第129章
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  PartIII。

  II。ThedevotionofindividualswasthefirstcircumstancewhichdistinguishedtheChristiansfromthePlatonists:thesecondwastheauthorityofthechurch。Thedisciplesofphilosophyassertedtherightsofintellectualfreedom,andtheirrespectforthesentimentsoftheirteacherswasaliberalandvoluntarytribute,whichtheyofferedtosuperiorreason。ButtheChristiansformedanumerousanddisciplinedsociety;andthejurisdictionoftheirlawsandmagistrateswasstrictlyexercisedoverthemindsofthefaithful。Theloosewanderingsoftheimaginationweregraduallyconfinedbycreedsandconfessions;

  ^40thefreedomofprivatejudgmentsubmittedtothepublicwisdomofsynods;theauthorityofatheologianwasdeterminedbyhisecclesiasticalrank;andtheepiscopalsuccessorsoftheapostlesinflictedthecensuresofthechurchonthosewhodeviatedfromtheorthodoxbelief。Butinanageofreligiouscontroversy,everyactofoppressionaddsnewforcetotheelasticvigorofthemind;andthezealorobstinacyofaspiritualrebelwassometimesstimulatedbysecretmotivesofambitionoravarice。Ametaphysicalargumentbecamethecauseorpretenceofpoliticalcontests;thesubtletiesofthePlatonicschoolwereusedasthebadgesofpopularfactions,andthedistancewhichseparatedtheirrespectivetenetswereenlargedormagnifiedbytheacrimonyofdispute。AslongasthedarkheresiesofPraxeasandSabelliuslaboredtoconfoundtheFatherwiththeSon,^41theorthodoxpartymightbeexcusediftheyadheredmorestrictlyandmoreearnestlytothedistinction,thantotheequality,ofthedivinepersons。Butassoonastheheatofcontroversyhadsubsided,andtheprogressoftheSabellianswasnolongeranobjectofterrortothechurchesofRome,ofAfrica,orofEgypt,thetideoftheologicalopinionbegantoflowwithagentlebutsteadymotiontowardsthecontraryextreme;andthemostorthodoxdoctorsallowedthemselvestheuseofthetermsanddefinitionswhichhadbeencensuredinthemouthofthesectaries。^42AftertheedictoftolerationhadrestoredpeaceandleisuretotheChristians,theTrinitariancontroversywasrevivedintheancientseatofPlatonism,thelearned,theopulent,thetumultuouscityofAlexandria;andtheflameofreligiousdiscordwasrapidlycommunicatedfromtheschoolstotheclergy,thepeople,theprovince,andtheEast。TheabstrusequestionoftheeternityoftheLogoswasagitatedinecclesiasticconferencesandpopularsermons;andtheheterodoxopinionsofArius^43weresoonmadepublicbyhisownzeal,andbythatofhisadversaries。Hismostimplacableadversarieshaveacknowledgedthelearningandblamelesslifeofthateminentpresbyter,who,inaformerelection,haddeclared,andperhapsgenerouslydeclined,hispretensionstotheepiscopalthrone。^44

  HiscompetitorAlexanderassumedtheofficeofhisjudge。Theimportantcausewasarguedbeforehim;andifatfirstheseemedtohesitate,heatlengthpronouncedhisfinalsentence,asanabsoluteruleoffaith。^45Theundauntedpresbyter,whopresumedtoresisttheauthorityofhisangrybishop,wasseparatedfromthecommunityofthechurch。ButtheprideofAriuswassupportedbytheapplauseofanumerousparty。HereckonedamonghisimmediatefollowerstwobishopsofEgypt,sevenpresbyters,twelvedeacons,andwhatmayappearalmostincrediblesevenhundredvirgins。AlargemajorityofthebishopsofAsiaappearedtosupportorfavorhiscause;andtheirmeasureswereconductedbyEusebiusofCaesarea,themostlearnedoftheChristianprelates;andbyEusebiusofNicomedia,whohadacquiredthereputationofastatesmanwithoutforfeitingthatofasaint。SynodsinPalestineandBithyniawereopposedtothesynodsofEgypt。Theattentionoftheprinceandpeoplewasattractedbythistheologicaldispute;andthedecision,attheendofsixyears,^46wasreferredtothesupremeauthorityofthegeneralcouncilofNice。

