TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PART I. DOCTRINAL.

CHAPTER 1.

SCHOOLS AND PARTIES IN AND ABOUT THE ANTE-NICENE CHURCH,

IN THEIR RELATION TO THE ARIAN HERESY.

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SECTION I.-The Church of Antioch. .

1. Historical connexion of Arianism with the Antiochene

School :-

Paulus, Bishop of Antioch, deposed for heresy . .
The Martyr Lucian . . . . . . .

His disciples the first Arians . . . . .

2. Judaism of Antioch :-

Revival of the fortunes of the Jews. . . .

Patronized by successive Emperors .

Their influence upon the populace and the Schools of

Syria . . . . . . . . .

3. Quarto-decimans :-

Of the Proconsulate . . . . . .

Of Syria . . . . .
Of central Asia Minor .

Betraying or encouraging a Judaistic spirit

4. Judaizers indirectly leading to Arianism:-

Mosaic rites . . . . . .

Cerinthians and Ebionites.

Nazarenes . . . . . . .

5. Corroborative facts . . . . . . .

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SECTION II.—The Schools of the Sophists . . . . 26

1. Disputative skill of Arians :-

As of Paulus of Samosata . . .

And of the disciples of Aristotle . .

2. Disputation cultivated in the Christian Schools :-

Axioms taken from logic and mathematics . .

School of Artemas . . . . . . ..

3. Tradition losing force :-

Contempt of predecessors . . . . . .
Symbol of faith indispensable .

Unwillingness of the Church to impose it . .

SECTION III.—The Church of Alexandria . .

1. Its missionary and political character :-

Its local position : .

Its exoteric teaching . . . . . .

Catechetical system . . . . . .
Public preaching . . . .
Relative influence of separate Gospel truths

Example of Scripture to guide us . . . .
2. The Disciplina Arcani, or secret teaching :-

Scripture the storehouse, not the organ of teaching .
Nor Apologists an organ, as not authoritative . ..
The secret teaching consistent with the rudimental.

Not arbitrary, but an apostolical tradition . . .

Not derogatory to the authority of Scripture . .

Terminating with the rise of the Councils . . . 57

3. The Allegorical method :-

National with the Egyptians . . . .

Adopted by Greek philosophy . .

Natural to the human mind . . . .

Familiar to inspired writers . .

Scripture uses of it . .

Safeguards necessary, canons for its use . .

Caution of Scripture as to it . . .

Traditionary keys for it . . . .

Alexandrian use of it . . . . .

4. The Economy:-

Used by Alexandrians in Scripture difficulties . ..

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Sanctioned by St. Paul . .
Exemplified by the Fathers ..
Theory and dangerousness of it.
As leading to deceit ,
Divine economies . . . . .
Scripture economies.

False economies

5. The Dispensation of Paganism :-

Paganism in one aspect divine . .

As found in Genesis and Job . .

And so taught by the Fathers. .

Corollaries from this doctrine . . .

As regards infidelity and apostasy . .

And the cultivation of pagan literature .

Abuse of the doctrine . . . .

6. Platonism :-

Its influence on the language of theology ..

Pagan tradition of a Trinity . . .

Platonic Trinity .

How far adopted by the School of Philo

By the Alexandrian Fathers . ..

Instances.

stances · · · · · · ·

Apology for them . . . . .

For Origen . . . . . .

SECTION IV.—The Eclectic Sect . .

1. Its characteristics :-

Its principle and origin . .

Ammonius, its founder . . .

Its connexion with neologism .

Its contrast with it.

Later than Origen . . .

Though an excrescence of his school.

2. Its uncongeniality with Arianism :-

As mystical . ..

As not disputative . . . .

As not Judaic . . .

.

As Platonistic . . . . .

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118

120

3. Its serviceableness to Arianism, as opposed to theological

mysteries . . . . . . . . 115
And to formal dogma, &c. . . . . . 116
No historical evidence of its aiding Arianism . .

Its success in Syria . . . . . . .

SECTION V.—Sabellianism . . . . . . . 119

1. Its history :-

Its characteristic doctrine . . .

In Proconsular Asia : Noetus .

. . 120

In Rome : Praxeas . . .

In Africa : Sabellius . .

In Phrygia: Montanists . .

First form, Patripassian . .

Second form, Emanative.

2. Its influence on the language of Catholics :-

Of Dionysius of Alexandria . . .

Of Gregory of Neocæsarea .

On the use of the Homoüsion . . .

132

Recapitulation of the whole Chapter . . . . 133

CHAPTER II.

THE TEACHING OF THE ANTE-NICENE CHURCH IN ITS RELATION

TO THE ARIAN HERESY.

SECTION I. - On the principle of the formation and

imposition of Creeds . . .

1. Knowledge of the Christian doctrine a privilege to be

sought after :-

As being not a subjective opinion, but the truth . 138

And reserved and concealed by the early Church
From reverence . . . . . . .

Unlike the present state of religion . . . .

2. Contrary temper of heresy :-

For instance, in the Gnostics .

And still more, in the Arians .

Examples . . . . . . . . . 144

Defenceless state of Catholics . . . . . 145

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3. Text of Scripture not a sufficient protection to the

revealed dogma :-

Implicit faith . . . . . . 147

Action of the intellect upon it . . . . . 148

The mind tranquillized thereby . .

Attempted comprehensions . . . . . 151

Fail to secure the truth . .

And to make it a bond of fellowship

Hence the necessity of Creeds, with what limitations. 154

153

SECTION II.-The Scripture doctrine of the Trinity .

The position of the matter of evidence :-

In the Old Testament commenced

Completed in the New . . . . .

Inference to be made thence . . . .

The word Person . . . . . .

164

SECTION III.—The Ecclesiastical doctrine of the Trinity . 161

1. Our Lord considered as the Son of God :-

The term “Son ” denotes His derivation . . . 163

And therefore His dissimilarity to all creatures. .

Passages from the Fathers . . . . . 165

He who is born of God is God . . . . . 166

In like manner He is “ Radiance from the Sun”. 167

Hence, on the other hand, a subordination of the Son to

the Father

. . . . . 168

As explained by Bull and Petavius . . . . 170

Ministration of the Son and Spirit . . . . 171

Abuse of the term “Son” . . . . . . 172

Leading to materiality and ditheism . . . . 172

2. Our Lord considered as the Word of God :-

The term “Word” corrects the abuse of the term

“Son,” as teaching His co-eternity with God . 174

And His office of mediation . . . . . 174

Passages from the Fathers . . . . . 175

Abuse of the term “Word ” .

3. Our Lord considered “ of God” and “ in God” :-

Passages from the Fathers . . . . . 177

The “in God” is the “co-inherence " . . . 178

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