ADVERTISEMENT TO THE THIRD EDITION. A VERY few words will suffice for the purpose of explaining in what respects the Third Edition of this Volume differs from those which preceded it. Its text has been relieved of some portion of the literary imperfections necessarily incident to a historical sketch, its author's first work, and written against time. Also, some additions have been made to the footnotes. These are enclosed in brackets, many of them being merely references (under the abbreviation “ Ath. Tr.') to his annotations on those theological Treatises of Athanasius, which he translated for the Oxford Library of the Fathers. A few longer Notes, for the most part extracted from other publications of his, form an Appendix. The Table of Contents, and the Chronological Table have both been enlarged. No change has been made any where affecting the opinions, sentiments, or speculations contained in the original edition,—though they are sometimes expressed with a boldness or decision which now displeases him ; -except that two sentences, which needlessly reflected on the modern Catholic Church, have, without hurting the context, been relegated to a place by themselves at the end of the Appendix. April, 1871. TABLE OF CONTENTS. SECTION I.—The Church of Antioch. .. 1. Historical connexion of Arianism with the Antiochene Paulus, Bishop of Antioch, deposed for heresy . His disciples the first Arians . . . . . Revival of the fortunes of the Jews. . Patronized by successive Emperors . . . . Their influence upon the populace and the Schools of Of the Proconsulate . . . . . . Of Syria . . . . . . . . Betraying or encouraging a Judaistic spirit 4. Judaizers indirectly leading to Arianism :- Cerinthians and Ebionites . . . . 5. Corroborative facts . . SECTION II.-The Schools of the Sophists . . . 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 . . 3. Tradition losing force :- Contempt of predecessors . . . . . Unwillingness of the Church to impose it . . SECTION III.-The Church of Alexandria . . 1. Its missionary and political character :- Its local position . . . . . . Catechetical system . . . . . . Example of Scripture to guide us . . . Scripture the storehouse, not the organ of teaching Terminating with the rise of the Councils . . National with the Egyptians . . . . Adopted by Greek philosophy. .. Familiar to inspired writers . . Safeguards necessary, canons for its use Caution of Scripture as to it . . . . . PAGE Sanctioned by St. Pauli . 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 . . . .. Its influence on the language of theology. Pagan tradition of a Trinity . . How far adopted by the School of Philo For Origen . . . . . . SECTION IV.-The Eclectic Sect . . Its principle and origin . . . Its connexion with neologism . . Though an excrescence of his school. . . . . . As Platonistic . . . . . .. PAGE 3. Its serviceableness to Arianism, as opposed to theological . And to formal dogma, &c. . . . . . 116 No historical evidence of its aiding Arianism . . 117 Its success in Syria . . . . . . . 110 119 · Its characteristic doctrine . . In Phrygia: Montanists . . . . 2. Its influence on the language of Catholics :- Of Dionysius of Alexandria . . Of Gregory of Neocæsarea . . . . . . SECTION I. - On the principle of the formation and 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 .139 Unlike the present state of religion . ... 141 2. Contrary temper of heresy :- For instance, in the Gnostics . . . And still more, in the Arians . . . . . 143 Defenceless state of Catholics . |