council was thinner than had been ufual, by the management of Botrus and Celefiu's, two perfons who afpired to the office, whofe ambition was however difappointed, the election falling on Cæcilian the deacon. All that was effential in the appointment of a bishop was observed in this tranfaction; for Cæcilian had confeffedly the fuffrage of the whole church. The two difappointed perfons protefted against the election, and were joined by Lucilla, a rich lady, who for a long time before had been too haughty to fubmit to difcipline. One Donatus of Cafe nugræ, who had been a fchifmatic before this time, offered himself as the chief of the faction. A number of bithops co-operated with him, piqued that they had not been called to the ordination of Cæcilian. Seventy bifhops, a number of whom had been traditors*, met thus together at Carthage, to depofe Cæcilian.

The reader will conceive in a strong light, how corrupt the paftors of the African church muft have been at that time, when fuch a number met to impofe a bishop on the church of Carthage against the general fenfe of the Chriftians at that place, and were at the fame time unable to object any one crime, or fupport the leaft material accufation against the paftor who had the hearts of the people. Yet they perfevered, and ordained one Majorinus a fervant of the factious lady, who to fupport the ordination gave large fums of money, which the bishops divided among themfelves.

Such is the origin of the famous Donatift fchifm, the fecond clafs of diffenters who have appeared in the records of the church; but as in their origin, fo in their manners and fpirit all along they feem

A name of infamy given to thofe who to fave their lives in the perfecution, had delivered the Scriptures or goods of the church to the perfecuting powers,

feem unworthy to be compared with the first class, the Novatian, which ftill exifted. With these last a degree of real fpirituality exifted, with the former there does not appear to have been any *.

It would be tedious to enter into a detail of Conftantine's proceedings with refpect to this fect. Undoubtedly he had a great refpect for whatever he conceived to be Chriftian. With much candour and patience he examined and re-examined the cafe of this people; and the iffue was conftantly to their difgrace. They ftirred up magiftrates to deprive the Chriftian paftors of the benefit of the imperial laws, which exempted them from public offices, and endeavoured to deprive them of their churches, till the emperor was at laft provoked to confifcate the places of their affemblies. Silvanus, one of the Donatift bishops, being convicted of having delivered up the veffels of the church, and of being fimoniacally ordained a bishop, and of having deprived the Chriftians of their church, was fent into banishment with fome others of the faction. Yet fuch was the kindness of Conftantine toward the Chriftian name, that he recalled them from their banishment, and granted religious toleration to the party, of which lenity they continued to make an unworthy use.

How corrupt is human nature! the church has outward peace, and even profperity. Yet feuds, contentions, and the most unworthy fpirit of avarice and ambition appear very prevalent. So ungrateful were men for that admirable administration of Providence, which as we have feen took place in their favour. Another fcourge feemed quickly neceffary, a fcourge generated from their own vices indeed, though evidently of divine appointment for the chastisement of the church. Satan faw his time; pure

* Fleury, B. IX.

pure doctrinal truth was now too commonly mere fpeculation. Men were ripe for a perverfion of doctrine. Lower or ambiguous views of Chrift were fecretly rifing amidst the Platonic ftudies of learned men. Origen gave the firft handle; Eufebius the hiftorian with cautious prudence was fomenting the evil. And at length a bold and open affault was made against the Deity of the Son of God, and perfecution was flirred up against Christians by those who wore the Chriftian name. The people of God were exercifed, refined, and improved, while the Christian world at large was torn in pieces with violence, intrigue, and fcandalous animofities, to the grief of all, who loved the Son of God, and walked in his ways in godly fimplicity.

CHA P. III.

THE PROGRESS OF THE ARIAN CONTROVERSY TILL THE DEATH OF CONSTANTINE *.

PET

ETER, bishop of Alexandria, had suffered martyrdom under the Dioclefian perfecution. Numbers had recanted at that time to fave their lives, and among the reft, Meletius, an Egyptian bishop. This man was of a fchifmatical and enterprifing fpirit, and having been deposed by Peter before his martyrdom, he separated himself, continued bifhop on his own plan, ordained others, and gave rife to the third fpecies of Diffenters: THAT is the proper name of the Meletian party; for they are not charged with corruption in their doctrine. Nor was this the only person who disturbed the Church, and exercised the patience of Peter. Arius of Alexandria, in his beginnings, was a promifing character, but on the appearance of the Meletian party, he efpoufed their caufe. Sometime after, he left it, and reconciled himself to Peter, and was by him ordained deacon: but condemning the bishop's feverity in rejecting the Meletian baptifm, and exhibiting a reftlefs and factious fpirit, he was again expelled from the Church: after which Peter was called to his reft by martyrdom; he was, like Cyprian, too fevere in rejecting the baptifm of Schifmatics and Heretics, but his zeal was doubtlefs from a defire of preferving the uniformity of Chriftian faith, and he did not live to fee ftill ftronger proofs of that turbulent and contentious fpirit in his deacon, which has rendered the name of Arius fo famous in hiftory.

* Socrates, 1.6.

Achilla

Achillas had fucceeded to the bishopric, and from him Arius, by fubmiffions, again obtained favour. Understanding and capacity will command refpect, and these were undoubtedly poffeffed by Arius in a great degree. He was by nature formed to deceive. In his behaviour and manner of life he was fevere and grave: In his person tall and venerable; and in his drefs almoft monaftic. He was agreeable and captivating in converfation, and well fkilled in logic and all the improvements of the human mind, then fashionable in the world *.

Such was the famous Arius, who gave name to one of the most powerful herefies which ever afflicted the Church of Chrift, and of whom Cicero's words, with little variation, in his masterly character of Catiline, might be delivered, " had he not poffeffed fome apparent virtues, he would not have been able to form fo great a defign, nor to have proved fo formidable an adverfary." He, who does much mischief in deceiving fouls, muft at leaft have a fair appearance of morals. Paul of Samofata wanted this, and he glittered only as the infect of a day.

Achillas advanced Arius to the office of Prefbyter, which in that Church was more important than in others, because each prefbyter had a diftinct congregation of his own, and was not fent up and down to different Churches, at the difcretion of the bishop, as the general practice had been in the primitive Church. This practice, however, in time gave way to the Alexandrian cuftom. Alexander, the fucceffor of Achillas, under Conftantine, treated Arius with refpect, and appeared very backward to cenfure him for his dangerous fpeculations in religion.

* See his Oration pro Cælio.-Neque unquam ex illo tam fceleratus impetus extitiffet, nifi tot vitiorum tanta immanitas quibufdam facilitatis & patientiæ radicibus niteretur.

+ Sozomen, B. 15.