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XXI.

CHAP. tions, inftead of being treated as the amusement of a vacant hour, became the most serious bufinefs of the prefent, and the most useful preparation for a future, life. A theology, which it was incumbent to believe, which it was impious to doubt, and which it might be dangerous, and even fatal, to mistake, became the familiar topic of private meditation and popular difcourfe. The cold indifference of philofophy was inflamed by the fervent fpirit of devotion; and even the metaphors of common language fuggefted the fallacious prejudices of sense and experience. The Christians, who abhorred the grofs and impure generation of the Greek mythology 3, were tempted to argue from the familiar analogy of the filial and paternal relations. The character of Son feemed to imply a perpetual fubordination of the voluntary author of his existence 36; but as the act of generation, in the most spiritual and abstracted fenfe, must be supposed to tranfmit the properties of a common nature 57, they durft not presume to circumfcribe

35

35 Lactantius, iv. 8. Yet the Probole, or Prolatio, which the most orthodox divines borrowed without fcruple from the Valentinians, and illuftrated by the comparisons of a fountain and ftream, the fun and its rays, &c. either meant nothing, or favoured a material idea of the divine generation. See Beaufobre, tom. i. 1. iii. c. 7. P. 548.

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36 Many of the primitive writers have frankly confeffed, that the Son owed his being to the will of the Father. See Clarke's Scripture Trinity, p. 280–287. On the other hand, Athanafius and his followers feem unwilling to grant what they are afraid to deny. The schoolmen extricate themselves from this difficulty by the diftinction of a preceding and a concomitant, will. Petav. Dogm. Theolog, tom, ii. 1. vi. c. 8. p. 587-603.

37 See Petav. Dogm. Theolog. tom. ii. l. ii. c. 10. p. 159.

the

XXI.

the powers or the duration of the fon of an eternal CHAP.
and omnipotent Father. Fourfcore years after
the death of Christ, the Christians of Bithynia de-
clared before the tribunal of Pliny, that they in-
voked him as a god; and his divine honours have
been perpetuated in every age and country, by the
various fects who affume the name of his dif-
ciples 38. Their tender reverence for the memory
of Chrift, and their horror for the profane worship
of any created being, would have engaged them
to affert the equal and abfolute divinity of the
Logos, if their rapid afcent towards the throne of
heaven had not been imperceptibly checked by
the apprehenfion of violating the unity and fole
fupremacy of the great Father of Chrift and of the
Universe. The fufpenfe and fluctuation pro-
duced in the minds of the Christians by these op-
pofite tendencies, may be observed in the writings
of the theologians who flourished after the end of
the apoftolic age, and before the origin of the
Arian controverfy. Their fuffrage is claimed,
with equal confidence, by the orthodox and by
the heretical parties; and the most inquifitive
critics have fairly allowed, that if they had the
good fortune of poffeffing the Catholic verity,
they have delivered their conceptions in loofe,

3a Carmenque Chrifto quafi Deo dicere fecum invicem. Plin. Epift. x. 97. The sense of Deus, Oɛ05, Elobim, in the ancient languages, is critically examined by Le Clerc (Ars Critica, p. 150156.), and the propriety of worshipping a very excellent creature is ably defended by the Socinian Emlyn (Tracts, p. 29-36. 51-145.).

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inaccurate,

555

CHA P. inaccurate, and and fometimes contradictory language 39.

XXI.

Authority of the church.

II. The devotion of individuals was the first circumstance which distinguished the Chriftians from the Platonifts; the fecond was the authority of the church. The difciples of philofophy afferted the rights of intellectual freedom, and their refpect for the fentiments of their teachers was a liberal and voluntary tribute, which they offered to fuperior reafon. But the Chriftians formed a numerous and difciplined fociety; and the jurif diction of their laws and magiftrates was ftrictly exercised over the minds of the faithful. The loose wanderings of the imagination were gra dually confined by creeds and confeffions 40 3 the freedom of private judgment fubmitted to the public wifdom of fynods; the authority of a theologian was determined by his ecclefiaftical rank; and the epifcopal fucceffors of the apoftles inflicted the cenfures of the church on those who deviated from the orthodox belief. But in an age of religious controverfy, every act of oppreffion adds new force to the elaftic vigour of the mind; and the zeal or obstinacy of a fpiritual rebel was fometimes ftimulated by fecret motives of ambition or

39 See Daillé de Ufu Patrum, and Le Clerc, Bibliotheque uni. verfelle, tom. x. p. 409. To arraign the faith of the Anti Nicene fathers, was the object, or at least has been the effect, of the ftu. pendous work of Petavius on the Trinity (Dogm. Theolog. tom.ii.); nor has the deep impreffion been erazed by the learned defence of Bishop Bull.

