"populace, who wanted to have Paul for their bishop. "The Arians, in their council at Antioch, had "made a creed, and left out the poor. After this they proposed a new confession of faith, which was "said to have been the creed of Lucian * the martyr, "who was of the same sentiments which were after"wards held by Arius, as Alexander of Alexandria "and Philostorgius testify. "In this creed, the Arians, avoiding the word consubstantial, call the Son ἄτρεπτόν τε καὶ ἀναλλοίωτον τῆς σε θεότητος, ἐσίας τε καὶ βολῆς καὶ δυνάμεως και δόξης ἀπαράλλακτον σε εικόνα, και πρωτότοκον πάσης κλίσεως. Immutabilem et con" versioni non obnoxium ad divinitatem quod attinet, es"sentiæ vero, consilii, et potentice Patris immutabilem imaginem, primogenitum omnis creaturæ. 66 6 "Valesius translates drapánnalor, nullatenus discrepantem; but though the word is often to be found in that sense, it signifies also immutabilem. This "induces me to think that they had a mind to draw up a creed in expressions which might be approved by both parties †, an expedient often practised in "this controversy. "A. D. 347. Constans called a council at Sardica. "Three hundred and seventy bishops were assembled, and most of them being Homoousians, Athanasius was * Lucian was highly honoured by the Arians; and some of the most celebrated bishops of that party, as Eusebius of Nicomedia, Maris, Theognis, Leontius, &c. are said to have been his disciples. Philostorgius relates, that the body of this martyr was brought to Nicomedia by a dolphin, the very dolphin, I suppose, who carried Arion his back, and who had the same affection for saints as for mu upon sicians. + This Confession of Faith is Catholic, says Du Pin, although the word consubstantial be not in it. B. E. ii. p. 325. "was acquitted. But the Arian prelates withdraw 46 ing themselves, met at Philippi, and there made contrary decrees, which also were called Sardicen"sian. Nor would Athanasius have been recalled to Alexandria, if Constantius, moved by the threatening letter of his brother Constance, and for the "sake of peace, had not given his consent to it, two years after the council of Sardica. 66 * "A. D. 350. A council was held at Sirmium, in " which Photinus was condemned. The bishops who "met there were almost all of them Arians †, yet were their canons received like those of other coun"cils. "A. D. 357. Many Homoousians were banished, "and amongst them Liberius bishop of Rome, and "other bishops. Liberius after having remained two years in banishment, subscribed to the condemna"tion of Athanasius, and published a confession of faith, in which, leaving out the word oμocios, he de"clared the Son to be like the Father in all things. "At this time the Arians began to be distinguish"ed and divided. Part of them were Homoiousians, "and part Anomoans. The first said that the Son was altogether oμorios, of like substance with the "Father; the second, that he was avóμoos, unlike, or 46 different, or unequal. Such was the difference be"tween the Arians, if we may trust to the accounts "of ancient writers. "In the council of Ancyra, the Anomoans were "condemned, and it was decreed that two councils. "should be called; one for the eastern churches at "Seleucia; another for the western at Ariminum. * A. D. 351. Cave. See Socr. ii. 29. and the notes. "A. D. "A. D. 359. At Seleucia the Homoiousians and "the Anomceans contended; the latter were overpowered. 66 "Four hundred bishops were assembled at Ariminum, of whom about a fourth part were Arians, where, after much wrangling and many delays, "most of them subscribed to a creed, in which it was "only said, that the Son of God was not a creature "like other creatures. "A. D. 360.. Macedonius, who was driven away "from Constantinople, is said to have published his "notions concerning the Holy Ghost. With the "rest of the Arians he denied the consubstantiability of the Son, and only said that he was like the Fa"ther; but he positively affirmed that the Holy "Ghost was 15ò, created. His successor was Eu . doxius, an Anomoean, who had been bishop of Antioch, on whose removal, great dissentions arose "at Antioch. Some followed Eustathius who had "been deposed in the year 330. Others joined them“selves to Meletius, who had been ordained by the "favourers of Eudoxius, and who had deserted A"rianism, whilst a third party, who were Arians, "shunned them both, and had Euzoins for their bishop. 4.6 46 “A. D. 363. The Arians, the Semiarians, (so they called the Homoiousians) and the Consubstantialists were quarrelling and contending every where, particularly in the eastern parts and the Emperor Valens favoured and supported the "Arians. 6.6 Gregory and Basil, who had led a monastic life, left their retirement, to oppose the progress of A"rianism." Le Clerc, Compend. Hist. A. D. 364. A. D. 364. Apollinaris, bishop of Laodicea, a man much esteemed for learning and piety gave rise to a new sect. He thought, perhaps, that Christ being one, it was impossible that two persons could be so united in him as to make one person. Thence (as some say) he concluded that in Christ the Aóyos supplied the place of an human soul. It is to be supposed that the Arians either were of the same opinion, or came into it and adopted it. Theodoret says, Simon, Basilides, Valentinus, Bardesanes, &c. acknowleged Jesus Christ to be God, but said that he was only man in appearance; the Arians held that the word in Christ supplied the place of a soul. Apollinaris taught that the word was united to a living body*, but a body not animated with a reasonable soul: Photinus, Marcellus of Ancyra, and Paul of Samosata, said that Christ was a mere man. Epist. 104. This may suffice for a summary account of the Athanasian and Arian controversy, during the first forty years. The Pagans, who were by-standers in the times when this controversy was so warmly agitated, could not be much edified, or much disposed to embrace Christianity, when they saw its professors at such implacable variance. This made Ammianus Marcellinus say, that no wild beast was so cruel an enemy to man as most of the Christians were to each other. Julian, says he, knew their quarrelsome temper, nullas infestas hominibus bestias, ut sunt sibi ferales plerique Christianorum, expertus. xxii. The Alexandrians, a people naturally satirists †, jesters, and buffoons, and the most quarrelsome and seditious * Zaμa qufuxor. Corpus præditum animâ sensitiv â. Σῶμα ἔμψυχον. + The Romans were fond of purchasing Alexandrian boys for blind and tame submission, in points of faith, to human decisions, and to public wisdom, as some of our controversial doctors have loved to call it, which may be public folly. Public wisdom is a mere Proteus, and, not to consider it in Pagan or Mohammedan countries, amongst the Jews it once was the wisdom of Ahab and Jezabel, and afterwards of Annas and Caiaphas; and in Christian regions it hath appeared in an hundred shapes, It sets out with a great shew of religion; it begins with the Gospel according to St Matthew and it often ends in the Gospel according to Mr Hobbes, Ecclesiastical government, in some form, is absolutely necessary, without which no discipline and or der can be preserved, and no religious society can well subsist, and which none can be more willing to obey than I am: Yet, Call no man your Father upon earth; for one is your Father, who is in heaven. Neither be ye called Masters; for one is your Master, even Christ. antecesserunt. Deus dedit omnibus pro virili portione sapientiam ;nec quia nos illi temporibus antecesserunt, sapientia quoque Que si omnibus æqualiter datur, occupari ab antecedentibus non potest.—Sapientiam sibi adimunt, qui sine ulla judicio inventa Majorum probant, et ab aliis pecudum more ducuntur. Sed hoc eos fallit, quod Majorum nomine posito, non putant fieri posse ut aut ipsi plus sapiant, quia Minores vocantur, aut illi desipuerint, quia Majores nominantur, Lactantius Div. Inst. ii. 7. Valesius is a strenuous defender of the sacred authority of general councils. Quid per spiritualem legem [ amusing soucisi] Theodoritus intelligat, obscuram est. Ego Nicæne Fidei Symbolum intelligi puto, quo |