keth also mention of one Euaristus a byshop in Aphrica, who leauyng his charge, and makyng a shypwracke of his faith, went wanderyng about in other countreyes, forsakyng his owne flocke. In like maner he maketh also mention of Nicostratus a Deacon, who forsakyng his Deaconshyp, and takyng the goodes of the Church with him, fled away into other countreyes, &c. Albeit Bergomensis geueth that this Nicostratus the Deacon afterward, dyed a Martyr. Thus then although some did relent, yet a very greate nūber, sayth he, there was, whom neither feare could remoue, nor payne could ouerthrow to cause them to betray their confession, but that they stoode lyke glorious Martyrs vnto the end. Ciprian.

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MarginaliaCyprianus Lib. de mortalitate. The same Cyprianus also in an other booke De mortalitate, reciteth a notable story of one of his owne Colleges and felowpriest: who beyng oppressed with weakenesse, and greatly afrayde with death drawyng at hand, desired leaue to depart, and to be discharged.MarginaliaA notable voyce of God to a Priest of Carthage. As he was thus entreatyng, and almost now dying, there appeared by him a young man, of an honorable and of reuerend maiestie, of a tall stature, and comely behauiour, so bright & cleare to behold, that scarce mans carnall eyes was able to beare the beholdyng of him, but that he was able so to do, whiche was now ready to depart this world. To whom this young man speakyng with a certaine indignacion of mynde and voyce, thus sayd: Pati timetis, exire non vultis, quid faciam vobis? To suffer ye dare not: to go out ye will not, what would ye me to do vnto you?

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MarginaliaThe occasion and rising vp of Nouatus heresie. Vpon the occasion of these and such other, which were a great number, that fell and did renounce, as is aforesayd, in this persecutiō of Decius, rose vp first the quarell and heresie of Nouatus,  

who in these dayes made a great disturbaunce in the Church, holdyng this opinion that they, which once renounced the fayth, and for feare of tormentes had offered incense to the idoles, although they repented therfore, yet could not afterward be reconciled, nor admitted to the Church of Christ. This Nouatus beyng first Priest vnder Cyprian at Carthage, afterward by stryrring vp discord and factions, begā to disturbe the Byshopricke of Cyprian, to appoint there a Deacon called Felicissimus, agaynst the Byshops mynde or knowledge, also to allure and seperate certaine of the brethren frō the Byshop, all which Ciprian, Lib. 2. Epist. 8. doth well declare. After this the sayd Nouatus goyng to Rome, kept there the like styrre with Cornelius (as the same Cornelius in Eusebius. Lib. 6. cap. 43.MarginaliaCornelyū Epist. ad Fabium. ex Euseb. Lib. 6. cap. 43. doth testifie) settyng him selfe vp as Byshop of Rome agaynst Cornelius, which was the lawfull Bishop of Rome before. The which to bryng to passe, he vsed this practise: first he had allured to him to be his adherētes three or foure of good men and holy confessours, whiche had suffered before great tormentes for their confession, whose names were Maximus, Vrbanus, Sydonius, and Celerinus. After this he entised three simple byshops about the coastes of Italie to repayre to Rome, vnder pretence to make an end of certaine controuersies then in hand. This done, he caused the same, whether by makyng them dronke, or by other crafty counsaile, to lay their handes vpon him, and to make him Bishop, and so did. Wherefore the one of those three Byshops hardly was receiued to the communion, by the great intercession of his people: the other two by discipline of the Church, were displaced from their Byshoprickes, and other possessed with their rowmes. Thus then were there two Byshops together in one church of Rome, Nouatus and Cornelius, which was vnseemely, & contrary to the discipline of the Church. And hereupon riseth the true cause and meanyng of S. Ciprian, writyng in his Epistles so much of one Byshop, and of the vnitie to be kept in Ecclesiasticall regimēt, as appeareth, Lib. 4, Epist. 2. De simplicit. prælat. item. Lib, 3. Epist. 11. &c. And in lyke sorte writeth also Cornelius him selfe of one Byshop, saying: Itaq; vindex ille Euangelij ignorauit vnum esse debere Episcopum in Catholica Ecclesia. &c.MarginaliaThe meanyng of Cyprian opened, writyng of one Byshop onely to gouerne in a Catholicke church, falsely wrasted of the Papistes for the Papacie.
Ex Euseb. Lib. 6. cap. 43. That is, he knew not that there ought to be one byshop in a Catholike Church, &c. This by the way, not out of the way I trust, I haue touched briefly to detect or refute the cauilyng wrastlyng of the Papistes, which falsely apply these places of Cyprian and Cornelius to maintaine the Popes supreme maistershyp alone ouer the whole vniuersall Churche of Christ in all places. When their meanyng is otherwise, how that euery one Catholicke Church or dioces ought to haue one Byshop ouer it, not that the whole worlde ought to be subiect to the domination of him onely that is Byshoppe of Rome. Now to the story agayne. Nouatus beyng thus Byshop tooke not a litle vpon him, goyng about by all meanes to defeate Cornelius, and to allure the people from hym. In somuch that (as in the foresayd booke of Eusebius appeareth) when Nouatus came to the distributyng of the offe- rynges, and should geue euery man his part, he compelled the simple persons euery man to sweare, before they should receaue of the benediction, and of the collectes or oblations, holdyng both their handes in his, and holdyng them so long, speakyng these wordes vnto them: (Sweare to me by the body and bloud of our Lord Iesu Christ, that thou wilte not leaue me and goe to Cornelius,) till that they swearyng vnto him, in steede of Amen, to be sayd at the receauyng of the *Marginalia* Note here the Sacrament of the body to be called bread.
Euseb. Lib. 6. cap. 43.
Nicepho. Lib. 6 cap. 3. bread, should aunswere, I will not returne to Cornelius, &c. Where note by the way, that the Latine booke of Christofersons translation, in this place, craftely leaueth out the name of bread. This story beyng written in Eusebius, also contained in Nicephorus, although not in the same order of wordes, yet in effect drawen out of hym, doth declare in playne wordes in both the authours (who so will marke the same) that the Sacrament of the body of Christ, is termed with the playne name of bread, after the consecration.

