Eusebius' Church History II Ch. 1
Jiyoung Song /
- Created on 2017-12-01 17:48:20
- Modified on 2018-02-13 16:26:27
- Translated by Arthur Cushman McGiffert
- Aligned by Jiyoung Song
English translation from:
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/250102.htm
https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201.iii.vii.i.html
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
Πρῶτος τοιγαροῦν εἰς τὴν ἀποστολὴν ἀντὶ τοῦ προδότου Ἰούδα κληροῦται Ματθίας , εἷς καὶ αὐτός , ὡς δεδήλωται , τῶν τοῦ κυρίου γενόμενος μαθητῶν . καθίστανται δὲ δἰ ' εὐχῆς καὶ χειρῶν ἐπιθέσεως τῶν ἀποστόλων εἰς διακονίαν , ὑπηρεσίας ἕνεκα τοῦ κοινοῦ , ἄνδρες δεδοκιμασμένοι , τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἑπτά , οἱ ἀμφὶ τὸν Στέφανον , ὃς καὶ πρῶτος μετὰ τὸν κύριον ἅμα τῇ χειροτονίᾳ , ὥσπερ εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο προαχθείς , λίθοις εἰς θάνατον πρὸς τῶν κυριοκτόνων βάλλεται , καὶ ταύτῃ πρῶτος τὸν αὐτῷ φερώνυμον τῶν ἀξιονίκων τοῦ Χριστοῦ μαρτύρων ἀποφέρεται στέφανον .
Τότε δῆτα καὶ Ἰάκωβον , τὸν τοῦ κυρίου λεγόμενον ἀδελφόν ὅτι δὴ καὶ οὗτος τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ ὠνόμαστο παῖς τοῦ δὲ Χριστοῦ πατὴρ , ὁ Ἰωσήφ , ᾧ μνηστευθεῖσα ἡ παρθένος , πρὶν ἢ συνελθεῖν αὐτούς , ηὕρητο ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα ἐκ πνεύματος ἁγίου , ὡς ἡ ἱερὰ τῶν εὐαγγελίων διδάσκει γραφή : τοῦτον δὴ οὖν αὐτὸν Ἰάκωβον , ὃν καὶ δίκαιον ἐπίκλην οἱ πάλαι δἰ ' ἀρετῆς ἐκάλουν προτερήματα , πρῶτον ἱστοροῦσιν τῆς ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐκκλησίας τὸν τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς ἐγχειρισθῆναι θρόνον .
Κλήμης δὲ ἐν ἕκτῳ τῶν Ὑποτυπώσεων γράφων ὧδε παρίστησιν ‘ Πέτρον γάρ φησιν καὶ Ἰάκωβον καὶ Ἰωάννην μετὰ τὴν ἀνάληψιν τοῦ σωτῆρος , ὡς ἂν καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου προτετιμημένους , μὴ ἐπιδικάζεσθαι δόξης , ἀλλὰ Ἰάκωβον τὸν δίκαιον ἐπίσκοπον τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ἑλέσθαι . ’
ὁ δ ' αὐτὸς ἐν ἑβδόμῳ τῆς αὐτῆς ὑποθέσεως ἔτι καὶ ταῦτα περὶ αὐτοῦ φησιν ‘ Ἰακώβῳ τῷ δικαίῳ καὶ Ἰωάννῃ καὶ Πέτρῳ μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν παρέδωκεν τὴν γνῶσιν ὁ κύριος , οὗτοι τοῖς λοιποῖς ἀποστόλοις παρέδωκαν , οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ ἀπόστολοι τοῖς ἑβδομήκοντα : ὧν εἷς ἦν καὶ Βαρναβᾶς . δύο δὲ γεγόνασιν Ἰάκωβοι , εἷς ὁ δίκαιος , ὁ κατὰ τοῦ πτερυγίου βληθεὶς καὶ ὑπὸ γναφέως ξύλῳ πληγεὶς εἰς θάνατον , ἕτερος δὲ ὁ καρατομηθείς . ’ Αὐτοῦ δὴ τοῦ δικαίου καὶ ὁ Παῦλος μνημονεύει γράφων ‘ ἕτερον δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων οὐκ εἶδον , εἰ μὴ Ἰάκωβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν τοῦ κυρίου . ’
