Sect. 1. Soc. lib. 2. cap. 24 25.26 Soz. lib. 4. cap. 5. when as Photinus began to act his part and it incensed him not a little that such innovations durst put up head in his own presence and therefore he is easily induced to call a Council there whereas Photinns was at that time Bishop The Arians furthered him also therein being as earnest therein as himself and procured the Emperour also to send for Hossius whom once gained they hoped to gain many more and he came though unwillingly as he had cause In the transaction thereof the Arians dealt cunningly For they made a Confession of Faith that on the one side aimed to strike Photinus in the right vein and which also on the other side may go down with Hossius and others of his way and yet must be safe for the Arians to approve For the Council consisted most of such And this Confession is thus framed We believe in one God Father Almighty the Maker and Framer of all things of whom all the Father-hood in Heaven and Earth is named And in his onely begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ before all ages begotten of the Father God of God Light of Light by whom all things are made which are in Heaven and in Earth visible and invisible Who is the Word Wisdom True Light and Life Who in these last dayes is made Man for us born of the Holy Virgin crucified dead and who arose from the dead the third day and ascended into Heaven sits at the right hand of God the Father and shall come at the end of the World to judge the Living and the Dead and to render to every man according to his works of whose Kingdome there is no end but remaineth for ever For He shall sit at the right hand of the Father not onely whilst this World last but also in the World to come And in the Holy Ghost that is the Comforter whom the Lord promised to send after his Ascention unto his Disciples that He might teach them and mind them all things and did send Him by whom the souls of such as sincerely believe in Him are sanctified 1. Those therefore that affirm that the Son is of things which are not or of any other substance then of God the Father Or that there was time or age when He was not are accursed 2. So if any man affirm that the Father and the Son are two Gods 3. Or that Christ was God before all ages and therewith doth not confesse that the Son of God with the Father made all things 4. Or that the Son of God or any part of Him is begotten of Mary 5. Or that the Son is born of Mary according to fore-knowledge and not before all ages begotten of the Father and was with God and that by Him all things were made 6. Or that the substance of God may be dilated or contracted 7. Or that the essence of God dilated makes the Son or shall call the Son as it were the dildting of His Essence 8. Or shall call the Son the Word of God in the mind of the Father seated or the Word brought forth 9. Or that God Man is begotten of the Virgin Mary understanding thereby that God is begotten 10. Or that shall expound these words besides Me there is no God to exclude thereby the onely begotten who is God from everlasting 11. Or shall expound those words the Word was made Flesh to be transmutation into Flesh 12. Or by crucifying the onely begotten Son of God shall understand that the Son of God did undergo passion destruction change diminution or annihilation 13. Or that shall expound these words Let us make man c. as spoken from God the Father to himself and not to God the Son 14. Or that shall affirm that Jacob wrastled with God as God or with God the Father and not with the Son as Man 15. Or shall expound those words the Lord gained from the Lord not of the Father and the Son but the Father rained from Himself 16. Or that shall expound those forms of speech God the Father or God the Son or God of God to determine two Gods thereby 17. Or when he saith Lord of Lords shall thereby understand two Gods For we do not place the Son in the same degree with the Father but we make Him subject to the Father 18. Or shall affirm the Father Son and Holy Spirit to be one Person 19. Or that calling the Holy Ghost the Comforter shall intend thereby God begotten 20. Or that shall call any the Comforter besides whom the Son of God hath so called 21. Or that shall affirm the Holy Ghost to be part of the Father and the Son 22. Or that the Son as one of the Creatures is made by the will of the Father 23. Or that the Son is begotten without the will of the Father 24. Or that Jesus Christ the Son of God is not from Eternity but to be the Son and Christ onely when he was born of Mary and began then to be God as Samosetanus said This Confession thus framed as on the one side it doth not assert that the Son is consubstantial with the Father so on the other side it saith not in so many words that he is like to the Father So being as it were silent in the point of similitude they hoped both the Orthodox and the Arian would subscribe thereto and agree in the condemning of Photinus if he should prove obstinate Besides this