets some declared beforehand the
birth of Christ, His ineffable conception, the mother remaining a
virgin after His birth, His people, and country. Some predicted
His divine arid marvelous deeds, while others foretold His
sufferings, His resurrection from the dead, His ascension into the
heavens, and the event accompanying each. But if any be ignorant of
these facts it is not difficult to know them by reading the sacred
books. Josephus, the son of Matthias, also who was a priest, and
was most distinguished among Jews and Romans, may be regarded as a
noteworthy witness to the truth concerning Christ ; for he hesitates
to call Him a man since He wrought marvelous works, and was a teacher
of truthful doctrines, but openly calls him Christ; that He was
condemned to the death of the cross, and appeared alive again the third
day. Nor was Josephus ignorant of numberless other wonderful
predictions uttered beforehand by the holy prophets concerning Christ.
He further testifies that Christ brought over many to Himself both
Greeks and Jews, who continued to love Him, and that the people
named after Him had not become extinct. It appears to me that in
narrating these things, he all but proclaims that Christ, by
comparison of works, is God. As if struck by the miracle, he ran,
somehow, a middle course, assailing in no way those who believed in
Jesus, but rather agreeing with them.
When I consider this matter it seems reasonably remarkable to me,
that the Hebrews did not anticipate, and, before the rest of men,
immediately turn to Christianity; for though the Sibyl and some
oracles announced beforehand the future of events concerning Christ we
are not on this account to attribute unbelief to all the Greeks. For
they were few, who, appearing superior in education, could understand
such prophecies, which were, for the most part, in verse, and were
declared with more recondite words to the people. Therefore in my
judgment, it was the result of the heavenly preknowledge, for the sake
of the agreement in future events, that the coming facts were to be
made known, not only by his own prophets, but in part also by
strangers. Just as a musician, under pressure of a strange melody,
may treat the superfluous tones of the chords lightly with his
plectrum, or add others to those already existing.
Having now shown that the Hebrews, although in the possession of
numerous and more distinct prophecies concerning the coming of Christ,
were less willing than the Greeks to embrace the faith that is in
Him, let what has been said on the subject suffice. Yet let it by no
means be hence accounted contrary to reason that the church should have
been mainly built up by the conversion of other nations; for in the
first place, it is evident that, in divine and great affairs, God
delights to bring to pass changes in a marvelous manner; and then, be
it remembered, it was by the exercise of no common virtues that those
who, at the very beginning, were at the head of religious affairs,
maintained their influence. If they did not, indeed, possess a
language sharpened for expression or for beauty of diction, nor the
power of convincing their hearers by means of phrases or mathematical
demonstrations, yet they did not the less accomplish the work they had
undertaken. They gave up their property, neglected their kindred,
were stretched upon a cross, and as if endowed with bodies not their
own, suffered many and excruciating tortures; neither seduced by the
adulation of the people and rulers of any city, nor terrified by their
menaces, they clearly evidenced by their conduct, that they were
supported in the struggle by the hope of a high reward. So that they,
in fact needed not to resort to verbal arguments for without any effort
on their part, their very deeds constrained the inhabitants of every
house and of every city to give credit to their testimony, even before
they knew wherein it consisted.
Since then so divine and marvelous a change has taken place in the
circumstances of men, that ancient cults and national laws have fallen
into contempt; since many of the most celebrated writers among the
Greeks have tasked their powers of eloquence in describing the
Calydonian boar, the bull of Marathon and other similar prodigies,
which have really occurred in countries or cities, or have a mystic
origin, why should not I rise above myself, and write a history of
the Church? For I am persuaded that, as the topic is not the
achievements of men, it may appear almost incredible that such a
history should be written by me; but, with God, nothing is
impossible.
I at first felt strongly inclined to trace the course of events from
the very commencement; but on reflecting that similar records of the
past up to their own time had been compiled by those wisest of men,
Clemens and Hegesippus, successors of the apostles, by Africanus
the historian, and by Eusebius, surnamed Pamphilus, a man
intimately acquainted with the sacred Scriptures and the writings of
the Greek poets and historians, I merely draw up an epitome in two
books of all that is recorded to have happened to the churches, from
the ascension of Christ to the deposition of Licinius. Now,
however, by the help of God, I will endeavor to relate the
subsequent events as well.
I shall record the transactions with which I have been connected, and
also those concerning which I have heard froth persons who knew or saw
the affairs in our own day or before our own generation. But I have
sought for records of events of earlier date, amongst the established
laws appertaining to religion, amongst the proceedings of the synods of
the period, amongst the innovations that arose, and in the epistles of
kings and priests. Some of these documents are preserved in palaces
and churches, and others are dispersed and in the possession of the
learned. I thought frequently of transcribing the whole, but on
further reflection I deemed it better, on account of the mass of the
documents, to give merely a brief synopsis of their contents; yet
whenever controverted topics are introduced, I will readily transcribe
freely from any work that may tend to the elucidation of truth. If any
one who is ignorant of past events should conclude my history to be
false, because he meets with conflicting statements in other writings,
let him know that since the dogmas of Arius and other more recent
hypotheses have been broached, the rulers of the churches, differing
in opinion among themselves, have transmitted in writing their own
peculiar views, for the benefit of their respective followers; and
further, be it remembered, these rulers convened councils and issued
what decrees they pleased, often condemning unheard those whose creed
was dissimilar to their own, and striving to their utmost to induce the
reigning prince and nobles of the time to side with them. Intent upon
maintaining the orthodoxy of their own dogmas, the partisans of each
sect respectively formed a collection of such epistles as favored their
own heresy, omitting all documents of a contrary tendency. Such are
the obstacles by which we are beset in our endeavors to arrive at a
conclusion on this subject! Still, as it is requisite, in order to
maintain historical accuracy, to pay the strictest attention to the
means of eliciting truth, I felt myself bound to examine all writings
of this class according to my ability.
Let not an impertinent or malignant spirit be imputed to me, for
having dwelt upon the disputes of ecclesiastics among themselves,
concerning the primacy and the preeminence of their own heresy. In the
first place, as I have already said, an historian ought to regard
everything as secondary in importance to truth; moreover, the doctrine
of the Catholic Church is shown to be especially the most genuine,
since it has been tested frequently by the plots of opposing thinkers;
yet, the disposal of the lot being of God, the Catholic Church has
maintained its own ascendancy, has reassumed its own power, and has
led all the churches and the people to the reception of its own truth.
I have had to deliberate whether I ought to confine myself to the
recital of events connected with the Church under the Roman
government; but it seemed more advisable to include, as far as
possible, the record of transactions relative to religion among the
Persians and barbarians. Nor is it foreign to ecclesiastical history
to introduce in this work an account of those who were the fathers and
originators of what is denominated monachism, and of their immediate
successors, whose celebrity is well known to us either by observation
or report. For I would neither be considered ungracious towards
them, nor willing to consign their virtue to oblivion, nor yet be
thought ignorant of their history; but I would wish to leave behind me
such a record of their manner of life that others, led by their
example, might attain to a blessed and happy end. As the work
proceeds, these subjects shall be noted as far as possible.
Invoking the help and propitiousness of God, I now proceed to the
narration of events; the present history shall have its beginning from
this point.
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