40 The most ancient creeds were drawn up with the greatest latitude. See Bull (Judicium Ecclef. Cathol.), who tries to prevent Epifcopus from deriving any advantage from this obfervation.

avarice.

XXI.

avarice. A metaphyfical argument became the CHAP. caufe or pretence of political contefts; the fubtleties of the Platonic fchool were used as the badges Fections. of popular factions, and the distance which separated their refpective tenets was enlarged or magnified by the acrimony of difpute. As long as the dark herefies of Praxeas and Sabellius laboured to confound the Father with the Son ", the orthodox party might be excufed if they adhered more strictly and more earnestly to the distinction, than to the equality, of the divine perfons. But as foon as the heat of controverfy had fubfided, and the progrefs of the Sabellians was no longer an object of terror to the churches of Rome, of Africa, or of Egypt; the tide of theological opinion began to flow with a gentle but fteady motion toward the contrary extreme; and the most orthodox doctors allowed themselves the ufe of the terms and definitions which had been cenfured in the mouth of the fectaries 42. After the edict of toleration had restored peace and leisure to the Christians, the Trinitarian controverfy was revived in the ancient feat of Platonifm, the learned, the opulent, the tumultuous city of Alexandria; and the flame of religious difcord was rapidly communicated from the schools to the clergy, the people, the pro

41 The herefies of Praxeas, Sabellius, &c, are accurately explained by Mofheim (p. 425. 680—714,). Praxeas, who came to Rome about the end of the second century, deceived, for fome time, the fimplicity of the bishop, and was confuted by the pen of the angry Tertullian.

42 Socrates acknowledges, that the herefy of Arius proceeded from his strong defire to embrace an opinion the most diametrically opposite to that of Sabellius.

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vince,

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Arius.

CHA P. vince, and the Eaft. The abftrufe queftion of the XXI, eternity of the Logos was agitated in ecclefiaftical conferences, and popular fermons; and the heterodox opinions of Arius 43 were foon made public by his own zeal, and by that of his adverfaries. His moft implacable adverfaries have acknowledged the learning and blameless life of that eminent prefbyter, who, in a former election, had declared, and perhaps generously declined, his pretenfions to the epifcopal throne 44. His competitor Alexander affumed the office of his judge. The important caufe was argued before him; and if at first he feemed to hefitate, he at length pronounced his final fentence, as an abfolute rule of faith 45. The undaunted prefbyter, who prefumed to refift the authority of his angry bishop, was feparated from the communion of the church. But the pride of Arius was fupported by the applause of a numerous party. He reckoned among his immediate followers two bishops of

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43 The figure and manners of Arius, the character and numbers of his firft profelytes, are painted in very lively colours by Epipha. nius (tom. i. Hæref. Ixix. 3. p. 729,); and we cannot but regret that he should foon forget the hiftorian, to affume the talk of controversy.

44 See Philoftorgius (1. i. c. 3.) and Godefroy's ample Com. mentary. Yet the credibility of Philoftorgius is leffened, in the eyes of the orthodox, by his Arianifm; and in thofe of rational critics, by his paffion, his prejudice, and his ignorance.

45 Sozomen (1. 1. c. 15) reprefents Alexander as indifferent, and even ignorant, in the beginning of the controverfy; while Socrates (1. 1. c. 5.) afcribes the origin of the difpute to the vain curiofity of his theological fpeculations. Dr. Jortin (Remarks on Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, vol. ii. p. 178.) has cenfured, with his ufual freedom, the conduct of Alexander: apogyny EaTTETES. Ομοίως φρονειν εκέλευσε,

Egypt,

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