story. MarginaliaThe decretal epistles.Notwithstanding certayne decretall Epistles are remayning, or rather thrust to vs in their names, contayning in them little substance of any doctrine, but al together stuffed with lawes, iniunctions, and stately decrees, little to the purpose, and lesse sauering of the nature of that time then present. Amongst whom also are numbred two epistles of this Euaristus. And when he had geuen these orders, and had made sixe Priests, two Deacons, and fiue Bishops, for sundry places (saith the story) he suffred martyrdome, but what kinde of death, for what cause he suffered, what constancye he shewed, what was the order or cōuersatiō of his life, is nothing touched, and seemeth therefore the more to be doubted that which our new histories do say: because the old aūcient writers leaue no remembraunce thereof, which otherwise would not haue passed such thinges ouer in silence, if they had bene true. MarginaliaNauel. gener. 4.
Platina.
Volateran
Anthropo. lib. 22.
Eusebius li. 3. ca. 24Againe, neither doo the autors fully agree in the time of hys martyrdome, which Nauclerus witnesseth to be in the last yeare of Traianus: but Platina thinketh rather þ^t he suffred vnder Hadrianus, fascicul. temporū. referreth it to the third yere of Hadrian. Volateranus, to the beginning of the raygne of Hadrian. Contrary, Eusebius comming more neare to the simple truth (as semeth) doth affirme that Euaristus succeded Clement in the third of Traianus, and so geuing to him. ix. yeares, it should followe thereby that Euaristus deceased the. xii. yeare of Traianus.

MarginaliaAlexander bishop of Rome and Martyr.
Autors dissent.After whom succeded next Alexander, in the gouernance of that church, of whose time and death the lyke discrepance is among the writers. Marianus Scotus sayth he was the fourth bishoppe from Peter, but that could not be. Some saye he was the syxt, and some the seuenth, but likewise were deceaued. For the most part al do graunt Sixtus to be the sixt. Damasus affirmeth that he was in the raigne of Traiane. And howe can that be, when the said Damsus affirmed before that Euaristus his predecessor suffered in the last yeare of Traiane, and then the bishopricke stoode at least a moneth voyde, except he meane that the sayd Alexander succeeded Euaristus in the last yeare of Traianus? But then how can that stand with Bede and Marianus Scotus, which saye, that he suffered vnder Traianus, or wyth Otto Frisingēsis, which saith that he suffred the fourth yeare of Hadriane, when he had bene bishop. x. yeares, by the general consent of most writers?

They which write of the deedes and doinges of this blessed bishop, as Bergomensis, Antoninus, Equilinus and such as folow them, declare that he had cōuerted a great part of the senators to the faith of Christ, amōgst whom was Hermes a great man in Rome, whose sōne being dead, Alexander raised again to life, and likewise restored sight to his mayde being blinde. MarginaliaAlexāder, Euentius, Thodul⁹, Hermes wyth hys housholde. Quirinus with hys houshold. Martyrs.Hadriane the Emperour then absent hearing this, sent woord to Aurelianus gouernour of Rome, to apprehend Alexander, with Euentius and Theodulus, otherwise called Theodorus, as Platina saith, his two Deacons, and Hermes, and to commit them to warde with Quirinus the Tribune: whiche being done as their storye recordeth, Alexāder inclosed in a diuers prison from Hermes, notwithstanding by the guiding of an angel through three doores with three lockes a peece, was brought with candel light to the lodging of Hermes. And so returning to the prison againe, cured the daughter of Quirinus hys keeper, named Balbina: by reason wherof the said Quirinus with his whole houshold wer al baptised, and suffred also for the faith of Christ.

Thus thē saith the story, about the second yere of Hadrian, Aurelianus the ruler tooke Alexāder the Bishop, with Hermes, his wife, children, & his whole housholde, to the number of a M.CC.L. and threw them in prison. And not long after the saide Alexander with Euentius his Deacon, and Hermes and the rest were burned in afurnace. Theodulus an other Deacon of Alexander, seing and rebuking the cruelty of the tyraunt, suffred also the same martyrdome.