Confession thus framed Sect. 2. there were two other Confessions offered which were suffered to passe abroad but which of all these was offered to Photinus to subscribe appeareth not by the History but it appeareth that Photinus resused to subscribe and unde took to desend his opinions by dispute yet not satisfying the Council they declared him excommunicated and banished him and accordingly he retired himself all his dayes Neverthelesse he published a discourse against all Heresies For even Hereticks will condemne Heresies Of these two other Confessions one is wholy concealed by the Historians Sect. 3. onely they say that therein that the words Substance and Consubstantial were not onely omitted but expresly forbidden to be used either in teaching or disputation For the way to bring in Heresie is to do it by degrees they first conceal the words that do difference truth from crrour and then afterwards foist in words that may lead in their errours But this is not all for in the same Confession thus concealed they affirm That the Father is greater then the Son in Honour Dignity and Deity and in the Name Father And that the Father is without beginning and that the Generation of the Son is known onely to the Father But as touching the third Confession although it be not concealed yet it seems it was reserved to be owned by another Council as not so fitting for the present purpose where such divers Confessions were propounded and the members each of
party But the Council at Constantinople seeing the Emperours endeavour unsuccesseful they take up another course and hope to finde out a Confession of Faith that may seem to hold forth the truth and yet not dis-affirm either the Emperours Confession at Syrmium nor that of the Acasians nor of the Semi-Arians but consist with all and this they more easily and readily compose because they make the Emperours Confession their ground-work and over-lay the same with a varnish of other words not apparantly altering the substance but explaining it in manner following Soc. lib. 2. cap. 32. We believe in one God the Father Almighty from whom are all things And in the onely begotten Son of God begotten of God before all ages and before all beginning by whom all things are made visible and invisible the alone onely begotten of the Father alone begotten God of God like to the Father which begat him according to the Scriptures whose generation no man knows but the Father onely which begat him We know this onely begotten Son of God to be sent from the Father to have deseended from Heaven as it is written and conversed with Disciples and having fulfilled all order according to his Fathers will to be crucified dead and buried to have descended into Hell at whom the Devils trembled to have risen from the dead the third day conversed with his Disciples and after forty dayes taken up into Henven to sit on the right hand of the Father That he shall come at the last day of the Resurrection with the glory of his Father that he may render to every one according to his Works And in the Holy Ghost whom the onely begotten Son of God Christ the Lord and our God promised that he would send to Mankind The Comforter as it is written the Spirit of Truth which he sent when He was taken up into Heaven The word Substance we utterly disallow and take away The word Subsistence of the Father Son and Holy Ghost ought likewise not to be mentioned We affirm that the Son is like to the Father And thus the Arians produce many formes contrary to the Nicene Confession Sect. 2. to the end that if they gain not the day for their principles to settle in the minds of men yet at least their minds may be possessed with many notions and unsetled in the Nicene Doctrine And that these notions may seem more solid they are countenanced by Councils whose pride would never suffer them to stoop to the truth nor to the same expressions of one and the same errour And these Councils are holden many of them at the same place or places of the same name where formerly Orthodox Councils were holden as at Nice Sardica and Arminum that the common people might be confounded the more in their right understandings of the determination of their principles Neverthelesse the Arian wound still bleeds fresh Manasse is against Ephraim and both against Judah The Acasians are angry both with the Semi-Arians and Orthodox but the Semi-Arians are stark mad against the Orthodox Soc. lib. 2. cap. 30. Macedonius the Leader of the Semi-Arians spares none that comes within his Ecclesiastical Power and will not communicate with him and where his Ecclesiastical Power falls short the souldiers help him with fire and sword But the Orthodox will not satisfie them Sect. 3. the Novatians also stand in their way though they communicate not with the Orthodox yet they will not communicate with Macedonius and therefore he heaps on them all the insolencies that the souldiers can devise with that extremity that the Novatians can endure no longer but take armes in their