"herefies did not rife till after the time of "the apostles *.”

That the common people among chriftians were actually unitarians in the early ages, and believed nothing of the pre-existence or divinity of Chrift before the council of Nice, we have as express a testimony as can be defired in the case. These fublime doctrines were thought to be above their comprehenfion, and to be capable of being understood and received by the learned only. This we see most clearly in the neral strain of Origen's writings, who was himself a firm believer, and a zealous defender, of the pre-existence and divinity of Chrift.

ge

This," fays he, "we ought to under"ftand, that, as the law was a fhadow of

good things to come, fo is the gospel "as it is understood by the generality. "But that which John calls the everlast

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ing gofpel, and which may be more properly called the spiritual, inftructs the

"intelligent very clearly concerning the « Son of God. Wherefore the gofpel mult "be taught both corporeally and fpiritually, " and when it is neceffary we must preach * the corporeal gofpel, faying to the carnal, "that we know nothing but Jefus Chrift « and him crucified. But when perfons " are found confirmed in the fpirit, bringing forth fruit in it, and in love with "heavenly wifdom, we muft impart to " them the logos returning from his bodily ftate, in that he was in the beginning with God.'

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"Some are adorned with the logos itself, "but others with a logos which is a-kin to "it, and seeming to them to be the true

* Και τελο δε ειδηναι εχρήν, ဝါး ως περ εσι νομ σκιαν παρεχων των μελλονίων αγαθών, υπο τις κατ' αλήθειαν καταγγελλομεν νόμε δηλωμένων ; ενω και ευαγγελιον σκιαν μυτηρίων χρισε διδασκει, το νο μιζόμενον υπο πανίων των εντυγχανονίων νοεισθαι. Οδε φησιν Ιωαννης ευαί γέλιον αιωνιόν, οικείως αν λεχθησομενον πνευματικον, σαφως παρίτησι τοις νουσι τα πανια ενωπιον περι υιε τε θες. Διόπερ αναγκαίον πνευματικώς και σωματικως χρισιανίζειν· κι οπε μεν χρη το σωματικον κηρύσσειν ευαγγελιον, φασκονία μηδεν ειδεναι τοις σαρκικοις η Ιησεν χρισον καὶ τελον εταυρωμένον, τεῖον ποιητεον . επαν δε ευρεθώσι καλήρισε μένοι τω πνευματι, και καρποφορενίες εν αυτω, εξωνίες το κρανια σοφίας, μελαδόλεον αύλοις τε λογο, επανελθον απο τε σεσαρκώσθαι, εφ ο ην εν αρχή προς τον θεον. Comment. in Johan. vol. 2. p. 9.

logos; who know nothing but Jefus Chrift "and him crucified, who look at the word "made flesh*.”

"There are," fays he, "who partake of "logos which was from the beginning, the

logos that was with God, and the logos "that was God, as Hofea, Ifaiah, and Jere« miah, and any others that fpeak of him "as the logos of God, and the logos that "was with him; but there are others who "know nothing but Jefus Chrift and him "crucified, the logos that was made flesh, "thinking they have every thing of the logos when they acknowledge Christ according to the flesh. Such is the multi"tude of those who are called christians †."

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Οι μεν γαρ αύλω τω λόγω κεκοσμηνίαι. Οι δε παρακειμένω τινι αύλω, καὶ δοκούλι ειναι αύλω τω πρωτω λόγω, οι μηδεν ειδοίες, ει μη Ιησεν χρισον, καὶ τείον εσαυρωμένον, οι τον λόγο νσαρκα ορωνίες. Com. ment. vol. 2. p. 49.

† Ούλω τοινυν οι μεν τινες μελεχεσιν αυτ8 τε εν αρχη λογο, και προς τον Θεον λόγο, καὶ θες λογο, ωςπερ ωσηε και ησαιας και ιερεμίας, και ει τις έτερος τοιχίον εαυλον παρετησεν ως τον λόγον κυρις, η τον λόγον γενεσθαι προς αυλον : είεροι δε οι μηδεν ειδόλες ειμη Ιησεν χρισον καὶ τελον εταυρωμένον, τον γενομενον σαρκα λογον, το παν νομίζονίες είναι το λόγο χρισον καλο σαρκα μόνον γινώσκεσι . τελο δε ετι το πληθος των πεπιτευκεναι νομι ζομένων. Comment. in Johan. vol. 2. p. 49.

Again,

Again, he fays, "the multitudes" (i. e.' the great mass or body) "of believers are "inftructed in the fhadow of the logos, "and not in the true logos of God, which "is in the open heaven *."

But nothing can be more decifive than the evidence of Tertullian to this purpose, who, in the following paffage, which is too plain and circumftantial to be misunderstood by any perfon, pofitively afferts, though with much peevishnefs, that the unitarians, who held the doctrine of the divinity of Chrift in abhorrence, were the greater part of chriftians in his time.

"The fimple, the ignorant, and un"learned, who are always the greater part

of the body of chriftians, fince the rule "of faith," meaning, probably, the apoftles creed, transfers the worship of many gods to the one true God, not under

standing that the unity of God is to " be maintained but with the œconomy; dread this œconomy; imagining that

* Τα δε πλήθη των πεπιτευκεναι νομιζομένων τη σκια το λόγο, κι εχι το αληθινώ λόγω θες εν τω ανεωγόλι ερανω τυγχανοι, μαθη Evela Comment. in Johan. vol. 2. p. 52.

"this number and difpofition of a trinity is "a division of the unity. They, there“fore, will have it that we are worshippers "of two, and even of three Gods, but that

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they are the worshippers of one God only. We, they say, hold the monarchy. Even the Latins have learned to bawl "out for the monarchy, and the Greeks "themselves will not understand the œco*."

"nomy

1

It is hardly poffible in any words to describe the state of things more clearly than