iard, who is so highly spoken of, took his seat with the others. The prelate of the imperial city, indeed, was absent on account of his advanced years, but his place was supplied by presbyters. Constantine, alone, of all the princes who ever lived, wove so brilliant a crown as this, joined together by the bond of peace, as a suitable acknowledgment of gratitude to Heaven for the victories vouchsafed him over his enemies, and dedicated it to God his Saviour, in bringing together so great a convention; an image, as it were, of the apostolic assembly. For it is related that in the times of the apostles, religious men were gathered together from every nation under heaven. Among them were Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Lybia, which is near Cyrene; strangers also of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians. In that congregation, however, there was this circumstance of inferiority, that all who were collected together were not ministers of God, while the present assembly included more than two hundred and fifty bishops; but such a multitude of presbyters, deacons and acolothists accompanied them, that it was difficult to determine their number. Among these holy ministers, some excelled by the wisdom and eloquence of their discourse, others by the gravity of their deportment and patience of labor; and others, again, by their humility, and the gentleness of their manners. Some of them were honored on account of their grey hairs, while others were recommended by their youthful vigor and activity, both of body and mind. Several of them had but recently begun to exercise the functions of their ministry."

This account of Eusebius may sufficiently refute the disparaging language of Sabinus,* bishop of Heraclea in Thrace, who derides the fathers of Nice as ordinary and ignorant men. It is very probable that in so large an assembly, collected from

* He was of the sect of Macedonius, who considered the Holy Ghost as a divine energy, and not a distinct person.

various quarters, such a character might be applicable to some individuals; but there is no reason to doubt that there was a fair proportion of men of talents, learning and piety, in this convocation. Some were confessedly eminent for knowledge and abilities; and several of them, according to Theodoret, had exercised miraculous powers, which, though less common, it is likely, in the third and fourth centuries, than in the preceding ages of the Church, were yet to be found, in the opinion of some respectable writers, within its communion. Others were esteemed on account of their past sufferings in the cause of our holy religion, still bearing in their bodies, like the great apostle of the Gentiles," the marks of the Lord Jesus."

Before the opening of the council, some who were experienced in the practice of disputation, began to agitate questions of theology. A layman of good sense, who had the courage to confess the name of Christ, in a time of persecution, perceiving that many were attracted by the force and elegance of their discourses, undertook to rebuke them by remarking, that neither our Lord nor his apostles had taught us the rules of logic, or idle subtleties, but the truth, which is preserved by faith and good works. All who were present listened to him with admiration, and approved of what he had said. The speakers themselves became more moderate in consequence; and the noise and clamor excited by their animated declamation were no longer heard.

It is also related* that certain heathen philosophers were anxious to take a part in the dispute, some of them wishing to be made acquainted with the doctrines of the gospel, and others, to whom the Christians were obnoxious, on account of the decaying credit of their own religion, desiring to create a misunderstanding, and to foment divisions among them. One of these "seekers after wisdom," in the vain confidence of his imagined eloquence, assuming an insolent manner, endeavored to

* Sozomen, I.8.

turn the priests into ridicule. But a plain and illiterate old man, one of those who had been distinguished as confessors, was unable to bear his arrogance; and, although unversed in the rules of logic and the art of disputation, ventured to accost him. This excited the laughter of some inconsiderate persons, to whom he was known, but alarmed the more reflecting, who apprehended that he might expose himself in so unequal a contest. Their respect for his character, however, prevented any attempt to hinder him from speaking. "Listen," he said, "philosopher, in the name of Jesus. There is one God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible, who has performed all this by the power of his Word, and established it by the holiness of his Spirit. The Word, which we call the Son of God, pitying the errors of men and their brutish way of life, condescended to be born of a woman, to sojourn among them, and to die for their salvation. He will come again, to judge the actions of every one in this life. We believe, in the simplicity of our hearts, that this is the truth. Do not then fruitlessly trouble yourself, in seeking arguments against these things, or in attempting to discover the mode in which they may be, or not. But if you believe, only tell me so." The philosopher, not a little astonished at this unexpected address, answered, I believe; and, thanking the old man for having vanquished him, recommended it to those with whom he had formerly agreed in sentiment, to follow his example, solemnly declaring, that the change which he had experienced was the ef fect of divine power, and that he felt himself inexplicably impelled to embrace the faith of Christ.

