MarginaliaAuthors disagree. he was Byshop but one moneth. Sabellicus sayth that not to be so. Damasus assigneth to him. xij. yeares & one moneth. Volateranus, Bergomensis, and Henricus Erford, geue to him three yeares and one moneth. Nauclerus writeth that he sat one yeare & one moneth. All which are so far discrepa&t one from an other, that whiche of them most agreeth with truth, it lyeth in doubt. Next to this Byshop was Fabianus, of whom more is to be sayd hereafter.

MarginaliaHyppolitis Byshop and Martyr. Of Hippolitus, also both Eusebius and Hieronymus maketh mention, that he was a Byshop, but where, they make no relation. And so likewise doth Theodoretus witnes hym to be a Byshop, and also a Martyr, but namyng no place. Gelasius contra Eutichen sayth, he dyed a Martyr, and that he was byshop of an head Citie in Arabie. Nicephorus writeth, that he was Byshop of Ostia, a port towne neare to Rome. Certaine it is, he was a great writer, and left many workes in the Church, which Eusebius and Hierome do recite: by the supputation of Eusebius, he was about the yeare of our Lord. 230

MarginaliaPrudentius peristepha. Prudentius in his Peristephanon, makyng mention of great heapes of Martyrs buried by. lx. together, speaketh also of Hippolitus, and sayth that he was drawen with wild horses through fieldes, dales, and bushes, and describeth therof a pitifull story.

MarginaliaPhilippus Emperour.
An. 246.
Philippus the firste Christian Emperour. After the Emperour Gordianus, the Empire fell to Philippus, who with Philippe his sonne gouerned about the space of. vj. yeares, an. 246. This Philippus with his sonne and all his familie was Christened and conuerted by Fabianus, and Origene, who by letters exhorted him and Seuera his wife to be baptised, beyng the first of all the Emperours that brought in Christianity into the emperiall seate. Howsoeuer Pomponius Letus reporteth of hym to be a dissemblyng Prince, this is certaine, that for his Christianitie, he with his sonne was slayne of Decius one of his Captaines. Sabellicus Bergomēsis Lib. 8. sheweth this hatred of Decius agaynst Philippus to be conceaued, for that the Emperour Philip both the father and the sonne had committed their treasures vnto Fabianus then Byshop of Rome.

MarginaliaDecius Emperour.
An. 250.
The seuenth persecution.
The cause and occasion of this persecution. THus Philippus beyng slayne, after him Decius inuaded the crowne, about the yeare of our Lord. 250. by whom was moued a terrible persecution agaynst the Christians, which Orosius noteth to be the seuēth persecutiō. The first occasion of this hatred and persecution of this tyraunt conceiued agaynst the Christiās, was chiefly, as is before touched because of the treasures of the Emperour which were cōmitted to Fabian the Byshop.

MarginaliaFabianus Byshop of Rome. This Fabian first beyng a maryed man, as Platina writeth, was made Byshop of Rome after Anterius aboue mētioned, by the miraculous appointment of God, which Eusebius doth thus describe in his syxt booke: When the brethren (sayth he) were together in the Congregation, about the election of their Byshop, and had purposed among them selues vpon the nomination of some noble and worthy personage of Rome, it chaūced that Fabianus amōg other was there present, who of late before was newly come out of the countrey to inhabite in the Citie.MarginaliaThe miraculous election of Fabianus. This Fabian, as is sayd, thinkyng nothyng lesse thē of any such matter, sodenly commeth a Doue fleing frō aboue, & sitteth vpō his head. Wherupon all the congregacion beyng moued, with one minde and one voyce, did chose him for their Bishop. In the which function he remained the space of. xiij. yeares, as Eusebius writeth. Damasus, Marianus, and Sabellicus say xiiij. yeares vnto the time of Decius.MarginaliaFabianus, Martyr. Who, whether for that Philippus had committed to him his treasures, or whether for the hatred he bare to Philippus, in the begynnyng of his raigne caused him to be put to death. Sendyng out moreouer hys Proclamation into all quarters that all which professed the name of Christ, should be slayne.

MarginaliaThe ordinaūces of Fabianus pretensed.
Oyle & creame.
Accusyng of Byshops.
Appealing to the sea Apostolicall
Marrying not within the fift degree. To this Fabian be ascribed certaine ordinances, as of consecratyng new oyle once euery yeare, & burnyng the old, of accusations agaynst Byshops, of appealyng to the sea Apostolicke, of not maryeng within the fift degree of communicatyng thrise a yeare, of offeryng euery Sōday, w^t such other things mo in his. iij. Epistles decretall, the which Epistles, as by diuers other euidences may be supposed to be vntruly named vpō him, giuyng no significatiō of any matter agreyng to that tyme: so do I finde the most part of the iij. Epistle word for word standyng in the Epistle of Sixtus the 3, which folowed almost. 200. yeares after him,MarginaliaFalse doctrine detected. beside þ^e vnseemely doctrine also in the end of the sayd Epistles contained, where he cōtrarye to þ^e tenour of the Gospell, applyeth remission of sinnes (onely due to the bloud of Christ) vnto the offerynges of bread and wyne by men and women euery Sunday in the Church.

