Church History, Book VII

Book VII

• Church History VII.1 — The Wickedness of Decius and Gallus. When Decius had reigned not quite two years, he was slain with his children, and Gallus succeeded him. At this time Origen died, being sixty-nine years of age. Dionysius, writing…vatican.va
• Church History VII.2 — The Bishops of Rome in those Times. Cornelius, having held the episcopate in the city of Rome about three years, was succeeded by Lucius. He died in less than eight months, and transmitted his office to Stephen.…vatican.va
• Church History VII.3 — Cyprian, and the Bishops with him, first taught that it was necessary to purify by Baptism those converted from Heresy. Chapter III.—Cyprian, and the Bishops with him, first taught that it was necessary to purify by…vatican.va
• Church History VII.4 — The Epistles which Dionysius wrote on this Subject. Dionysius, therefore, having communicated with him extensively on this question by letter, finally showed him that since the persecution had abated, the churches…vatican.va
• Church History VII.5 — The Peace following the Persecution. 1. “But know now, my brethren, that all the churches throughout the East and beyond, which formerly were divided, have become united. And all the bishops everywhere are of one…vatican.va
• Church History VII.6 — The Heresy of Sabellius. He refers also in the same letter to the heretical teachings of Sabellius, which were in his time becoming prominent, and says: “For concerning the doctrine now agitated in Ptolemais of…vatican.va
• Church History VII.7 — The Abominable Error of the Heretics; the Divine Vision of Dionysius; and the Ecclesiastical Canon which he received. Chapter VII.—The Abominable Error of the Heretics; the Divine Vision of Dionysius; and the…vatican.va
• Church History VII.8 — The Heterodoxy of Novatus. “For with good reason do we feel hatred toward Novatian, who has sundered the Church and drawn some of the brethren into impiety and blasphemy, and has introduced impious teaching…vatican.va
• Church History VII.9 — The Ungodly Baptism of the Heretics. 1. His fifth epistle was written to Xystus, bishop of Rome. In this, after saying much against the heretics, he relates a certain occurrence of his time as follows: “For truly,…vatican.va
• Church History VII.10 — Valerian and the Persecution under him. 1. Gallus and the other rulers, having held the government less than two years, were overthrown, and Valerian, with his son Gallienus, received the empire. The circumstances…vatican.va
• Church History VII.11 — The Events which happened at this Time to Dionysius and those in Egypt. 1. But as regards the persecution which prevailed so fiercely in his reign, and the sufferings which Dionysius with others endured on account of…vatican.va
• Church History VII.12 — The Martyrs in Cæsarea in Palestine. During the above-mentioned persecution under Valerian, three men in Cæsarea in Palestine, being conspicuous in their confession of Christ, were adorned with divine martyrdom,…vatican.va
• Church History VII.13 — The Peace under Gallienus. 1. Shortly after this Valerian was reduced to slavery by the barbarians, and his son having become sole ruler, conducted the government more prudently. He immediately restrained the…vatican.va
• Church History VII.14 — The Bishops that flourished at that Time. At that time Xystus was still presiding over the church of Rome, and Demetrianus, successor of Fabius, over the church of Antioch, and Firmilianus over that of Cæsarea in…vatican.va
• Church History VII.15 — The Martyrdom of Marinus at Cæsarea. 1. At this time, when the peace of the churches had been everywhere restored, Marinus in Cæsarea in Palestine, who was honored for his military deeds, and illustrious by virtue of…vatican.va
• Church History VII.16 — Story in Regard to Astyrius. Astyrius also is commemorated on account of his pious boldness in connection with this affair. He was a Roman of senatorial rank, and in favor with the emperors, and well known to all on…vatican.va
• Church History VII.17 — The Signs at Paneas of the Great Might of our Saviour. Among these is also the following wonder. At Cæsarea Philippi, which the Phœnicians call Paneas, springs are shown at the foot of the Mountain Panius, out of…vatican.va
• Church History VII.18 — The Statue which the Woman with an Issue of Blood erected. 1. Since I have mentioned this city I do not think it proper to omit an account which is worthy of record for posterity. For they say that the woman with an…vatican.va
• Church History VII.19 — The Episcopal Chair of James. The chair of James, who first received the episcopate of the church at Jerusalem from the Saviour himself and the apostles, and who, as the divine records show, was called a brother of…vatican.va
• Church History VII.20 — The Festal Epistles of Dionysius, in which he also gives a Paschal Canon. Dionysius, besides his epistles already mentioned, wrote at that time also his extant Festal Epistles, in which he uses words of panegyric…vatican.va
• Church History VII.21 — The Occurrences at Alexandria. 1. Peace had but just been restored when he returned to Alexandria; but as sedition and war broke out again, rendering it impossible for him to oversee all the brethren, separated in…vatican.va
• Church History VII.22 — The Pestilence which came upon them. 1. After these events a pestilential disease followed the war, and at the approach of the feast he wrote again to the brethren, describing the sufferings consequent upon this…vatican.va
• Church History VII.23 — The Reign of Gallienus. 1. But there is nothing like hearing his own words, which are as follows: “Then he, having betrayed one of the emperors that preceded him, and made war on the other, perished with his whole…vatican.va
• Church History VII.24 — Nepos and his Schism. 1. Besides all these the two books on the Promises were prepared by him. The occasion of these was Nepos, a bishop in Egypt, who taught that the promises to the holy men in the Divine Scriptures…vatican.va
• Church History VII.25 — The Apocalypse of John. 1. Afterward he speaks in this manner of the Apocalypse of John. “Some before us have set aside and rejected the book altogether, criticising it chapter by chapter, and pronouncing it without…vatican.va
• Church History VII.26 — The Epistles of Dionysius. 1. Besides these, many other epistles of Dionysius are extant, as those against Sabellius, addressed to Ammon, bishop of the church of Bernice, and one to Telesphorus, and one to Euphranor,…vatican.va
• Church History VII.27 — Paul of Samosata, and the Heresy introduced by him at Antioch. 1. After Xystus had presided over the church of Rome for eleven years, Dionysius, namesake of him of Alexandria, succeeded him. About the same time…vatican.va
• Church History VII.28 — The Illustrious Bishops of that Time. 1. Of these, the most eminent were Firmilianus, bishop of Cæsarea in Cappadocia; the brothers Gregory and Athenodorus, pastors of the churches in Pontus; Helenus of the parish of…vatican.va
• Church History VII.29 — Paul, having been refuted by Malchion, a Presbyter from the Sophists, was excommunicated. Chapter XXIX.—Paul, having been refuted by Malchion, a Presbyter from the Sophists, was excommunicated. 1. During his reign a…vatican.va
• Church History VII.30 — The Epistle of the Bishops against Paul. 1. The pastors who had assembled about this matter, prepared by common consent an epistle addressed to Dionysius, bishop of Rome, and Maximus of Alexandria, and sent it to all…vatican.va
• Church History VII.31 — The Perversive Heresy of the Manicheans which began at this Time. 1. At this time, the madman, named from his demoniacal heresy, armed himself in the perversion of his reason, as the devil, Satan, who himself fights…vatican.va
• Church History VII.32 — The Distinguished Ecclesiastics of our Day, and which of them survived until the Destruction of the Churches. Chapter XXXII.—The Distinguished Ecclesiasticsof our Day, and which of them survived until the Destruction…vatican.va