own defence and in a plain battel in the field winne a victory with the effusion of much blood both of the Emperours souldiers and their Arian associates Hereat the Emperour is troubled if his souldiers cannot prevail against a tumultuary party how shall they stand against a formed army of enemies but the Arian party is extremely vexed and both Emperour and Arian fall upon Macedonius and banish him from Constantinople and so that See void once more of Macedonius Eudoxius gets into his room after his wonted manner no man knows how for the Emperour disowned his election Neverthelesse once in Soz. lib. 4. cap. 25. he seeks the peoples approbation and to shew his deep reach into matters of divinity strained his wit into a higher pitch of blasphemy then any formerly had attained he tells the people what they never heard before Namely That God the Father is impious and that God the Son is pious and whiles men are wondring at the strangenesse of the doctrine he opens the riddle and tells them That God the Father did not worship any one but God the Son worshipped the Father Hereat saith the Writer the people laughed which is no lesse strange but They that feed upon Heresie will make no bones of Blasphemy Otherwise both Bishop and people had more cause to weep However the Emperour is so well satisfied in him as he did not onely not depose him but shewed so much respect either to him or others of his perswasion as to condescend that they of Arius his highest forme should hold another Council at Antioch But the Novatians having approved themselves thus good souldiers against the Macedonian party Sect. 4 bethink of strengthening themselves by growing in amity with the Orthodox as they were now baptised in enmity with the Semi-Arians For though they still hold to their principles concerning the observation of Easter and non-communion with such as had relapsed and such as after Baptisme had committed mortal sin as they termed it in all which they were in the negative yet in other points more fundamemal Soc. lib. 2. cap. 30. Soz. lib. 4. cap. 19. they were so grounded that they loved the Orthodox above all others they would joyn in prayer with them they would pray for them and would even die for them and were requited with the like observance from the Orthodox to them again yet could not these come full home to one another in all the Publick Ordinances to communicate together The Acasians or Eudoxians also labour to fortifie their party Sect. 5. and therefore as unanimously as they can they assemble at the Council now called at Antioch yet the Semi-Arians come thither also more in number but inferiour to the other Arians in power who being more potent at the Court and the other discountenanced did rule all at this Council and put in and out as they pleased Eudoxius is confirmed Bishop of Constantinople and Meletus made Bishop of Antioch although in him as well as others they were mistaken Soc. lib. 2. cap. 34. Theod. lib. 2. c. 31. Soz. lib. 4. cap. 27. For Meletus was Bishop of Sebastia one of excellent parts of learning eloquence and prudence and of an excellent plausible carriage which added a lustre to all the rest On this man the Eudoxians look as one
and remains there in peace during the rest of his dayes which was about two or three years during all which time the Alexandrian Churches had rest for his sake when as the Arian rages continued in other places And although it might well consist with Athanasius his age to retire his mind to a contemplative life after all these turmoils thus long endured and that it might be judged discretion for him so to do yet according to the strength of his weak body his spirit still moves outward and he acts as far as he can in the publick care of the Churches by holding correspondency with the Bishop of Ronie with Basil Nazianzen and others and wrote Letters of advice to the Affrican Churches endeavouring to vindicate the Nicene Faith and confirm them therein and therein he tells them that he had prevailed with the Bishop of Rome whom he calls his brother to depose Auxentius Bishop of Millain â—â—than â—â—ist ad â—ffrican He also wrote other Letters at the instance of Basil to the Asian Churches with which he also sent Peter who afterward succeeded Athanasius in Alexandria by whose endeavour and advice of Athanasius many of the Orthodox Christians by persecution scattered abroad were re-united and such who through weaknesse had been ensnared by the Arian power were again reduced into Church Communion upon renewing of their Profession of the Nicene Faith besides Athanasius wrote divers other Epistles extant amongst his other Works upon the like Subject All which do sufficiently manifest that he held constant to the Death that Doctrine which in his Life he had so stoutly vindicated And doubtlesse there were divers other actions of Athanasius which if God had so seen meet might have been worthy to be recorded which are by the Historians buried in silence either for want of information