MarginaliaOrigene. To this Fabianus wrote Origene De orthodoxia suæ fidei, that is, of the rightnes of his fayth. Whereby is to be vnderstode, that he continued to the tyme of Decius, some say also to the tyme of Gallus. Of this Origene partly mētion is touched before, declaryng how bold and feruent he was in the dayes of Seuerus, in assistyng, comfortyng, exhortyng and kissyng the Martyrs that were imprisoned & suffered for the name of Christ, with such daunger of his own lyfe, that had not bene the singular protection of God, he had bene stoned to death many tymes of the heathen multitude. Such great concourse of mē and women was dayly to his house to be catechised and instructed in the Christian fayth by him, that souldiours were hyred of purpose to defēde the place where he taught them. Agayne, such searche some tymes was set for him, that vnneth any shiftyng of place or countrey could couer him. In those laborious trauailes, and affaires of the Church, in teachyng, writyng, confutyng, exhortyng, and expoundyng he continued about the space of. lij. yeares, vnto the tyme of Decius, or Gallus. Diuers and great persecutions he sustayned, but specially vnder Decius, as testifieth Eusebius in his sixt boke:MarginaliaEx Euseb. Lib. 6. c. 39
The persecutions of Origene. declaryng, that for the doctrine of Christ, he sustained bandes, and torments in his body, rackynges with barres of yron, doūgeons, besides terrible threates of death and burnyng. All this he suffered in the persecution of Decius, as Eusebius recordeth of him, & maketh no relatiō of any further matter.MarginaliaEx Suida & Nicepho. Lib. 5. cap. 32. But Suidas, & Nicephorus folowyng the same, sayth further concernyng him, that the sayd Origene, after diuers and sundry other tormentes, which he manfully & constantly suffered for Christ, at length was brought to an altar where a foule filthy Ethiope was appointed to be, and there this option or choyse was offered vnto him, whether he would sacrifice to the idole, or to haue his body polluted with that foule and ougle Ethiope.MarginaliaThe fall of Origene. Then Origene (sayth he) who with a Philosophicall mynde, euer kept his chastitie vndefiled, most abhorryng the filthy villany to be done to his body, condescended to their request. Wherupon the iudge puttyng incense in his hand, caused him to set it to the fire vpon the altar. For the whiche impietie, he afterward was excommunicated of the Church. Epiphanius writeth that he beyng vrged to sacrifice to Idoles, & takyng the bowes in his hand, wherewith the Heathen were wont to honour their Gods, called vpon the Christians to cary them in the honour of Christ.MarginaliaOrigene excōmunicated. The which fact the Churche of Alexandria myslikyng remoued him from their communion. Wherupon Origene driuen away with shame and sorow out of Alexādria, went into Iewry, where beyng in Hierusalem among the congregation, and there requested of the Priestes and Ministers (he beyng also a Priest) to make some exhortatiō in the church, refused a great while so to do. At lēgth by importunate peticion beyng constrained therunto, rose vp, and turnyng the booke, as though he would haue expounded some place of the Scripture, onely read the verse of the. 49. Psalme: but God sayd to the sinner, why doest thou preach my iustifications, and why doest thou take my testament in thy mouth. &c.MarginaliaThe repentaunce of Origene. Which verse beyng redde, he shut the booke, and sat downe weepyng and waylyng, the whole congregation also weepyng and lamentyng with him. Suid. Niceph. More what became of Origene, it is not found in history, but onely that Suidas addeth, he dyed and was buried at Tyrus. Eusebius affirmeth, that he departed vnder the Emperour Gallus, aboute the yeare of our Lord. 255. and the. 70. yeare of his age, in great misery (as appeareth) and pouertie.

MarginaliaBlemishes noted in Origene. In this Origene diuers blemishes of doctrine be noted, whereupō Hierome some tymes doth inueigh agaynst him. Albeit in some places agayneMarginaliaOrigen commended for his learnyng. he doth extoll and commend him for his excellent learnyng, as in his Apologie agaynst Ruff. and in his Epistle to Pammachius and Ocean. Where he prayseth Origene, although not for the perfection of hys fayth and doctrine, nor for an Apostle, yet for an excellent interpreter, for his wyt, and for a Philosopher. And yet in his Prologe vpon the Homilies of Origene vpon Ezechiel, he calleth him an other maister of the Churches, after the Apostles. And in an other Preface vpon his questions vpon Genesis, he wisheth to him selfe the knowledge of the scriptures, whiche Origene had, also with the enuy of his name. Athanasius moreouer calleth hym singular, and laborious, and vseth also his testimonies agaynst the ArriansMarginaliaEx Socrat. Lib. 6. cap. 13. Socrates. Lib. 6. cap. 13.

MarginaliaHeraclas Byshop of Alexandria. After Origene, the congrue order of history requireth next to speake of Heraclas his Vsher, a man syngularly commēded for his knowledge, not onely in Philosophy, but also in all such faculties as to a Christiā diuine doth appertaine. This great towardnes of wyt and learnyng when Origene perceaued in him, he appointed him aboue all other, to be his