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leader did not extinguish this absurd and immoral sect. Anabaptists also, went by the name of Apostolics.

BAPTISTS.

Some

See ANA

APOTACTICS--a species of Encratites or Tatians, who to the common errors of the Encratites added the necessity of renouncing, absolutely-all worldly possessions, and maintained all to be reprobates who retained them. Some of these sectaries were in existence towards the decline of the second century, in Cilicia and Pamphilia. See the foregoing articles.

AQUATICS were heretics who imagined, that water was a principle coeternal with God himself;-a doctrine which Hermogenes had advanced with respect to matter in general, in order to supply the Creator of this visible world with materials for its formation. His disciples had proceeded to investigate the nature of this primeval matter; and, it would seem, they had adopted the system of Thales who imagined water to be the principle of all things. Thus was human wit, after having raised itself by the aid of religion above the fanciful speculations of the ancient philosophers, reconducted to those senseless theorisms once relinquished as untenable,-through a vain and restless curiosity of prying too minutely into things beyond its sphere. See Stockman's Lexicon, upon the article in ques

tion.

ARA-a sectarist who pretended, that Christ himself was not exempt from the stain of original sin. (Eus. Hist. l. 6, c. 37. Aug. de Hæres. c. 38. Niceph. Hist. l. 5, c. 23.)

ARABIANS-the denomination of a sect which in the third age combated the immortality of the soul. They did not, however, deny the existence of a future state: they asserted only, that the soul died together with the body, and with it would rise again to life. Upon this subject was convoked a numerous synod in Arabia, at which the famous Origen assisted: he spoke on this occasion with so much moderation and sober reasoning, that those who had embraced the erroneous doctrine of the sect, renounced it upon the spot.

ARIANS-the followers of Arius who, at the commencement of the fourth age, denied the divinity of Jesus Christ; adding that the Son was a creature, and made out of nothing; that there was a time when he did not exist; and that he was capable of sin,-with other similar impieties. Arius was a curate of Alexandria, and engaged in his errors two other curates of the city, twelve deacons, seven priests, and two Lybian bishops. The holy patriarch St Alexander, after using in vain the mildest

expostulations and the most tender remonstrances in order to reclaim him, called a council at Alexandria, in which Arius boldly maintained his errors. The fathers proceeded to refute these principles, and to pronounce their canonical condemnation. "If, say they, the Word be a creature, he has then the imperfections of a creature; he is subject to all its several vicissitudes,is not all-powerful: his knowledge is circumscribed; for these imperfections are appendages essential to the creature, however perfect we may suppose it to be." The consequences were too obvious for Arius to mistake them. The council proved the falsehood of his doctrine from the various passages of Holy Scripture which ascribe to the Word immutability and omniscience, and those which expressly declare, that by Him and for Him all things were made, and that-without Him, nothing that hath existence was created. To the evidence of these proofs from Holy Scripture, the fathers of the council added the consentient doctrine of the universal church, which had invariably taught the divinity of the Word, and retrenched from its communion those that controverted it. The council defined accordingly, that the Word was God, and co-eternal with the Father: it reprobated the doctrine of Arius, and anathematized his person. Arius found means by artful and insinuating letters to interest some prelates in his favor, and continued to disseminate his blasphemous opinions. His stature was majestic, his body meagre, and his countenance seriously reserved. Grave in his deportment, strictly clerical in his dress, he notwithstanding, possessed the art of pleasing in conversation, and excelled in poetry and music. He composed spiritual canticles for the labouring poor and devotees, and thus effectually spread the poison of his heresy among the people. By the same method had Valentinus and Armonius propagated their blasphemies before him; and it has often been adopted with success by sectaries of the present day. (See Ernesti Cypriani dissert. de Propagatione Hæresium per Cantilenas, Lond. 1720. in-8.)

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The holy bishop Alexander was indefatigable in writing to prevent the spread of Arius's doctrine, and to admonish the faithful of its pernicious tendency. At this period the Roman empire was in the hands of Constantine, who ordered a general assembly of the bishops dispersed throughout his vast domains to reexamine Arius's cause, and to pass their final decision at Nice, in the year of our Lord 325. This venerable synod condemned the Arian system, and refuted Arius's impious opinions, while Constantine issued a decree of banishment against those who should refuse to subscribe the doctrine of the council. Here the spirit of innovation should have paused, had the pride of dogmatising known how to bend to legitimate authority. That church which Christ had commanded all to hear and to obey, now solemnly discarded error, and pointed out the truth. The Arian party, intimidated by the imperial decrees, pretended

acquicscence, and used all the mean artifices of dissimulation, flattery and intrigue,-to surprise the emperor, if possible, into an approbation of their impieties. They succeeded but too wellin making him believe them men of virtue and orthodox in their sentiments, although they had a difficulty in subscribing to the consubstantiality of the Son of God. After Constantine's decease, they found means to engage Constantius in their errors; and, under him and the succeeding emperors-to the period when Theodosius the Great was associated in the empire, all things remained in the utmost confusion in the East; and during the most considerable part of this term, Arianism filled the provinces with tumult, and the towns with slaughter: after which it dwindled into insignificance, and gradually disappeared. From the close of the fourth century there was not to be found one solitary individual Arian bishop, or private church in the whole extent of the Roman empire. Socrates, Sozomen and Theodoret attest this fact. Some few ecclesiastics and laymen, however, still continued in a private capacity to maintain the doctrine of Arius; but they no longer formed a distinct society.

Arianism survived till a later period among the Goths, whom it had begun to implicate in its errors before the death of Constantine; likewise among the Vandals who conquered Africa, and the Burgundians who received them from the Goths. This people shewed not less zeal in propagating the Arian tenets, than in extending the limits of their empire. They put to death the greatest part of the catholic bishops, and employed against their religion whatever a wild fanaticism could suggest-to barbarians devoid alike of humanity and justice. (Sidonius, 1. 7. Ep. 6. ed. Simond. p. 1023.)