Ἐν τούτοις καὶ τὰ τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν πρὸς τὸν τῶν Ὀσροηνῶν βασιλέα τέλος ἐλάμβανεν ὑποσχέσεως . ὁ γοῦν Θωμᾶς τὸν Θαδδαῖον κινήσει θειοτέρᾳ ἐπὶ τὰ Ἔδεσσα κήρυκα καὶ εὐαγγελιστὴν τῆς περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ διδασκαλίας ἐκπέμπει , ὡς ἀπὸ τῆς εὑρεθείσης αὐτόθι γραφῆς μικρῷ πρόσθεν ἐδηλώσαμεν . ὁ δὲ τοῖς τόποις ἐπιστάς , τόν τε Ἄβγαρον ἰᾶται τῷ Χριστοῦ λόγῳ καὶ τοὺς αὐτόθι πάντας τοῖς τῶν θαυμάτων παραδόξοις ἐκπλήττει , ἱκανῶς τε αὐτοὺς τοῖς ἔργοις διαθεὶς , καὶ ἐπὶ σέβας ἀγαγὼν τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ δυνάμεως , μαθητὰς τῆς σωτηρίου διδασκαλίας κατεστήσατο , εἰς ἔτι τε νῦν ἐξ ἐκείνου ἡ πᾶσα τῶν Ἐδεσσηνῶν πόλις τῇ Χριστοῦ προσανάκειται προσηγορίᾳ , οὐ τὸ τυχὸν ἐπιφερομένη δεῖγμα τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν καὶ εἰς αὐτοὺς εὐεργεσίας .
καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ὡς ἐξ ἀρχαίων ἱστορίας εἰρήσθω , μετίωμεν δ’ αὖθις ἐπὶ τὴν θείαν γραφήν . Γενομένου δῆτα ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ Στεφάνου μαρτυρίᾳ πρώτου καὶ μεγίστου πρὸς αὐτῶν Ἰουδαίων κατὰ τῆς ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐκκλησίας διωγμοῦ πάντων τε τῶν μαθητῶν πλὴν ὅτι τῶν δώδεκα μόνων ἀνὰ τὴν Ἰουδαίαν τε καὶ Σαμάρειαν διασπαρέντων τινὲς , ᾗ φησιν ἡ θεία γραφή , διελθόντες ἕως Φοινίκης καὶ Κύπρου καὶ Ἀντιοχείας , οὔπω μὲν ἔθνεσιν οἷοί τε ἦσαν τοῦ τῆς πίστεως μεταδιδόναι λόγου τολμᾶν , μόνοις δὲ τοῦτον Ἰουδαίοις κατήγγελλον .
τηνικαῦτα καὶ Παῦλος ἐλυμαίνετο εἰς ἔτι τότε τὴν ἐκκλησίαν , κατ ' οἴκους τῶν πιστῶν εἰσπορευόμενος , σύρων τε ἄνδρας καὶ γυναῖκας καὶ εἰς φυλακὴν παραδιδούς .
ἀλλὰ καὶ Φίλιππος , εἷς τῶν ἅμα Στεφάνῳ προχειρισθέντων εἰς τὴν διακονίαν , ἐν τοῖς διασπαρεῖσιν γενόμενος , κάτεισιν εἰς τὴν Σαμάρειαν , θείας τε ἔμπλεως δυνάμεως κηρύττει πρῶτος τοῖς αὐτόθι τὸν λόγον . τοσαύτη δ ' αὐτῷ θεία συνήργει χάρις , ὡς καὶ Σίμωνα τὸν μάγον μετὰ πλείστων ὅσων τοῖς αὐτοῦ λόγοις ἑγχθῆναι ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον δ ' ὁ Σίμων βεβοημένος κατ ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ τῶν ἠπατημένων ἐκράτει γοητείᾳ , ὡς τὴν μεγάλην αὐτὸν ἡγεῖσθαι εἶναι δύναμιν τοῦ θεοῦ .