  [Footnote40:Themostancientcreedsweredrawnupwiththegreatestlatitude。SeeBull,JudiciumEccles。Cathol。,whotriestopreventEpiscopiusfromderivinganyadvantagefromthisobservation。]

  [Footnote41:TheheresiesofPraxeas,Sabellius,&c。,areaccuratelyexplainedbyMosheimp。425,680—714。Praxeas,whocametoRomeabouttheendofthesecondcentury,deceived,forsometime,thesimplicityofthebishop,andwasconfutedbythepenoftheangryTertullian。]

  [Footnote42:Socratesacknowledges,thattheheresyofAriusproceededfromhisstrongdesiretoembraceanopinionthemostdiametricallyoppositetothatofSabellius。]

  [Footnote43:ThefigureandmannersofArius,thecharacterandnumbersofhisfirstproselytes,arepaintedinverylivelycolorsbyEpiphanius,tom。i。Haeres。lxix。3,p。729,andwecannotbutregretthatheshouldsoonforgetthehistorian,toassumethetaskofcontroversy。]

  [Footnote44:SeePhilostorgiusl。i。c。3,andGodefroy\'sampleCommentary。YetthecredibilityofPhilostorgiusislessened,intheeyesoftheorthodox,byhisArianism;andinthoseofrationalcritics,byhispassion,hisprejudice,andhisignorance。]

  [Footnote45:Sozomenl。i。c。15representsAlexanderasindifferent,andevenignorant,inthebeginningofthecontroversy;whileSocratesl。i。c。5ascribestheoriginofthedisputetothevaincuriosityofhistheologicalspeculations。Dr。JortinRemarksonEcclesiasticalHistory,vol。ii。p。178hascensured,withhisusualfreedom,theconductofAlexander。]

  [Footnote46:TheflamesofArianismmightburnforsometimeinsecret;butthereisreasontobelievethattheyburstoutwithviolenceasearlyastheyear319。Tillemont,Mem。Eccles。tom。

  vi。p。774—780。]

  WhenthemysteriesoftheChristianfaithweredangerouslyexposedtopublicdebate,itmightbeobserved,thatthehumanunderstandingwascapableofformingthreedistrict,thoughimperfectsystems,concerningthenatureoftheDivineTrinity;

  anditwaspronounced,thatnoneofthesesystems,inapureandabsolutesense,wereexemptfromheresyanderror。^47I。

  Accordingtothefirsthypothesis,whichwasmaintainedbyAriusandhisdisciples,theLogoswasadependentandspontaneousproduction,createdfromnothingbythewillofthefather。TheSon,bywhomallthingsweremade,^48hadbeenbegottenbeforeallworlds,andthelongestoftheastronomicalperiodscouldbecomparedonlyasafleetingmomenttotheextentofhisduration;

  yetthisdurationwasnotinfinite,^49andtherehadbeenatimewhichprecededtheineffablegenerationoftheLogos。Onthisonly—begottenSon,theAlmightyFatherhadtransfusedhisamplespirit,andimpressedtheeffulgenceofhisglory。Visibleimageofinvisibleperfection,hesaw,atanimmeasurabledistancebeneathhisfeet,thethronesofthebrightestarchangels;yetheshoneonlywithareflectedlight,and,likethesonsoftheRomansemperors,whowereinvestedwiththetitlesofCaesarorAugustus,^50hegovernedtheuniverseinobediencetothewillofhisFatherandMonarch。II。Inthesecondhypothesis,theLogospossessedalltheinherent,incommunicableperfections,whichreligionandphilosophyappropriatetotheSupremeGod。

