Ambrofe, his cotemporary, fpeaks of the herefies of Photinus, Arius, and Sabellius, as being extinct, but fays that, that of the Manicheans prevailed. But as it is well known that the herefy of Arius was far from being extinct at that time, so it is no lefs evident that that of Photinus had many adherents.

Sabellianifm was one of the five herefies, as he calls them, against which Austin thought it more particularly neceffary to write. The other four were thofe of the Pagans, the Jews, the Manicheans, and the Arians +. It is alfo to the unitarians that he refers in the following paffage, "Let "us not," fays he, "hear those who say "there is only the Father, and that he has

no fon, nor that there is a Holy Spirit, "but that the Father himself is fometimes "called the Son, and fometimes the Holy

quod dogmatum varietatibus conftuprata. In Gal. cap. 2. Opera, vol. 6. p. 134.

*Poftea quam Photinus obmutuit, Arius conticuit, Sabellius vocem perdidit, adhuc tamen hærefes diverfa contra ecclefiam exerentes ora confpicio. Apologia, David cap. 4. p. 508.

+ De Quinque Hærefibus, Opera, vol. 6. p. 35.

"Spirit."

Spirit." Lardner fays, that the frequent notice which Auftin takes of the Sabellians, in his tracts and fermons to the people, is an argument that in his time there was fome confiderable number of perfons who maintained his opinion †. t. Paulinus of the fame age, fpeaks of heretics in his time, who faid, that "Christ was "God by adoption," from which he infers, that they must think him to be a 66 mere man ‡."

"

If we look towards the east, where Bafil and the two Gregories were then flourishing, we fhall find ftill louder complaints of the prevalence of herefy, and especially that of the unitarians. For it is to be obferved that, as it was fome time before the

* Nec eos audiamus qui dicunt patrem tantummodo effe, nec habere filium, nec effe cum eo fpiritum fanctum: fed ipfum patrem aliquando appellari filium, aliquando fpiritum fanctum. De Agen. Chrift. cap. 13. Opera, vol. 3. p. 268.

+ Credibility, vol. 4. p. 606.

Aut certe purum eum hominem fine deo natum (quod cogitare impium eft) neceffe eft fateantur, ac per hoc quafi eguerit adoptione a patre in filium fit adoptatus. Adv. Felicem, Bib. Pat. vol. 5. p. 435.

gofpel was propagated with fuccefs in the western parts of the Roman empire, not till the doctrine of the divinity of Christ had made confiderable progrefs, the christianity of those parts was always what was called more orthodox than that of the eaft, where the gofpel was firit, preached, and confequently, where the prejudices of christians in favour of the old unitarian doctrine were stronger than in other places.

Cyril of Jerufalem complains of heretics, both Arians and unitarians, ás in the bofom of the church. Now," fays he, "there "is an apoftacy; for men have departed "from the right faith, fome confounding "the Son with the Father," meaning the unitarians, others daring to fay that Chrift "was created out of nothing," meaning the Arians. "Formerly heretics were open, but now the church is full of con"cealed heretics *."

* Νυν δε εσιν αποτασία: απέτησαν γαρ οι άνθρωποι της ορθής πίσεως, και οι μεν υιοπαίοειαν καταγγέλλεσιν, οι δε τον χρισον εξ εκ εδων εις το είναι παρενεχθενία λέγειν τολμώσιν, και πρότερον μεν ήσαν φανεροι αιρετικοί, νυν δε πεπληρεται η εκκλησια κεκρυμμένων αιρετικών Cyrilli, Catech. 15. p. 209. See alfo p. 5.

Complaints

Complaints of the fpread of heresy, both that of the unitarians, and that of the Arians, by Bafil himself, and his cotempories, are particularly loud and inceffant. The opinions he most complains of were fuch as were held by the common people, though many of the clergy were also infected; and what is remarkable, the malecontents complained loudly of Bafil's innovations, both with refpect to doctrines, and practices. For fome time Bafil, though furnamed the Great, was obliged to give way to the ftorm, and to retire from his diocese; and yet, this it seems was a dangerous ftep. For according to him, the moft unremitted affiduity was neceflary to guard their flocks from seduction. "If

66

any perfon," fays he, "leave his diocese for the shortest time, he leaves the common people expofed *."

To give my readers a clear idea of Bafil's fituation, I fhall felect from his writings a few paffages, which will give us a fuffi

+ Ει γαρ τις και προς το βραχιαίον της εκκλησίας αυτε αποταιη εκδοίες αφήσει τες λαός τοις εφεδρεύεσι, Bafilii Epift. lxx. Opera, vol. 3. p. 114.

cient

cient infight into it; and the case appears to have been the fame through the whole of Afia Minor, but more especially in Galatia, which had been the diocese of Marcellus. "Groan with us," fays Bafil, "the only

begotten is blafphemed, and there is no "one to contradict it *." Gregory Nazianzen reprefents him as abfolutely banished for holding opinions different from thofe of his people †.

The difficulties of Bafil were occafioned both by the Arians, and the unitarians, but chiefly the latter; though they both agreed in decrying the novel doctrine of the divinity of the Holy Spirit, which was the great topic of controverfy, as has been already seen, at that particular time. All the following paffages fhew that his strongest apprehenfions were from the unitarians, the difciples of Sabellius, Marcellus, and Paulus Samofatenfis. "We are torn in

pieces," he fays, "on one fide by the

* Στενάξανε εφ ημιν ότι ο μονογενης βλασφημείται, και ο αντιλεγων 5. Epift. 70. Opera, vol. 3. p. 114.

† Ος γε και εξορίαν υπερ της αλήθειας κατακριθεις. Οr. 20 P. 364.

"Anomeans,