τότε δ ' οὖν καὶ οὗτος τὰς ὑπὸ τοῦ Φιλίππου δυνάμει θείᾳ τελουμένας καταπλαγεὶς παραδοξοποιίας παραδύεται , καὶ μέχρι λουτροῦ τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν πίστιν καθυποκρίνεται . ὃ καὶ θαυμάζειν ἄξιον εἰς δεῦρο γινόμενον πρὸς τῶν ἔτι καὶ νῦν τὴν ἀπ ' ἐκείνου μιαρωτάτην μετιόντων αἵρεσιν , οἳ τῇ τοῦ σφῶν προπάτορος μεθόδῳ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν λοιμώδους καὶ ψωραλέας νόσου δίκην ὑποδυόμενοι τὰ μέγιστα λυμαίνονται τοὺς οἷς ἐναπομάξασθαι οἷοί τε ἂν εἶεν τὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἀποκεκρυμμένον δυσαλθῆ καὶ χαλεπὸν ἰόν . ἤδη γέ τοι πλείους τούτων ἀπεώσθησαν , ὁποῖοί τινες ἦσαν τὴν μοχθηρίαν ἁλόντες , ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ Σίμων αὐτὸς πρὸς τοῦ Πέτρου καταφωραθεὶς ὃς ἦν τὴν προσήκουσαν ἔτισεν τιμωρίαν .
ἀλλὰ γὰρ εἰς αὔξην ὁσημέραι προϊόντος τοῦ σωτηρίου κηρύγματος , οἰκονομία τις ἦγεν καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς Αἰθιόπων γῆς τῆς αὐτόθι βασιλίδος , κατά τι πάτριον ἔθος ὑπὸ γυναικὸς τοῦ ἔθνους εἰσέτι νῦν βασιλευομένου , δυνάστην : ὃν πρῶτον ἐξ ἐθνῶν πρὸς τοῦ Φιλίππου δἰ ἐπιφανείας τὰ τοῦ θείου λόγου ὄργια μετασχόντα , τῶν τε ἀνὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην πιστῶν ἀπαρχὴν γενόμενον , πρῶτον κατέχει λόγος ἐπὶ τὴν πάτριον παλινοστήσαντα γῆν εὐαγγελίσασθαι τὴν τοῦ τῶν ὅλων θεοῦ γνῶσιν , καὶ τὴν ζωοποιὸν εἰς ἀνθρώπους τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐπιδημίαν , ἔργῳ πληρωθείσης δἰ αὐτοῦ τῆς ‘ Αἰθιοπία προφθάσει χεῖρα αὐτῆς τῷ θεῷ ’ περιεχούσης προφητείας .
ἐπὶ τούτοις Παῦλος , τὸ τῆς ἐκλογῆς σκεῦος , οὐκ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων οὐδὲ δἰ ' ἀνθρώπων , δἰ ' ἀποκαλύψεως δ ' αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ θεοῦ πατρὸς , τοῦ ἐγείραντος αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν , ἀπόστολος ἀναδείκνυται , δἰ ' ὀπτασίας καὶ τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν οὐρανίου φωνῆς ἀξιωθεὶς τῆς κλήσεως .
Τότε δῆτα καὶ Ἰάκωβον , τὸν τοῦ κυρίου λεγόμενον ἀδελφόν ὅτι δὴ καὶ οὗτος τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ ὠνόμαστο παῖς τοῦ δὲ Χριστοῦ πατὴρ , ὁ Ἰωσήφ , ᾧ μνηστευθεῖσα ἡ παρθένος , πρὶν ἢ συνελθεῖν αὐτούς , ηὕρητο ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα ἐκ πνεύματος ἁγίου , ὡς ἡ ἱερὰ τῶν εὐαγγελίων διδάσκει γραφή : τοῦτον δὴ οὖν αὐτὸν Ἰάκωβον , ὃν καὶ δίκαιον ἐπίκλην οἱ πάλαι δἰ ' ἀρετῆς ἐκάλουν προτερήματα , πρῶτον ἱστοροῦσιν τῆς ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐκκλησίας τὸν τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς ἐγχειρισθῆναι θρόνον .