  Threedistinctandinfinitemindsorsubstances,threecoequalandcoeternalbeings,composedtheDivineEssence;^51anditwouldhaveimpliedcontradiction,thatanyofthemshouldnothaveexisted,orthattheyshouldeverceasetoexist。^52TheadvocatesofasystemwhichseemedtoestablishthreeindependentDeities,attemptedtopreservetheunityoftheFirstCause,soconspicuousinthedesignandorderoftheworld,bytheperpetualconcordoftheiradministration,andtheessentialagreementoftheirwill。Afaintresemblanceofthisunityofactionmaybediscoveredinthesocietiesofmen,andevenofanimals。Thecauseswhichdisturbtheirharmony,proceedonlyfromtheimperfectionandinequalityoftheirfaculties;buttheomnipotencewhichisguidedbyinfinitewisdomandgoodness,cannotfailofchoosingthesamemeansfortheaccomplishmentofthesameends。III。Threebeings,who,bytheself—derivednecessityoftheirexistence,possessallthedivineattributesinthemostperfectdegree;whoareeternalinduration,infiniteinspace,andintimatelypresenttoeachother,andtothewholeuniverse;irresistiblyforcethemselvesontheastonishedmind,asoneandthesamebeing,^53who,intheeconomyofgrace,aswellasinthatofnature,maymanifesthimselfunderdifferentforms,andbeconsideredunderdifferentaspects。Bythishypothesis,arealsubstantialtrinityisrefinedintoatrinityofnames,andabstractmodifications,thatsubsistonlyinthemindwhichconceivesthem。TheLogosisnolongeraperson,butanattribute;anditisonlyinafigurativesensethattheepithetofSoncanbeappliedtotheeternalreason,whichwaswithGodfromthebeginning,andbywhich,notbywhom,allthingsweremade。TheincarnationoftheLogosisreducedtoamereinspirationoftheDivineWisdom,whichfilledthesoul,anddirectedalltheactions,ofthemanJesus。Thus,afterrevolvingaroundthetheologicalcircle,wearesurprisedtofindthattheSabellianendswheretheEbionitehadbegun;andthattheincomprehensiblemysterywhichexcitesouradoration,eludesourinquiry。^54

  [Footnote47:Quidcredidit?Certe,auttrianominaaudienstresDeosessecredidit,etidololatraeffectusest;autintribusvocabulistrinominemcredensDeum,inSabelliihaeresimincurrit;

  autedoctusabArianisunumesseverumDeumPatrem,filiumetspiritumsanctumcrediditcreaturas。Autextrahaecquidcrederepotueritnescio。Hieronymadv。Luciferianos。Jeromreservesforthelasttheorthodoxsystem,whichismorecomplicatedanddifficult。]

  [Footnote48:AsthedoctrineofabsolutecreationfromnothingwasgraduallyintroducedamongtheChristians,Beausobre,tom。

  ii。p。165—215,thedignityoftheworkmanverynaturallyrosewiththatofthework。]

  [Footnote49:ThemetaphysicsofDr。ClarkeScriptureTrinity,p。276—280coulddigestaneternalgenerationfromaninfinitecause。]

  [Footnote50:Thisprofaneandabsurdsimileisemployedbyseveraloftheprimitivefathers,particularlybyAthenagoras,inhisApologytotheemperorMarcusandhisson;anditisalleged,withoutcensure,byBullhimself。SeeDefens。Fid。Nicen。sect。

  iii。c。5,No。4。]

  [Footnote51:SeeCudworth\'sIntellectualSystem,p。559,579。

  ThisdangeroushypothesiswascountenancedbythetwoGregories,ofNyssaandNazianzen,byCyrilofAlexandria,JohnofDamascus,&c。SeeCudworth,p。603。LeClerc,BibliothequeUniverselle,tomxviii。p。97—105。]

  [Footnote52:AugustinseemstoenvythefreedomofthePhilosophers。Liberisverbisloquunturphilosophi……Nosautemnondicimusduoveltriaprincipia,duosveltresDeos。DeCivitat。Dei,x。23。]

  [Footnote53:Boetius,whowasdeeplyversedinthephilosophyofPlatoandAristotle,explainstheunityoftheTrinitybytheindifferenceofthethreepersons。SeethejudiciousremarksofLeClerc,BibliothequeChoisie,tom。xvi。p。225,&c。]

  [Footnote54:IftheSabellianswerestartledatthisconclusion,theyweredrivenanotherprecipiceintotheconfession,thattheFatherwasbornofavirgin,thathehadsufferedonthecross;

  andthusdeservedtheepithetofPatripassians,withwhichtheywerebrandedbytheiradversaries。SeetheinvectivesofTertullianagainstPraxeas,andthetemperatereflectionsofMosheim,p。423,681;andBeausobre,tom。i。l。iii。c。6,p。

  533。]

