4.6 Church-Hiftory of Bijhops and than that of the Engisgh Fugitives at Frankford.) This unhappy word and hour began the mifery, among good men, expenting death : From that hour they keepall their meetings feparate. Shortly after Peter was Mar- tyred, and Meletius . was judged to the Mines : As he went thither through. the Country, he every where made newBithops andgathered newChurches, fo that there were two in the feveral Cities : Thofe old ones that followed Peter called their Meeting, 'Ihe Catholick,Church ; The other called theirs, The Martyrs Church: But yet they held aUnity of Faith. Even the fuffer ers that laboured in the Mines divided, anddid not pray together. At fail Meletiusand the reft were reftoredunto peace, 'and at Alexandria, A- lexanderand he lived in familiarity, and Meletius was he that deteEted A- rius and brought him to Alexander to be tryed. But when Meletim was dead, Alexandergrew impatient at the private feparate Meetings of his followers, and troubled them, and vexed/them, andb,egan to ufeviolence against-them, and won'.dnot have them departfrom his Church : They. refufed (till, and this bred ftirs and Tumults. Alexanderperfecuting them, and following them yet more fharply, they fent force men, eminent for piety and parts, to the Emperours Court, to Petition for Liberty for their privateMeetings, without impediment. Ofthefe Pesphnutius and John their Jelhóp, andCàllinitus Bifhòp of Pelúftumwere chief: who when they came to Court, being named Meletians, the Courtiers rejefted them and drove them away, and they couldnot get accefs to the Emperour. On this oc- taliion being put towait longat Conftantinople and Nicomedia, they fell into acquaintance with Eufebius, BithopofNicomedia, the Head of the Arians, whopretendingrepentance was become great with the Emperour; who was all for the Clergies peaceand concord. To Eufebius they open all the-mat- ter :- He craftily took the advantage of their fufferingand long waiting, and- promifed his help, on condition they would but Communicatewith rto Arias, who feigned repentance. The temptationovercame them, and they yield; They that had gathered feparate Churches, becaufe they would not Communicate with therepentingLapfed (to Idolatry;) yet yielded toCorn municate with Arius, that they might be delivered from theperfecutioñof aGodlyBimop; and keep their Meetings. They are brought to Conftantine, who being all for peace, though againit Schifm, grants them the freedom of their Meetings; And thus joyning with the Arians for the libertyof theirAIIemblies, this became the greateft fupport to the Arians, without which (faith Epiphanies) they could not have flood. (So much doth Bi- Ihops tyranny or feverity crofs its ownends, anddeftroy theconcord which they thinkby fuch tearing means to force ; And fo hard is it for men that could fuller MartyrdomefromHeathens, innocently to bear the perfectti- on of their Brethren', and fogreatly doth it tempt them to ufeunwarrant- able means for their prefervation : Tuft as if the Non-conformifts at this time fhould Peek, by the favour of the Papifts, to be delivered from the Silencing and dcftroying-Prelates, upon condition of a common liberty : The Casts are not much unlike.) Nequs enim (faith Epiphanies). conger:, Arius,
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