Κλήμης δὲ ἐν ἕκτῳ τῶν Ὑποτυπώσεων γράφων ὧδε παρίστησιν ‘ Πέτρον γάρ φησιν καὶ Ἰάκωβον καὶ Ἰωάννην μετὰ τὴν ἀνάληψιν τοῦ σωτῆρος , ὡς ἂν καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου προτετιμημένους , μὴ ἐπιδικάζεσθαι δόξης , ἀλλὰ Ἰάκωβον τὸν δίκαιον ἐπίσκοπον τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ἑλέσθαι . ’
ὁ δ ' αὐτὸς ἐν ἑβδόμῳ τῆς αὐτῆς ὑποθέσεως ἔτι καὶ ταῦτα περὶ αὐτοῦ φησιν ‘ Ἰακώβῳ τῷ δικαίῳ καὶ Ἰωάννῃ καὶ Πέτρῳ μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν παρέδωκεν τὴν γνῶσιν ὁ κύριος , οὗτοι τοῖς λοιποῖς ἀποστόλοις παρέδωκαν , οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ ἀπόστολοι τοῖς ἑβδομήκοντα : ὧν εἷς ἦν καὶ Βαρναβᾶς . δύο δὲ γεγόνασιν Ἰάκωβοι , εἷς ὁ δίκαιος , ὁ κατὰ τοῦ πτερυγίου βληθεὶς καὶ ὑπὸ γναφέως ξύλῳ πληγεὶς εἰς θάνατον , ἕτερος δὲ ὁ καρατομηθείς . ’ Αὐτοῦ δὴ τοῦ δικαίου καὶ ὁ Παῦλος μνημονεύει γράφων ‘ ἕτερον δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων οὐκ εἶδον , εἰ μὴ Ἰάκωβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν τοῦ κυρίου . ’
Ἐν τούτοις καὶ τὰ τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν πρὸς τὸν τῶν Ὀσροηνῶν βασιλέα τέλος ἐλάμβανεν ὑποσχέσεως . ὁ γοῦν Θωμᾶς τὸν Θαδδαῖον κινήσει θειοτέρᾳ ἐπὶ τὰ Ἔδεσσα κήρυκα καὶ εὐαγγελιστὴν τῆς περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ διδασκαλίας ἐκπέμπει , ὡς ἀπὸ τῆς εὑρεθείσης αὐτόθι γραφῆς μικρῷ πρόσθεν ἐδηλώσαμεν . ὁ δὲ τοῖς τόποις ἐπιστάς , τόν τε Ἄβγαρον ἰᾶται τῷ Χριστοῦ λόγῳ καὶ τοὺς αὐτόθι πάντας τοῖς τῶν θαυμάτων παραδόξοις ἐκπλήττει , ἱκανῶς τε αὐτοὺς τοῖς ἔργοις διαθεὶς , καὶ ἐπὶ σέβας ἀγαγὼν τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ δυνάμεως , μαθητὰς τῆς σωτηρίου διδασκαλίας κατεστήσατο , εἰς ἔτι τε νῦν ἐξ ἐκείνου ἡ πᾶσα τῶν Ἐδεσσηνῶν πόλις τῇ Χριστοῦ προσανάκειται προσηγορίᾳ , οὐ τὸ τυχὸν ἐπιφερομένη δεῖγμα τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν καὶ εἰς αὐτοὺς εὐεργεσίας .
καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ὡς ἐξ ἀρχαίων ἱστορίας εἰρήσθω , μετίωμεν δ’ αὖθις ἐπὶ τὴν θείαν γραφήν . Γενομένου δῆτα ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ Στεφάνου μαρτυρίᾳ πρώτου καὶ μεγίστου πρὸς αὐτῶν Ἰουδαίων κατὰ τῆς ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐκκλησίας διωγμοῦ πάντων τε τῶν μαθητῶν πλὴν ὅτι τῶν δώδεκα μόνων ἀνὰ τὴν Ἰουδαίαν τε καὶ Σαμάρειαν διασπαρέντων τινὲς , ᾗ φησιν ἡ θεία γραφή , διελθόντες ἕως Φοινίκης καὶ Κύπρου καὶ Ἀντιοχείας , οὔπω μὲν ἔθνεσιν οἷοί τε ἦσαν τοῦ τῆς πίστεως μεταδιδόναι λόγου τολμᾶν , μόνοις δὲ τοῦτον Ἰουδαίοις κατήγγελλον .
τηνικαῦτα καὶ Παῦλος ἐλυμαίνετο εἰς ἔτι τότε τὴν ἐκκλησίαν , κατ ' οἴκους τῶν πιστῶν εἰσπορευόμενος , σύρων τε ἄνδρας καὶ γυναῖκας καὶ εἰς φυλακὴν παραδιδούς .
