vealed religion, in the other he defended the divinity of Christ; but how? By laying down his own notion of it, and then arguing that if it was not true, our Saviour was what is too shocking to be named or thought of*, and what no Mahometan would call him.

Few controversies have been carried on with less temper and with less prudence than this.

Before the fourth century was ended, the Consubstantialists differed and disputed amongst themselves, whether in the Trinity there were three hypostases, or one hypostasis: part of them hold the first, and part the second opinion; and it hath been supposed by some, that they had notions directly contrary to each other but the truth is, that they only misunderstood one another, and were in reality of the same mind.

senses.

For the word wósaris was ambiguous, and had two In the first sense, hypostasis is the existence of a thing, or the manner in which it exists; in the second sense it is the existing thing, or the substance itself.

Three human souls have only one hypostasis, in the first sense, that is, one and the same kind of nature, consisting of intelligence, activity, &c. but in the second sense they are three hypostases, that is, three intelligent active beings.

The Consubstantialists who said, that in the Trinity there was one hypostasis, took the word in the first sense, and their brethren who said there were three hypostases, took the word in the second sense; and thus the dispute was verbal, and as soon as they

came

This odious indiscretion hath been frequent amongst disputers of more zeal than judgment.

came to understand one another, they were recon

ciled.

In the fourth century, the Consubstantialists began the persecution, by excommunicating and banishing their adversaries.

After the death of Constantine, Constantius persecuted the Consubstantialists; and the Arians under his protection (as afterwards under Valens) were guilty of many horrible outrages and cruelties, which must have hurt their cause greatly, and have made honest men hold them in abomination.

Julian gave liberty to all the contenders to fight it out in disputation, and recalled those whom Constantius had banished.

Jovian favoured the Consubstantialists during his short reign.

Valentinian, like a wise prince, kept an even hand between both parties, and would not be the tool of either.

Valens at the same time persecuted the Consubstantialists in his dominions.

Gratian and Theodosius oppressed the Arians.

The Arians were also divided into sects which anathematized and plagued each other. But Arianism subsisted, and made a considerable figure for above three hundred years, and was at last destroyed by violence and persecution. See Bayle's Dict. ARIUS.

In the fourth century were held thirteen councils against Arius, fifteen for him, and seventeen for the Semiarians, in all, forty-five.

How could the Arians, in the time of Constantius and Valens, bring themselves to such an unchristian persecuting temper? how could they oppress their fellow Christians the Consubstantialists, who, suppos

ing them to have been in an error, fell into it through a religious fear of ascribing too little to their Redeemer, and of not paying him sufficient honour? Can a man love his Saviour, and hate his brother for a mistake of this kind?

And how could the Consubstantialists persuade themselves that an Arian, who perhaps had suffered for professing Christianity in times of distress, who believed Christ to be his Maker, his Saviour, his King, and his Judge, would chuse to detract from his dignity, and to offend him in whom he placed all his hopes of salvation? Human nature is not capable of this folly, and if the man was in an error, yet in such a person the error must have been involuntary, a mere defect of the understanding, and not a fault of the will.

A Christian, and a lover of peace, who lived in obscurity, and whose name I cannot tell, stood up, and said;

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"My brethren, The things to be believed are few, "the things to be done are many; but you behave yourselves, as if the reverse of this were true. St "Paul tells you, The Grace of God that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men; teaching us, that "denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appear"ance of the great God, and (of) our Saviour Jesus "Christ. Concerning the nature of Jesus you can dispute incessantly, and concerning the word Grace

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66 you will probably dispute no less; but the rest of "the sentence you disregard as of small consequence or importance. What, I beseech you, must the "Jews and the Pagans conceive of you and of your

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religion? And what do the holy angels think, who "look down upon your contentions? Those blessed "and compassionate spirits pity you, and think you " mere children. But when from contending you proceed to beating your fellow-servants, to persecuting and destroying, they consider you as most "malicious and wicked children; their pity is changed into indignation, and they would strike you dead, if the Supreme Governor did not stay "their hand, and remind them that such disorders "must needs arise, and shall one day be rectified."

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So said this unknown; but behold the consequence! The Consubstantialists called him an Arian, and the Arians called him a Consubstantialist.

The Nicene fathers having anathematised the Arians, the emperor seconded them, and banished Arius and the bishops who sided with him, and ordered the books of Arius to be burnt, and added ;-If any man be found to have concealed a copy of those books, and not to have instantly produced it and thrown it into the fire, he shall be put to death. The Lord be with you all. Socrat. i. p. 32.

Constantine's conduct was variable afterwards; for he certainly understood not this perplexed and obscure, controversy and he acted as he was influenced at different times by the ecclesiastics of each party, who accused one another not only of heterodoxy, but of being enemies to the emperor, and of other faults and misdemeanours.

The creed of Arius, which he delivered to Constantine, and upon which the emperor ordered him to be recalled and restored, is thus:

"We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, "and in our Lord Jesus Christ his Son, begotten of

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"him before all ages, God the Word, by whom all things were made in heaven and in earth, who de"scended and was incarnate, suffered, arose, and "ascended into heaven, and will come again to judge "the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Ghost, the resurrection of the flesh, the life to come, "and the kingdom of heaven, and in one Catholic "Church of God dispersed over all the earth.

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"This faith we have received from the holy gospels, "in which the Lord says to his disciples, Go and "teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the "Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. If "we do not believe these things, and truly acknow"ledge the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, as "the whole Catholic Church, and the Scriptures teach, to which we yield an assent in all things, "God is our judge both now and at the day of judg"ment," &c. Socr. i. 26. Soz. ii. 27.

Arius died suddenly, A. D. 356. upon which the opinions were various.

Some ascribed it to a violent distemper:

Others to his excess of joy, at finding his affairs in a good situation :

Others called it a judgment:

Lastly, the Arians said that his adversaries had killed him by some wicked arts, yonías; and surely it is not impossible that amongst his numerous enemies there might be one who would not scruple to give him a dose, and to send him out of the way.

Athanasius, as we may suppose, accounted it an unquestionable miracle, and a divine judgment upon him for perjury, and uses the same words in which the Scriptures describe the death of Judas. 'Axx' tibùs éŠenθων, ὥσπερ δίκην δὲς κατέπεσε· καὶ πρηνής γενόμενος, ἐλάκησε μέσος.