passage; and the connection between Christian principles and practice appears. In truth, a Trinitarian speculatist may be as worldly-minded as any other person. His doctrine, however, contains that which alone can make a man fix "his affections on things above." CENT. II. CHAP. IX. THE HERESIES AND CONTROVERSIES OF THIS My plan calls me not to notice minutely all the CHAP. IX. CHAP. IX. Heresy respecting the person of Christ. to create a strong and permanent interest; and it is no little proof of the continued goodness and grace of God to his Church, that the sound Christians still kept themselves separate and distinct, and preserved the purity of discipline. It has often been said, that many have been enlisted among heretics, who were real Christians. When I see a proof of this, I shall take notice of it. But of the heretics in the second century, I fear, in general, no such favourable judgment ought to be passed. The state of Christian affairs, in truth, was such as to afford no probable reason for any real good man to dissent. Where was there more of piety and virtue to be found than among the general society of Christians? And how could any persons be more exposed to the cross of Christ than they were? 1. The first set of heretics of this century, were those who opposed or corrupted the doctrines of the person of Christ. A single quotation from Eusebius may be sufficient, as a specimen. Speaking of the books which were published in these times, he observes*, "Among them there is found a volume written against the heresy of Artemon, which Paulus of Samosata in our days endeavoured to revive. When this book had confuted the said presumptuous heresy, which maintained Christ to be a mere man, and that this was an antient opinion; after many leaves tending to the confutation of this blasphemous falsehood, the author writes thus: They affirm that all our ancestors, even the apostles themselves, were of that opinion, and taught the same with them, and that this their true doctrine was preached and embraced to the time of Victor, the thirteenth bishop of Rome after Peter, and was corrupted by his successor Zephyrinus. This might carry a plausible appearance of * B. v. c. 25. II. truth, were it not, in the first place, contradicted CENT. by the Holy Scriptures, and in the next, by the books of several persons, which they published long before the time of Victor, against the Gentiles, in the defence of the truth and in confutation of the heresies of their times. I mean Justin, Miltiades, Tatian, and Clement, with many others; in all which works Christ is preached and published to be God. Who knoweth not that the works of Irenæus, Melito, and all other Christians, do confess Christ to be both God and Man? In fine, how many psalms, and hymns, and canticles were written from the beginning by faithful Christians, which celebrate Christ, the Word of God, as no other than God indeed? How then is it possible, according to their report, that our ancestors, to the days of Victor, should have preached in that way, when the creed of the Church for so many years is pronounced as certain, and known to all the world? And ought they not to be ashamed to report such falsehoods of Victor, when they know it to be a fact, that this very Victor excommunicated Theodotus, a tanner, the father of this apostasy, who denied the divinity of Christ, because he first affirmed Christ to be only man. If Victor, as they report, had been of their blasphemous sentiments, how could he have excommunicated Theodotus the author of the heresy ?'" Victor's government was about the close of the second century. The anonymous author before us writes most probably in the former part of the third. Nor is his testimony much invalidated by his being anonymous. The facts to which he speaks were notorious and undeniable. We see hence, that all parties, notwithstanding the contempt, which some affect, of the testimony of antiquity and tradition, are glad to avail themselves of it where they can; which is itself a proof of the tacit consent of all man IX. CHAP. kind, that this testimony, though by no means decisive, nor such as ought ever to be put in competition with Scripture, yet weighs something, and ought not to be treated with unreserved disdain. In our own days the same attempt has been made in the same cause; with what probability of success, in the way of sound argument, let the reader, who has considered the passage I have quoted from Eusebius, judge for himself. In fact, it appears that a denial of the Deity of Christ could not find any patron within the pale of the Church for the first two hundred years. The prevalency of sentiments derogatory to the person and offices of Christ was reserved for a later period. Every person of any eminence in the Church for judgment and piety, holds unequivocally an opposite language. In some of the most renowned we have seen it all along in the course of this century. This Theodotus was a citizen of Byzantium, a tanner, but a man of parts and learning. Heretical perversions of Scripture have often been invented by such persons: Pride and self-conceit seem to have a peculiar ascendency over men who have acquired knowledge in private by their own industry: And doubtless one of the best advantages of public seminaries is this,—that modesty and reasonable submission are inculcated in them; and men, by seeing and feeling their own inferiority, are taught to think more lowly of their own attainments. This self-taught tanner speculated; felt himself important enough to be singular; and revived the heresy of Ebion. He was brought with some other Christians before persecuting magistrates: His companions honestly confessed Christ and suffered: He was the only man of the company who denied him. In truth, he had no principles strong enough to induce him to bear the cross of Christ. Theodotus lived stiil a denier of Clarist, and being afterwards upbraid ed for denying his God; "No," says he, "I have not denied God, but man; for Christ is no more His heresy hence obtained a new name, that of the God-denying apostasy †. Persecution frequently does in this life, in part, what the last day will do completely, separate wheat from tares! CENT. 11. 2. The controversy respecting the proper time of Controversy the observation of Easter, which had been amicably Easter respecting adjusted between Polycarp of Smyrna and Anicetus of Rome, who had agreed to differ, was unhappily revived towards the close of this century: Synods were held concerning it: and an uniformity was attempted in vain throughout the Church. Victor of Rome, with much arrogance and temerity, as if he had felt the very soul of the future papacy formed in himself, inveighed against the Asiatic churches, and pronounced them excommunicated persons. The firmness, moderation, and charity of one man was of great service in quashing this dangerous contention. Irenæus, bishop of Lyons, rebuked the uncharitable spirit of Victor, reminded him of the union between Polycarp and his predecessor Anicetus, notwithstanding their difference of sentiment and practice in this point, and pressed the strong obligation of Christians to love and unity, though they might differ in smaller matters; and surely a smaller matter of diversity was scarcely ever known to occasion contention. The particulars of the debate are not worthy of recital. Certain fundamentals being stated in the first place, in which all real Christians are united, they may safely be left, each society to follow its private judgment in other things; and,-surely, yet hold the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. But that this was effected with so much difficulty, and that so slight a subject should appear of so great moment at this time, seems no small proof that the • Damascen. Heres. 54. † Αρνησίθεος αποφάσια. |