ἀλλὰ καὶ Φίλιππος , εἷς τῶν ἅμα Στεφάνῳ προχειρισθέντων εἰς τὴν διακονίαν , ἐν τοῖς διασπαρεῖσιν γενόμενος , κάτεισιν εἰς τὴν Σαμάρειαν , θείας τε ἔμπλεως δυνάμεως κηρύττει πρῶτος τοῖς αὐτόθι τὸν λόγον . τοσαύτη δ ' αὐτῷ θεία συνήργει χάρις , ὡς καὶ Σίμωνα τὸν μάγον μετὰ πλείστων ὅσων τοῖς αὐτοῦ λόγοις ἑγχθῆναι ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον δ ' ὁ Σίμων βεβοημένος κατ ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ τῶν ἠπατημένων ἐκράτει γοητείᾳ , ὡς τὴν μεγάλην αὐτὸν ἡγεῖσθαι εἶναι δύναμιν τοῦ θεοῦ .
τότε δ ' οὖν καὶ οὗτος τὰς ὑπὸ τοῦ Φιλίππου δυνάμει θείᾳ τελουμένας καταπλαγεὶς παραδοξοποιίας παραδύεται , καὶ μέχρι λουτροῦ τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν πίστιν καθυποκρίνεται . ὃ καὶ θαυμάζειν ἄξιον εἰς δεῦρο γινόμενον πρὸς τῶν ἔτι καὶ νῦν τὴν ἀπ ' ἐκείνου μιαρωτάτην μετιόντων αἵρεσιν , οἳ τῇ τοῦ σφῶν προπάτορος μεθόδῳ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν λοιμώδους καὶ ψωραλέας νόσου δίκην ὑποδυόμενοι τὰ μέγιστα λυμαίνονται τοὺς οἷς ἐναπομάξασθαι οἷοί τε ἂν εἶεν τὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἀποκεκρυμμένον δυσαλθῆ καὶ χαλεπὸν ἰόν . ἤδη γέ τοι πλείους τούτων ἀπεώσθησαν , ὁποῖοί τινες ἦσαν τὴν μοχθηρίαν ἁλόντες , ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ Σίμων αὐτὸς πρὸς τοῦ Πέτρου καταφωραθεὶς ὃς ἦν τὴν προσήκουσαν ἔτισεν τιμωρίαν .
ἀλλὰ γὰρ εἰς αὔξην ὁσημέραι προϊόντος τοῦ σωτηρίου κηρύγματος , οἰκονομία τις ἦγεν καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς Αἰθιόπων γῆς τῆς αὐτόθι βασιλίδος , κατά τι πάτριον ἔθος ὑπὸ γυναικὸς τοῦ ἔθνους εἰσέτι νῦν βασιλευομένου , δυνάστην : ὃν πρῶτον ἐξ ἐθνῶν πρὸς τοῦ Φιλίππου δἰ ἐπιφανείας τὰ τοῦ θείου λόγου ὄργια μετασχόντα , τῶν τε ἀνὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην πιστῶν ἀπαρχὴν γενόμενον , πρῶτον κατέχει λόγος ἐπὶ τὴν πάτριον παλινοστήσαντα γῆν εὐαγγελίσασθαι τὴν τοῦ τῶν ὅλων θεοῦ γνῶσιν , καὶ τὴν ζωοποιὸν εἰς ἀνθρώπους τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐπιδημίαν , ἔργῳ πληρωθείσης δἰ αὐτοῦ τῆς ‘ Αἰθιοπία προφθάσει χεῖρα αὐτῆς τῷ θεῷ ’ περιεχούσης προφητείας .
ἐπὶ τούτοις Παῦλος , τὸ τῆς ἐκλογῆς σκεῦος , οὐκ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων οὐδὲ δἰ ' ἀνθρώπων , δἰ ' ἀποκαλύψεως δ ' αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ θεοῦ πατρὸς , τοῦ ἐγείραντος αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν , ἀπόστολος ἀναδείκνυται , δἰ ' ὀπτασίας καὶ τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν οὐρανίου φωνῆς ἀξιωθεὶς τῆς κλήσεως .
First
,
then
,
in
the
place
of
Judas
,
the
betrayer
,
Matthias
,
who
,
as
has
been
shown
was
also
one
of
the
Seventy
,
was
chosen
to
the
apostolate
.
And
there
were
appointed
to
the
diaconate
,
for
the
service
of
the
congregation
,
by
prayer
and
the
laying
on
of
the
hands
of
the
apostles
,
approved
men
,
seven
in
number
,
of
whom
Stephen
was
one
.
