An Alternate Theory of the History of Christianity
Chapter 31: The Historical Integrity of Eusebius of Caesarea
Web Publication by Mountain Man Graphics, Australia

"Truth is the only merit that gives
dignity and worth to history".
--- Lord Acton (18?? - 1902)

Introduction

The alternate theory of christianity has as its basis the postulate that Eusebius wrote not history, but fiction. This postulate essentially makes the claim that Eusebius of Caesarea invented the history of christianity under sponsorship of the supreme imperial commander of the Roman Empire, Constantine I.

This Eusebian Fiction Postulate is deemed reasonable on the basis of an agglomerated series of opinions concerning Eusebius. This list of quotations is by no means complete, but should for the moment serve to substantiate the need to invoke the postulate.

Essentially the following compendium of opinion should be used to establish a rough gauge upon the measure, and the tolerance, of historical integrity in the historical literature authored by Eusebius.

I am always interested in expanding this list with relevant quotations, and electronic messages may be sent to Arius at the domain name of this site.

PRF Brown
EDITOR
MOUNTAIN MAN GRAPHICS

"How far it may be proper to use falsehood
as a medium for the benefit of those
who require to be deceived;"
--- Eusebius Pamphilus of Caesarea, (circa 324)
PE: Praeparatio Evangelica, Preparation for the Gospel,
The title of Chapter 31 of Book 12.

[note: In the following quotation, which is the text of the above headed chapter, Eusebius is quoting Plato, and the response to Plato. The text in italics represents the writings of Eusebius]
PLATO ‘BUT even if the case were not such as our argument has now proved it to be,
if a lawgiver, who is to be of ever so little use,
could have ventured to tell any falsehood at all to the young for their good,
is there any falsehood that he could have told more beneficial than this,
and better able to make them all do everything that is just,
not by compulsion but willingly?

‘Truth, O Stranger, is a noble and an enduring thing;
it seems, however, not easy to persuade men of it.’

[Eusebius] Now you may find in the Hebrew Scriptures
also thousands of such passages concerning God
as though He were jealous, or sleeping, or angry,
or subject to any other human passions,
which passages are adopted for the benefit
of those who need this mode of instruction.
--- Eusebius Pamphilus of Caesarea,
PE: Praeparatio Evangelica, Preparation for the Gospel
Text of Chapter 31, Book 12
(See Heading of Chapter above)

"The gravest of the ecclesiastical historians, Eusebius himself,
indirectly confesses that he has related what might rebound to the glory,
and that he has suppressed all that could tend to the disgrace, of religion.
Such an acknowledgment will naturally excite a suspicion
that a writer who has so openly violated one of the fundamental laws of history
has not paid a very strict regard to the observance of the other;
and the suspicion will derive additional credit from the character of Eusebius,
which was less tinctured with credulity, and more practiced in the arts of courts,
than that of almost any of his contemporaries".

--- Gibbon

"None ventured to go over the same ground again,
but left him sole possessor of the field
which he held by right of discovery and of conquest.

The most bitter of his theological adversaries
were forced to confess their obligations to him,
and to speak of his work with respect.

It is only necessary to reflect for a moment
what a blank would be left in our knowledge
of this most important chapter in all human history,
if the narrative of Eusebius were blotted out,
and we shall appreciate the enormous debt
of gratitude which we owe to him.

The little light which glimmered over the earliest
history of Christianity in medieval times
came ultimately from Eusebius alone,
coloured and distorted in its passage
through various media.

-- J.B. Lightfoot, Eusebius of Caesarea, (article. pp. 324-5),
Dictionary of Christian Biography: Literature, Sects and Doctrines,
ed. by William Smith and Henry Wace, Vol II.

"Eusebius studied Josephus diligently, and could thus masquerade as he, except when he used the word 'tribe' to describe the Christians. All the literature from the Ante-Nicene Fathers show they never used the word 'tribe' or 'race' with reference to the Christians, was [sic] either by the Fathers or when they quoted non-Christian writers. Tertullian, Pliny the Younger, Trajan, Rufinus--none use 'tribe' to refer to Christians. Eusebius is the first to start the practice."
--- Kerry Shirts, "Did Josephus Mention Jesus?"

"[Eusebius was] the first thoroughly dishonest historian of antiquity."
--- Jakob Burckhardt,
Swiss historian (1818-1897) [via Drews]

"The famous passage which we find in Josephus, about Jesus Christ, was never mentioned nor alluded to in any way whatever by any of the fathers of the first, second, or third centuries; nor until the time of Eusebius, ‘when it was first quoted by himself.’ The truth is, none of these fathers could quote or allude to a passage which did not exist in their times; but was to all points short of absolute certainty, forged and interpolated by Eusebius."
—-- Mitchell Logan,
Christian Mythology Unveiled (1842)

"[the fourth century was] the great age of literary forgery,
the extent of which has yet to be exposed"

...[and]...

"not until the mass of inventions
labelled 'Eusebius' shall be exposed,
can the pretended references to Christians
in Pagan writers of the first three centuries
be recognized for the forgeries they are."

--- Edwin Johnson, "Antiqua Mater: A Study of Christian Origins"

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