at such a distance or as things not so regardable in regard they no wayes concerned his Sufferings as if when he ceased to suffer he ceased to live and therefore I can add no more Neverthelesse I must add this that before Athanasius died he had the honour to out-live all his persecutors Constantius Julian Arius Aetius Eusebius Macedonius Eudoxius Vrsatius Valens Erontius besides George and Gregory Athanasius his Corrivals in Alexandria and divers of the Governours in Egypt and Alexandria And in a manner became the Conquerour of the rage and malice of his enemies that remained alive who were even weary of their own hatred God also witnessing from Heaven his displeasure against that generation by stupendious Inundations Earthquakes Stormy Tempests of Thunder Wind and Hail Pestilences hideous Famines in all which innumerable multitudes of people perished And which was worst of all the dreadful Plague of Ignorance invaded the common sort of Professors in comparison whereof Athanasius his private troubles scarce touched him for he said of them Mihi nulla est cura I regard them not for I know yea am assured that for such as do suffer a reward is promised by God Thus lived and died Great Athanasius in a good old age â—ect 3. â—azian â—ncom â—â—than and was gathered to his Fathers the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and Martyrs more honoured by tears at his departure out of this World then by all the Acclamations of the people at his several returns from banishment to Alexandria but most of all in his Tomb the minds and hearts of all good and learned men in the perpetuity of an honourable Name and not a little in this Encomium framed by so worthy a man as Gregory Nazianzen was Athanasius was the first second to the Apostles a Pillar to hold forth the Mistery of Godlinesse against spiritual wickednesses in high places meek and gentle â—azian â—acom â—â—han seldome or never angry and for that cause not unacceptable to his enemies yet of a bravs spirit especially in danger free from ambition yet of excellent parts â—â—sil Epist â—â— 51. both for learning and prudence compassionate yet not passionate constant to his principles yet of a reconciling spirit wise to observe occasions and ready to improve them vigilant in his place at Alexandria and not idle no not in the Wildernesse his Doctrine accepted of by the Churches and his Confession of the Faith a Rule of theirs even till this day His Personage was comely his Countenance Angelical his Gesture affable and courteous yet grave He was active like a Bishop holy as a Monk yet not austere His speech was proper short and acute his delivery pleasing His praises were esteemed because advised his reproofs regarded because without Gall And it was part of his happinesse that he was at his entry the onely Great Champion of the Truth but at his departure that he left divers viz. Gregory Nazianzen Basil Gregory Nissen Ambrose Epiphanius Hillary and Cyril were in his time and Augustin not far behind Two of these viz. Nazianzen and Basil were not onely beholders of his light but admirers So as though the fourth Century grew dark with errours yet it had many brave Stars whose light remaineth still Orient notwithstanding the brightnesse of this day that we all pretend unto Athanasins now dead Sect. 4. Arianisme now lords it alone at Alexandria and persecution breaks in like a Torrent no man can stand before it Soz. lib. 6. cap. 19 20. the Churches in the City and Countrey are swallowed up the floud stops not there but breaks even as it were out of the World into the Wildernesse amongst the Monks where finding a shore beyond which it cannot go it rages most of all and so continued till the Goths paid the debt of the people of God by the death of the Emperour Valeus somewhat like that of Julian saving that after his wounds received in the battel with much ado he gained into a Town for succour Soz. lib. c. cap. 41. and there together with the Town was by the pursuing Goths burnt alive Thus the Goths gave a deadly wound to the Arian interest in the Eastern Empire Sect. 5. For Gratian succeeded Valentinian in the West and being Just and Orthodox advanced and established brave Theodosius in the East who was no lesse Orthodox and Just then himself and from whom the Succession in the East was continued for the space of one hundred and twenty years in a continual race of Emperours whereof not one would protect the Arians and some of them utterly rejected them even until the time of the Emperour Anastatius But the Goths in some measure gave Arianisme a salve for as they had gained in Valens his time the Arian Doctrine â—…z lib. 6. â—…p 37. or rather were gained by it so now the Hunnes having invaded the Goths and turned them out of doors Arianisme being now discountenanced by the Eastern Emperours like a Renegado shrowding it self under the Gothaick Wings â—â—vagr â—ist lib. 2. â—…p 1. â— 4 c. 14. shisted from place to place with them casting their spawn as they went in