He
first
,
after
the
Lord
,
was
stoned
to
death
at
the
time
of
his
ordination
by
the
slayers
of
the
Lord
,
as
if
he
had
been
promoted
for
this
very
purpose
.
And
thus
he
was
the
first
to
receive
the
crown
,
corresponding
to
his
name
,
which
belongs
to
the
martyrs
of
Christ
,
who
are
worthy
of
the
meed
of
victory
.
Then James , whom the ancients surnamed the Just on account of the excellence of his virtue , is recorded to have been the first to be made bishop of the church of Jerusalem . This James was called the brother of the Lord because he was known as a son of Joseph , and Joseph was supposed to be the father of Christ , because the Virgin , being betrothed to him , " was found with child by the Holy Ghost before they came together , " ( Matthew 1 : 18 ) as the account of the holy Gospels shows .
But Clement in the sixth book of his Hypotyposes writes thus : " For they say that Peter and James and John after the ascension of our Saviour , as if also preferred by our Lord , strove not after honor , but chose James the Just bishop of Jerusalem . "
But the same writer , in the seventh book of the same work , relates also the following things concerning him : " The Lord after his resurrection imparted knowledge to James the Just and to John and Peter , and they imparted it to the rest of the apostles , and the rest of the apostles to the seventy , of whom Barnabas was one . But there were two Jameses : one called the Just , who was thrown from the pinnacle of the temple and was beaten to death with a club by a fuller , and another who was beheaded . " Paul also makes mention of the same James the Just , where he writes , " Other of the apostles saw I none , save James the Lord ' s brother . " ( Galatians 1 : 19 )
At that time also the promise of our Saviour to the king of the Osrhœnians was fulfilled . For Thomas , under a divine impulse , sent Thaddeus to Edessa as a preacher and evangelist of the religion of Christ , as we have shown a little above from the document found there . When he came to that place he healed Abgarus by the word of Christ ; and after bringing all the people there into the right attitude of mind by means of his works , and leading them to adore the power of Christ , he made them disciples of the Saviour ' s teaching . And from that time down to the present the whole city of the Edessenes has been devoted to the name of Christ , offering no common proof of the beneficence of our Saviour toward them also .
These things have been drawn from ancient accounts ; but let us now turn again to the divine Scripture . When the first and greatest persecution was instigated by the Jews against the church of Jerusalem in connection with the martyrdom of Stephen , and when all the disciples , except the Twelve , were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria , some , as the divine Scripture says , went as far as Phœnicia and Cyprus and Antioch , but could not yet venture to impart the word of faith to the nations , and therefore preached it to the Jews alone .
During this time Paul was still persecuting the church , and entering the houses of believers was dragging men and women away and committing them to prison .
Philip also , one of those who with Stephen had been entrusted with the diaconate , being among those who were scattered abroad , went down to Samaria , and being filled with the divine power , he first preached the word to the inhabitants of that country . And divine grace worked so mightily with him that even Simon Magus with many others was attracted by his words . Simon was at that time so celebrated , and had acquired , by his jugglery , such influence over those who were deceived by him , that he was thought to be the great power of God .
But at this time , being amazed at the wonderful deeds wrought by Philip through the divine power , he feigned and counterfeited faith in Christ , even going so far as to receive baptism . And what is surprising , the same thing is done even to this day by those who follow his most impure heresy . For they , after the manner of their forefather , slipping into the Church , like a pestilential and leprous disease greatly afflict those into whom they are able to infuse the deadly and terrible poison concealed in themselves . The most of these have been expelled as soon as they have been caught in their wickedness , as Simon himself , when detected by Peter , received the merited punishment .
But as the preaching of the Saviour ' s Gospel was daily advancing , a certain providence led from the land of the Ethiopians an officer of the queen of that country , for Ethiopia even to the present day is ruled , according to ancestral custom , by a woman . He , first among the Gentiles , received of the mysteries of the divine word from Philip in consequence of a revelation , and having become the first-fruits of believers throughout the world , he is said to have been the first on returning to his country to proclaim the knowledge of the God of the universe and the life-giving sojourn of our Saviour among men ; so that through him in truth the prophecy obtained its fulfillment , which declares that " Ethiopia stretches out her hand unto God . "
In addition to these , Paul , that " chosen vessel , " ( Acts 9 : 15 ) " not of men neither through men , but by the revelation of Jesus Christ himself and of God the Father who raised him from the dead , " ( Galatians 1 : 1 ) was appointed an apostle , being made worthy of the call by a vision and by a voice which was uttered in a revelation from heaven .