  IfthebishopsofthecouncilofNice^55hadbeenpermittedtofollowtheunbiaseddictatesoftheirconscience,Ariusandhisassociatescouldscarcelyhaveflatteredthemselveswiththehopesofobtainingamajorityofvotes,infavorofanhypothesissodirectlyaversetothetwomostpopularopinionsoftheCatholicworld。TheArianssoonperceivedthedangeroftheirsituation,andprudentlyassumedthosemodestvirtues,which,inthefuryofcivilandreligiousdissensions,areseldompractised,orevenpraised,exceptbytheweakerparty。TheyrecommendedtheexerciseofChristiancharityandmoderation;

  urgedtheincomprehensiblenatureofthecontroversy,disclaimedtheuseofanytermsordefinitionswhichcouldnotbefoundintheScriptures;andoffered,byveryliberalconcessions,tosatisfytheiradversarieswithoutrenouncingtheintegrityoftheirownprinciples。Thevictoriousfactionreceivedalltheirproposalswithhaughtysuspicion;andanxiouslysoughtforsomeirreconcilablemarkofdistinction,therejectionofwhichmightinvolvetheAriansintheguiltandconsequencesofheresy。A

  letterwaspubliclyread,andignominiouslytorn,inwhichtheirpatron,EusebiusofNicomedia,ingenuouslyconfessed,thattheadmissionoftheHomoousion,orConsubstantial,awordalreadyfamiliartothePlatonists,wasincompatiblewiththeprinciplesoftheirtheologicalsystem。Thefortunateopportunitywaseagerlyembracedbythebishops,whogovernedtheresolutionsofthesynod;and,accordingtothelivelyexpressionofAmbrose,^56theyusedthesword,whichheresyitselfhaddrawnfromthescabbard,tocutofftheheadofthehatedmonster。TheconsubstantialityoftheFatherandtheSonwasestablishedbythecouncilofNice,andhasbeenunanimouslyreceivedasafundamentalarticleoftheChristianfaith,bytheconsentoftheGreek,theLatin,theOriental,andtheProtestantchurches。Butifthesamewordhadnotservedtostigmatizetheheretics,andtounitetheCatholics,itwouldhavebeeninadequatetothepurposeofthemajority,bywhomitwasintroducedintotheorthodoxcreed。Thismajoritywasdividedintotwoparties,distinguishedbyacontrarytendencytothesentimentsoftheTritheistsandoftheSabellians。Butasthoseoppositeextremesseemedtooverthrowthefoundationseitherofnaturalorrevealedreligion,theymutuallyagreedtoqualifytherigoroftheirprinciples;andtodisavowthejust,butinvidious,consequences,whichmightbeurgedbytheirantagonists。Theinterestofthecommoncauseinclinedthemtojointheirnumbers,andtoconcealtheirdifferences;theiranimositywassoftenedbythehealingcounselsoftoleration,andtheirdisputesweresuspendedbytheuseofthemysteriousHomoousion,whicheitherpartywasfreetointerpretaccordingtotheirpeculiartenets。TheSabelliansense,which,aboutfiftyyearsbefore,hadobligedthecouncilofAntioch^57toprohibitthiscelebratedterm,hadendearedittothosetheologianswhoentertainedasecretbutpartialaffectionforanominalTrinity。ButthemorefashionablesaintsoftheAriantimes,theintrepidAthanasius,thelearnedGregoryNazianzen,andtheotherpillarsofthechurch,whosupportedwithabilityandsuccesstheNicenedoctrine,appearedtoconsidertheexpressionofsubstanceasifithadbeensynonymouswiththatofnature;andtheyventuredtoillustratetheirmeaning,byaffirmingthatthreemen,astheybelongtothesamecommonspecies,areconsubstantial,orhomoousiantoeachother。

  ^58Thispureanddistinctequalitywastempered,ontheonehand,bytheinternalconnection,andspiritualpenetrationwhichindissolublyunitesthedivinepersons;^59and,ontheother,bythepreeminenceoftheFather,whichwasacknowledgedasfarasitiscompatiblewiththeindependenceoftheSon。^60Withintheselimits,thealmostinvisibleandtremulousballoforthodoxywasallowedsecurelytovibrate。Oneitherside,beyondthisconsecratedground,thehereticsandthedaemonslurkedinambushtosurpriseanddevourtheunhappywanderer。