The Burgundians who had settled in Gaul towards the commencement of the fifth century, and had a few years after received a tincture of the catholic faith, about the middle of the same century inclined to Arianism. But being of a less ferocious disposition than the Goths, they listened to the wise instructions of certain learned and virtuous prelates; as was, for instance, St Avitus; by whom King Sigismond was reclaimed, and the whole Burgundian nation was restored to the catholic communion. (Adonis Chronic. t. 6, Bib. Patrum.)

The Francs too, had been engaged in Arianism upon their quitting idol-worship; for the distance between idolatry and Arianism is not so great, as from heathenism to the doctrine of the consubstantiality of the Son of God. But when Clovis em

braced the catholic faith, Arianism insensibly vanished out of France. It has been renewed in these latter times, issuing forth from the womb of fanaticism, made prolific by the boasted reformation. A certain Anabaptist preacher denied the divinity of Jesus Christ, and humourously conceived himself to be grandson to the Almighty. This visionary and maniac had his

disciples, as well as the rest of the reforming prophets; and the principles of Protestantism quickly conducted its theologians into the errors of the Arian system. Scripture, according to the Protestant principle, is the sole rule of faith, and each private individual is its interpreter. Consequently, he is judge also, of the controversies appertaining to religion. By this fundamental maxim of the reform, each particular protestant was constituted eventually--judge of the catholic church, and even of the reformation itself; had the privilege of arraigning before his own tribunal, and of condemning, if he deemed fit,-the whole doctrine of every christian community, unless he should recognise in it the characters of revelation, or should he fancy it absurd. Guided by such fallacious principles, Capito, with other Lutherans, and Servetus, respectively proceeded to discuss in their private capacity, and without appeal,-the profoundest mysteries of religion; rejected that of the most Holy Trinity, and controverted the consubstantiality of the Son. Thus was Arianism spread through Germany and Poland,-divided into a vast number of collateral branches,-propagated over Holland, and wafted into our island through the medium of Okinus, Bucer, Peter Martyr, and other champions of Protestantism. These the Duke of Somerset, guardian to Edward VI. had invited over-to establish amongst us the doctrine of Zuinglius. But Bucer and Okinus, who preached Zuinglianism in public, in their private conversation and more familiar intercourse with friends-adopted Arianism. Some of their disciples, more zealous than their masters, or less discreet, publicly maintained their errors, and were condemned to the stake by the very leading characters of the reformation in this land.

Every interest, not were now divided exprotestant cause: the Protestants alone en

After the demise of Edward VI. queen Mary issued an order to compel all foreigners to leave the kingdom. More than thirty thousand strangers, infected with a variety of different heresies, embarked on this occasion; but they left behind the germs of heterodoxy, and the leaven of Arianism. to say-the vices and the passions of men, clusively between the catholic and the Arians were comparatively neglected. grossed, henceforward, nearly the whole of Mary's attention; and Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury, who had caused the Arians to be burnt at Smithfield, was in his turn himself devoted to the faggot.

Elizabeth exchanged the old religion for Protestantism; but, apprehending for the public tranquillity, she caused the Anabaptists, the Arians, and enthusiasts to be expelled the nation.

James I. who affected theological fame, took up his pen against these sects; and all those whom his reasoning did not convince, however dignified by birth or meritorious services, he meekly consigned to the flames. This excessive rigorism gave

martyrs to the Arian cause, and multipled the sect. (Hist. Eng. by Thoiras. Rymer's Acts, &c.)

The tumults and reverses of the civil wars which desolated England under Charles I. procured for the different sects a considerable respite. After the death of that unfortunate monarch the parliament consisted only of the house of commons, composed of a very inconsiderable number of members,-all of them Independants, Anabaptists, or other sectarians, among whom the Independants maintained the lead. The Independants wished to establish a republican government, and to make each church independent of any other, and consequently, of the church of England itself; while all should be permitted to adopt what form of church-government they deemed most convenient for themselves.

Consequently to this system of religious independence recommended in parliament, a certain person undertook to set forth a catechism which contained the Arian doctrine, and alarmed the zeal of protestants. They carried their complaints to the protector Cromwell, who, notwithstanding the resolution lately passed to tolerate all sectaries, caused the author of the catechism to be laid in irons, and suffered him to perish under the hardships of his confinement. He did not however, proceed any farther to molest the Arians, who remained in peace under Charles II. and James II. Though proscribed by the church of England as heretics, they now profess undisturbed-their heterodox opinions.

Arianism has had its champions, as well in modern as in ancient times; and many of our countrymen have displayed their controversial abilities both on the side of truth and in support of error. Each claims, exclusively, the victory: whose then is it authoritatively to decide-if this be not the privilege of the church of Christ? Private spirit, we see, Private spirit, we see, is equally divided between the contending parties: either therefore, there is an authority residing in the true church paramount to all human exception, or Christ has left his church in anarchy, and the faithful to eternal wrangling-tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine, and without the possibility of ever knowing whereon to rest their faith! "Independently, however, of ecclesiastic authority and the consent of all the ancient fathers professing with one accord-the consubstantiality of the Son of God,-the glory of his divinity, one would think, is clearly manifested in the divine character and spirit of his ministry. Religion, properly speaking, is nothing else but a divine light which discovers the Deity to man, and determines the obligations which we have to God. Whether the Most High reveals himself in person to mankind, or fills with his spirit extraordinary characters his representatives, he has in view the sanctification and glory of his name, and the establishment of a worship by means of which he receives

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