The bishops had several conferences among themselves previously to the day when they were to proceed to the formal decision of affairs, and on which, Constantine desired to be present. Arius having been sent for on these occasions, declared his opinions as they are given in his letters ; *—that God has not always been a Father, and that there was a time when the Son *One of them may be found among the Documents annexed, C.

was not; that the Son is a creature like the others; that he is mutable by his nature; that by his free will he chose to remain virtuous, but that he might change like others. He said that Jesus Christ was not true God, but divine by participation, like all others to whom the name of God is attributed. He added, that he was not the substantial Word of the Father, and his proper wisdom, by which he had made all things, but that he was himself made by the eternal wisdom; that he is foreign in every thing from the substance of the Father; that we were not made for him, but he for us, when it was the pleasure of God, who was before alone, to create us; that he was made by the will of God, as others are, having no previous existence at all, since he is not a proper and natural production of the Father, but an effect of his grace. The Father, he continued, is invisible to the Son, and the Son cannot know him perfectly; nor, indeed, can he know his own substance. Some expressions of Arius are deemed too irreverent to be repeated, but the curious reader may find them in the works of Athanasius." The bishops, assembled as they were from so many different and widely separated countries, stopped their ears on hearing such language, and rejected this doctrine as remote and alien from that of the Church. After a protracted discussion, some were of opinion that nothing new should be introduced, and that they should hold to the faith which was received from the beginning by tradition. This was particularly the case with those whose simplicity of character led them to receive religious truths without a minute examination. Others contended that it was not expedient to follow the opinions of the ancients without inquiry. Many of the bishops, and of the ecclesiastics, who attended them, acquired great reputation at these preliminary meetings, by exhibiting their strength in the art of logic, and their practised skill in disputes of this nature, and thus made themselves known, not only to the emperor, but also to his courtiers; and from that time Athanasius, a deacon of the church of Alexan

* Orat. I. contra Arianos, p. 294 and 295.

dria, who acompanied his bishop, took the principal part in this important discussion.

Constantine being desirous of meeting so great a number of prelates as were assembled at Nice, as well as of promoting peace and unanimity, repaired to that city, after he was in formed of their arrival. But, as it too frequently happens, many of that sacred order, as if they had met together on their private concerns, and supposing that they had found a favorable opportunity of having their grievances redressed, presented to the emperor written complaints against their brethren. As he was almost continually importuned with memorials of this kind, he deferred the consideration of them all to a certain day. At the appointed time, he addressed the prelates to the following effect. "All these accusations, my friends, must be finally determined at the great day of account, by the common Judge of all men. But it does not belong to a man like myself to take cognizance of these mutual charges, as they are brought by bishops, who ought so to demean themselves as not to be judged by others. Imitate, then, the divine clemency in forgiv ing one another; and relinquishing your reciprocal imputations, agree to be at peace: And let us give our attention to those articles of faith, for the consideration of which, we have convened in this place." He assured them, according to Theodoret,* although this seems to have been said at another time, that he had never read their libels. He declared that the delinquencies of the prelates ought not to be published, lest they should prove an occasion of offence to the people; and even added, that if he should surprise a bishop in adultery, he would cover him with his imperial mantle, for fear that the example of the crime should be prejudicial to those who might witness it. He then commanded them to desist from their unseemly recriminations, and ordered their memorials to be thrown into the fire.

The day appointed by the emperor for the public session of the council was under the consulate of Paulinus and Julian,

Hist. Eccles. I, 11.