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| Origin of the Arian Heresy.
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Chapter
I.—Origin of the Arian
Heresy.
After the overthrow of the wicked and impious tyrants, Maxentius,
Maximinus, and Licinius, the surge which those destroyers, like
hurricanes, had roused was hushed to sleep; the whirlwinds were
checked, and the Church henceforward began to enjoy a settled calm.
This was established for her by Constantine, a prince deserving of all
praise, whose calling, like that of the divine Apostle, was not of men,
nor by man, but from heaven. He enacted laws prohibiting sacrifices to
idols, and commanding churches238
| 238 ἐκκλησία. The use of the word in 1 Cor. xi. 18 indicates a
transition stage between “Assembly” and
“Building.” The brethren met “in assembly:”
soon they met in a church. Cf. Aug. Ep. 190, 5. 19: “ut nomine
ecclesiæ, id est populi qui continetur, significemus locum qui
continet.” Chrysost. Hom. xxix. in Acta: οἱ
πρόγονοι τὰς
ἐκκλησίας
ᾠκοδόμησαν | to be erected.
He appointed Christians to be governors of the provinces, ordering
honour to be shown to the priests, and threatening with death those who
dared to insult them. By some the churches which had been destroyed
were rebuilt; others erected new ones still more spacious and
magnificent. Hence, for us, all was joy and gladness, while our enemies
were overwhelmed with gloom and despair. The temples of the idols were
closed; but frequent assemblies were held, and festivals celebrated, in
the churches. But the devil, full of all envy and wickedness, the
destroyer of mankind, unable to bear the sight of the Church sailing on
with favourable winds, stirred up plans of evil counsel, eager to sink
the vessel steered by the Creator and Lord of the Universe. When he
began to perceive that the error of the Greeks had been made manifest,
that the various tricks of the demons had been detected, and that the
greater number of men worshipped the Creator, instead of adoring, as
heretofore, the creature, he did not dare to declare open war against
our God and Saviour; but having found some who, though dignified with
the name of Christians, were yet slaves to ambition
and vainglory, he made them fit instruments for the execution of his
designs, and by their means drew others back into their old error, not
indeed by the former method of setting up the worship of the creature,
but by bringing it about that the Creator and Maker of all should be
reduced to a level with the creature. I shall now proceed to relate
where and by what means he sowed these tares.
Alexandria is an immense and
populous city, charged with the leadership not only of Egypt, but also
of the adjacent countries, the Thebaid and Libya. After Peter239
| 239 Succeeded Theonas as Archbishop of Alexandria, a.d. 300. Beheaded by order of Maximinus, a.d. 311. Euseb. vii. 32. | , the victorious champion of the faith,
had, during the sway of the aforesaid impious tyrants, obtained the
crown of martyrdom, the Church in Alexandria was ruled for a short time
by Achillas240
. He was succeeded by Alexander241
, who proved himself a noble defender of the
doctrines of the gospel. At that time, Arius, who had been enrolled in
the list of the presbytery, and entrusted with the exposition of the
Holy Scriptures, fell a prey to the assaults of jealousy, when he saw
that the helm of the high priesthood was committed to Alexander. Stung
by this passion, he sought opportunities for dispute and contention;
and, although he perceived that Alexander’s irreproachable
conduct forbade his bringing any charges against him, envy would not
allow him to rest. In him the enemy of the truth found an instrument
whereby to stir and agitate the angry waters of the Church, and
persuaded him to oppose the apostolical doctrine of Alexander. While
the Patriarch, in obedience to the Holy Scriptures, taught that the Son
is of equal dignity with the Father, and of the same substance with God
who begat Him, Arius, in direct opposition to the truth, affirmed that
the Son of God is merely a creature or created being, adding the famous
dictum, “There once was a time when He was not242
;” with other opinions which may be
learned from his own writings. He taught these false doctrines
perseveringly, not only in the church, but also in general meetings and
assemblies; and he even went from house to house, endeavouring to make
men the slaves of his error. Alexander, who was strongly attached to
the doctrines of the Apostles, at first tried by exhortations and
counsels to convince him of his error; but when he saw him playing the
madman243
and making public declaration of his
impiety, he deposed him from the order of the presbytery, for he heard
the law of God loudly declaring, “If thy right eye offend
thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee244
.”E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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