MarginaliaEx Platina in vita Alexan.Quirinus also the same time (as saith Antoninus) hauing first his toung cut out, thē his hands and feete, afterward was beheaded, and cast to the dogs. Equilinus sayth that he was beheaded and cast into Tyber in the raygne of the Emperour Claudius, but that cannot be. Albeit Platina maketh relacion but onelye of Alexander with his two Deacons aforesaid. MarginaliaSaphyra.
Sabina.
Martyrs.Declaring moreouer that in the time of this bishop, Saphyra of Antioche, and Sabina a Romaine suffred martyrdome.

MarginaliaEx Floralego.Florilegus, the autor of Flores historiarum, affirmeth that Alexander bishop of Rome was beheaded. 7. myles out of Rome, wher he lyeth buried, an. 105. but þ^t agreeth not w^t the Chronicles aboue recited. Eusebius recordeth of him no more, but that in the. 3. yere of Hadrian he ended his life and office, after he had bene bishop. x. yeares.

Diuers miracles are reported of this Alexander, in the canon Legendes, and lyues of Saintes: which as I deny not but may be true: so because I cannot auouch them by any graue testimony of auncient writers, therfore I dare not affirme them, but do referre them to the autors and Patrons therof, wher they are found. Notwithstanding what soeuer is to be thought of his miracles, this is to be affirmed and not doubted, but that he was a godly and vertuous Bishop.

MarginaliaThe ordināces of Euaristus.And as I say of his myracles, the like iudgemēt also I haue of þ^e ordinances both of him & of Euaristus his predecessor testified in þ^e Popes decrees, by Gracianus: as. 93. Dist. cap. Diaconi, MarginaliaDist. 93. cap. Diaconi.wher is sayd that Euaristus diuided diuers titles in the city of Rome to the Priestes, also ordeined in euery city. vii. Deacōs to associate and assist the Bishop in his preaching, both for his defence, and for the witnes of truth. Notwithstanding if probable coniectures might stand against the autoritye of Gracianus and his decres, here might be doubted whether this absolute ordinacion of Priestes was first forbidden by Euaristus, and whether the intitulation of Priestes was fyrst by him brought in or not: wherin an instance may be geuen to the contrary, that this intitulation semeth to take hys fyrste beginning at the councell of Chalcedon, and of Pope Vrbane in the councell of Placent. MarginaliaEx dist. 70. cap. Neminc.In the which councell of Chalcedon the wordes of the Canon (making no mēcion of Euaristus at al) do expressely forbid, that any ecclesiastical person eyther priest or Deacon should be ordeined absolutelye, otherwise the imposicion of handes without some proper title of the party ordained, to stande voyde and frustrate. &c. MarginaliaIbidem cap. Sanctorum.And likewise Vrbanus in the councel of Placentia, doth decree the same, alledging no name of Euaristus, but the statutes of former Councels.

Moreouer in the time of Euaristus the church thē being vnder terrible persecutiōs, was deuided in no peculiar parishes or cures, whereby any title might rise, but was scatered rather in corners and desertes, where they could best hide themselues. And as the churche of Rome in those dayes was not deuided into seueral parishes or cures (as I suppose) so nether was then any suche open or solemne preaching in churches, that the assistence or testimony of. vii. deacons eyther coulde auayle among the multitude of the heathen, or els needed amongst the christian secret congregations. Again this constitution of vii. deacons semeth rather to spring out of the councell of Neocesaria longe after Euaristus, where it was appointed that in euery city, were it neuer so smal, ther should be. vii. Deacons after the rule. And this rule the sayd councell taketh out of the booke of the Actes of the Apostles, making no word mention of Euaristus at al Dist. 93. MarginaliaEx dist. 93. cap. Diaconi.but these (as is sayd) be but onely coniectures, not denieng that which is comonly receiued, but onely shewing what mai be doubted in their epistles decretal.