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MarginaliaMaximus,
Vrbanus,
Sidonius,
Celerinus, confessours.
Ex Cipr. Lib. 3 Epist. 3. It followeth more in the story, that Maximus, Vrbanus, Sidonius, and Celerinus before mentioned, perceiuyng at length the craftie dissimulation and arrogancie of Nouatus, left him, and with great repentaunce returned againe to the Churche, & were reconciled to Cornelius, as they thēselues writyng to Cyprian, and Cypriā likewise writyng to them an Epistle gratulatorie doth declare. Lib. 3. Epist. 3. and Cornelius also in his Epistle to Fabi⁹ witnesseth the same. In this Epistle the sayd Cornelius moreouer writeth of oneMarginaliaMoses, Martyr. Moses a worthy Martyr, which once beyng a folower also of Nouatus, after perceauyng his wickednesse forsoke him, and did excommunicate him. Of him Cyprian also maketh mention, & calleth him a blessed confessour. Lib. 2. Epi. 4. Damasus in his pontificall sayth, that he was apprehended with Maximus and Nicostratus aboue mentioned, and was put with them in prison, where he ended his life. And thus much of Nouatus, agaynst whom, as Eusebius testifieth,MarginaliaA Synode at Rome.
An. 255. a Synode was holden at Rome of. lx. sondry Bishops in the tyme of Cornelius, and vnder the reigne of Decius. an. 255. wherby it may be supposed that the heate of the persecutiō at that tyme was somewhat calmed.

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MarginaliaCornelius Byshop of Rome, and Martyr. After Fabianus (or as Zonaras calleth him Flauianus) next succeded into the byshopricke of Rome Cornelius whō Cyprian noteth to be a worthy Byshop, and for his greate vertue & maydenly continencie much commendable, chosen to that rowme, not somuch of his owne cōsent, as of the full greement both of the Clergie men, and also of the people. Hierome addeth also that he was a man of greate eloquence, wherby it may appeare those two Epistles decretal, which go in his name not to be his, both for the rudenes of the barbarous and grose stile, and also for the matter therein conteined, nothyng tastyng of that tyme, nor of that age nor doynges then of the Churche.MarginaliaA censure of the decretall Epistles of Cornelius. Wherof in the first he writeth to all ministers and brethren of the Church, concernyng the liftyng vp of the bodyes & bones of Peter and Paule, De cathecumbis, and transposed to Vaticanum, at the instance of a certaine deuoute woman named Lucina, hauyng no greate argumēt or cause to write therof vnto the churches, but onely that he in that letter doth desire thē to pray vnto the Lorde, that through the intercession of those Apostolicall Saintes, their sinnes might be forgeuen them. &c. In the second Epistle writing to Ruffus a Byshop of the East Church, he decreeth and ordaineth that no othe ought to be required or exacted of any head or chief Byshop, for any cause, or by any power. Also that no cause of Priestes or Ministers ought to be handled in any straunge or foreyne court, without his precinct, except onely in the Court of Rome by appellation, whereby who seeth not the traine of our latter Byshops goyng about craftely to aduaunce the dignitie of the Court of Rome, vnder and by the pretenced title of Cornelius, and of such aūcient Byshops. If Cornelius did write any Epistles to any in deede in those so turbulent tymes of persecution, no doubt but some signification therof he would haue touched in the sayd his letters, either in ministryng consolation to his brethrē, or in requiryng consolation and prayers of others. Neither is there any doubt, but he would haue geuen some touch also of the matter of Nouatus, with whom he had so much to do, as in deede he did: for so we finde it recorded both in Eusebius, & in Hierome that he wrote vnto Fabius byshop of Antioche, of the decreementes of the Councell of Rome, and an other letter of the maner of the Councell: the third also of the cause of Nouatus, and agayne of the repentaunce of such as fell, wherof there is no word touched at all in these foresayd Epistles decretall.

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MarginaliaThe constauncie of Cornelius in his triall. What trouble this Cornelius had with Nouatus, sufficiently is before signified. In this persecution of Decius he demeaned him selfe very constauntly and faythfully, whiche