  Butasthedegreesoftheologicalhatreddependonthespiritofthewar,ratherthanontheimportanceofthecontroversy,thehereticswhodegraded,weretreatedwithmoreseveritythanthosewhoannihilated,thepersonoftheSon。ThelifeofAthanasiuswasconsumedinirreconcilableoppositiontotheimpiousmadnessoftheArians;^61buthedefendedabovetwentyyearstheSabellianismofMarcellusofAncyra;andwhenatlasthewascompelledtowithdrawhimselffromhiscommunion,hecontinuedtomention,withanambiguoussmile,thevenialerrorsofhisrespectablefriend。^62

  [Footnote55:ThetransactionsofthecouncilofNicearerelatedbytheancients,notonlyinapartial,butinaveryimperfectmanner。SuchapictureasFraPaolowouldhavedrawn,canneverberecovered;butsuchrudesketchesashavebeentracedbythepencilofbigotry,andthatofreason,maybeseeninTillemont,Mem。Eccles。tom。v。p。669—759,andinLeClerc,BibliothequeUniverselle,tom。xp。435—454。]

  [Footnote56:WeareindebtedtoAmbroseDeFide,l。iii。

  knowledgeofthiscuriousanecdote。Hocverbumquodvideruntadversariisesseformidini;utipsisgladio,ipsumnefandaecaputhaereseos。]

  [Footnote57:SeeBull,Defens。Fid。Nicen。sect。ii。c。i。p。

  25—36。Hethinksithisdutytoreconciletwoorthodoxsynods。]

  [Footnote58:AccordingtoAristotle,thestarswerehomoousiantoeachother。\"ThatHomoousiosmeansofonesubstanceinkind,hathbeenshownbyPetavius,Curcellaeus,Cudworth,LeClerc,&c。,andtoproveitwouldbeactumagere。\"ThisisthejustremarkofDr。Jortin,vol。iip。212,whoexaminestheAriancontroversywithlearning,candor,andingenuity。]

  [Footnote59:SeePetavius,Dogm。Theolog。tom。ii。l。iv。c。

  16,p。453,&c。,Cudworth,p。559,Bull,sect。iv。p。

  285—290,edit。Grab。Thecircumincessio,isperhapsthedeepestanddarkesthewholetheologicalabyss。]

  [Footnote60:ThethirdsectionofBull\'sDefenceoftheNiceneFaith,whichsomeofhisantagonistshavecallednonsense,andothersheresy,isconsecratedtothesupremacyoftheFather。]

  [Footnote61:TheordinaryappellationwithwhichAthanasiusandhisfollowerschosetocomplimenttheArians,wasthatofAriomanites。]

  [Footnote62:Epiphanius,tomi。Haeres。lxxii。4,p。837。SeetheadventuresofMarcellus,inTillemont,Mem。Eccles。tom。v。

  i。p。880—899。Hiswork,inonebook,oftheunityofGod,wasansweredinthethreebooks,whicharestillextant,ofEusebius。

  Afteralongandcarefulexamination,Petaviustom。ii。l。i。c。

  14,p。78hasreluctantlypronouncedthecondemnationofMarcellus。]

  Theauthorityofageneralcouncil,towhichtheAriansthemselveshadbeencompelledtosubmit,inscribedonthebannersoftheorthodoxpartythemysteriouscharactersofthewordHomoousion,whichessentiallycontributed,notwithstandingsomeobscuredisputes,somenocturnalcombats,tomaintainandperpetuatetheuniformityoffaith,oratleastoflanguage。Theconsubstantialists,whobytheirsuccesshavedeservedandobtainedthetitleofCatholics,gloriedinthesimplicityandsteadinessoftheirowncreed,andinsultedtherepeatedvariationsoftheiradversaries,whoweredestituteofanycertainruleoffaith。ThesincerityorthecunningoftheArianchiefs,thefearofthelawsorofthepeople,theirreverenceforChrist,theirhatredofAthanasius,allthecauses,humananddivine,thatinfluenceanddisturbthecounselsofatheologicalfaction,introducedamongthesectariesaspiritofdiscordandinconstancy,which,inthecourseofafewyears,erectedeighteendifferentmodelsofreligion,^63andavengedtheviolateddignityofthechurch。ThezealousHilary,^64who,fromthepeculiarhardshipsofhissituation,wasinclinedtoextenuateratherthantoaggravatetheerrorsoftheOrientalclergy,declares,thatinthewideextentofthetenprovincesofAsia,towhichhehadbeenbanished,therecouldbefoundveryfewprelateswhohadpreservedtheknowledgeofthetrueGod。^65

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