Then James , whom the ancients surnamed the Just on account of the excellence of his virtue , is recorded to have been the first to be made bishop of the church of Jerusalem . This James was called the brother of the Lord because he was known as a son of Joseph , and Joseph was supposed to be the father of Christ , because the Virgin , being betrothed to him , " was found with child by the Holy Ghost before they came together , " ( Matthew 1 : 18 ) as the account of the holy Gospels shows .
But Clement in the sixth book of his Hypotyposes writes thus : " For they say that Peter and James and John after the ascension of our Saviour , as if also preferred by our Lord , strove not after honor , but chose James the Just bishop of Jerusalem . "
But the same writer , in the seventh book of the same work , relates also the following things concerning him : " The Lord after his resurrection imparted knowledge to James the Just and to John and Peter , and they imparted it to the rest of the apostles , and the rest of the apostles to the seventy , of whom Barnabas was one . But there were two Jameses : one called the Just , who was thrown from the pinnacle of the temple and was beaten to death with a club by a fuller , and another who was beheaded . " Paul also makes mention of the same James the Just , where he writes , " Other of the apostles saw I none , save James the Lord ' s brother . " ( Galatians 1 : 19 )
At that time also the promise of our Saviour to the king of the Osrhœnians was fulfilled . For Thomas , under a divine impulse , sent Thaddeus to Edessa as a preacher and evangelist of the religion of Christ , as we have shown a little above from the document found there . When he came to that place he healed Abgarus by the word of Christ ; and after bringing all the people there into the right attitude of mind by means of his works , and leading them to adore the power of Christ , he made them disciples of the Saviour ' s teaching . And from that time down to the present the whole city of the Edessenes has been devoted to the name of Christ , offering no common proof of the beneficence of our Saviour toward them also .
These things have been drawn from ancient accounts ; but let us now turn again to the divine Scripture . When the first and greatest persecution was instigated by the Jews against the church of Jerusalem in connection with the martyrdom of Stephen , and when all the disciples , except the Twelve , were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria , some , as the divine Scripture says , went as far as Phœnicia and Cyprus and Antioch , but could not yet venture to impart the word of faith to the nations , and therefore preached it to the Jews alone .
During this time Paul was still persecuting the church , and entering the houses of believers was dragging men and women away and committing them to prison .
Philip also , one of those who with Stephen had been entrusted with the diaconate , being among those who were scattered abroad , went down to Samaria , and being filled with the divine power , he first preached the word to the inhabitants of that country . And divine grace worked so mightily with him that even Simon Magus with many others was attracted by his words . Simon was at that time so celebrated , and had acquired , by his jugglery , such influence over those who were deceived by him , that he was thought to be the great power of God .
But at this time , being amazed at the wonderful deeds wrought by Philip through the divine power , he feigned and counterfeited faith in Christ , even going so far as to receive baptism . And what is surprising , the same thing is done even to this day by those who follow his most impure heresy . For they , after the manner of their forefather , slipping into the Church , like a pestilential and leprous disease greatly afflict those into whom they are able to infuse the deadly and terrible poison concealed in themselves . The most of these have been expelled as soon as they have been caught in their wickedness , as Simon himself , when detected by Peter , received the merited punishment .
But as the preaching of the Saviour ' s Gospel was daily advancing , a certain providence led from the land of the Ethiopians an officer of the queen of that country , for Ethiopia even to the present day is ruled , according to ancestral custom , by a woman . He , first among the Gentiles , received of the mysteries of the divine word from Philip in consequence of a revelation , and having become the first-fruits of believers throughout the world , he is said to have been the first on returning to his country to proclaim the knowledge of the God of the universe and the life-giving sojourn of our Saviour among men ; so that through him in truth the prophecy obtained its fulfillment , which declares that " Ethiopia stretches out her hand unto God . "
In addition to these , Paul , that " chosen vessel , " ( Acts 9 : 15 ) " not of men neither through men , but by the revelation of Jesus Christ himself and of God the Father who raised him from the dead , " ( Galatians 1 : 1 ) was appointed an apostle , being made worthy of the call by a vision and by a voice which was uttered in a revelation from heaven .