Show h k f i g s Communications cat ons I e en n i ARIAN HERESY The Arian Heresy is always associated with I t the name of Arius a sketch of whose life t f gives us an insight into the early history of off lt f this religious sect He first comes clearly into view as a presbyter presby- presby l ter of the church of Alexandria engaged in ini i conflict with his bishop Alexander Draper t maintains that Arius was chagrined because f. f Alexander and not himself was appointed to fill a vacancy in the See of Alexandria and the I beginning of his his' heretical attitude is in consequence consequence consequence con- con sequence to be attributed to discontent and andi andt t i envy but this is not to be received without some ome reserve He was as a man inflamed by his own opinion- opinion j his figure composed like that of ofa a subtle serpent to deceive the guileless by byis his is crafty exterior The views of Arius first attracted attention about bout Sig A. A D. D According tt to the church historian his his- is- is torian orian Bishop Alexander in addressing addressing address- address ing ng the presbyters and other c clergy ergy on the doctrine doctrine doc- doc trine rine of the Trinity dwelt so strongly on onic the ic consubstantial unity of the Father and andSon andSon andon Son on that Arius charged him with holding Sa- Sa But according to another his historian histo- histo torian to- to rian ian Arius made himself conspicuous by the advocacy of his own o special opinions and Alexander Alexander Alxander Al- Al xander interfered only after being charged with remissness in leaving him so long to disturb disturb dis- dis urb the faith of the church The point of difficulty was to define the position of the Son Sonin Sonin Sonn in n the Holy Trinity Having called Arius and his opponents before before be- be fore ore him Alexander heard their respective arguments arguments ar- ar and finally after due examination gave ave judgment against Arius The result was wasa a wid widespread spread commotion extending not only through Africa but other provinces pro of the Roman Roman Roman Ro Ro- man empire Bishops joined issue with bishops bishops bish- bish ops ps congregations were violently excited and the he greatest mystery of the Christian religion became a a subject of irreverent controversy among among mong women and children The Alexan- Alexan rians little anticipating the serious and enduring enduring en en- during results soon to arise amused themselves with characteristic levity by theatrical of the contest upon the stage Even Even- th the heathen joined in the profound uproar About this time tine Arius addressed an elaborate elaborate elaborate rate letter to of Nicomedia which remains to day one of the clearest statements of his dogmatic position We V e believe he he- says in a letter to Alexandria in one God alone without birth alone everlasting alone We Ve believe that th this s God gave gaye birth to the only begotten Son before eternal l periods j that He gave birth birt to Him not in sem semblance semblance sem- sem blance but in truth giving Him a a. a real existence existence existence exist exist- ence but not as maintained Son and Father ather a at once which is to make two out of one but created b by the will of God and en endowed endowed endowed en- en dowed with His own o gl glorious rious perfections perfections yet not so that the Father did lid thereby deprive e Himself Himself Him Him- Himself self of attributes which are His without origination origination origination being the source of all things j so that while there are three persons yet God is alone alone- the cause of all things and The The- Son on the other hand is originate begotten y yby by the Father time a part The Son is not therefore coeternal or with the the- Father but God is before all things as single and the principle of all and therefore before Christ also Arius thus denied that consubstantial with the Father Father claimed claimed that He is of a substance that once was not On the other side Arius affirmed of the Son that He was in being before time that He lie was an offspring of the Father and yet not as one one- amongst things made IC Such were the questions which distracted th the church in the beginning of the fourth century century century cen cen- tury and led to the first ecumenical council which was convened in in After various turns in the controversy it was finally decided against Arius that Arius-that that the Son was of the same substance with the Father Very God of ver very God The Nicene council therefore therefore therefore there there- fore settled the question by evading it and the thc emperor Constantine enforced the decision by bythe bythe bythe the banishment of Arius In the first instance Constantine had look looked d upon the dispute as altogether frivolous if he did not in truth himself incline to the assertion of Arius that in the very nature of the thing a father must be older than his son His judgment judgment judgment judg judg- ment was lost in the theories that were springing springing springing spring spring- ing up as to the nature or Christ Christ At first he i attempted the position of a moderator but J soon took ground against Arius as against the minority Alexander now returned to his sea triumph triumph- ant but died soon after and was as succeeded by who had been the soul of the orthodox orthodox orthodox or or- party of Although defeated at the council of Arius was by no means subdued He obtained a hearing from the sister of the emperor and she on her deathbed strongly urged her brother brotherto to recall Arius from banishment Restored to court he renewed the theological strife in which was nothing loth to join Interchange now now of friendly recognition and andI I now of menace passed between the emperor and the intrepid bishop of Alexandria who obstinately refused to reinstate Arius as pres pres- At length on the banishment df of f Ath Ath- in Arius returned to Alexandria to claim his old position j but the people rose in uproar against the heretic and the emperor was forced to recall him to Constantinople There the bishop was reluctantly compelled to profess his willingness to receive him once more into the bosom of the church Before the act of admission was Avas completed Arius was taken suddenly ill W while walking with a friend in the evening and died in a few moments This was interpreted by the adherents of the Nicene theology as a special interposition of Providence on their behalf and they openly gave thanks to God in the church The death of Arius did not extinguish the Arian party On the contrary they continued active and zealous with within ill the church for upwards upwards up wards of fifty years or until the second general council at Constantinople in Afterwards they may be said Raid to have existed as a distinct Christian sect outside the Catholic church till about the middle of the seventh century Constantine while white strongly disposed at first to enforce the Nicene decree was gradually won to a more conciliatory policy by the influence influence influence ence of of Nicomedia After the accession of as bishop in Alexandria Alexandria Alexandria Alexan Alexan- dria increasing contentions ensued between the and Athanasian factions of the church who succeeded his father in strongly favored the semi-Arian semi party and Successive synods were called with the view of adjusting differences and compelling uniformity uniformity uniform uniform- ity of faith But the war of words raged as fiercely as ever till after the accession of Theo- Theo the Great under whose auspices the council at Constantinople was convened and the Nicene doctrine was confirmed and finally accepted as the Catholic doctrine p of thee the the church Even then however was warmly espoused by several of the German nationalities ties then assailing the empire The entire nation of the became Arian the followed their example till at the request of their king they embraced the Catholic Cath olic faith in The Vandals in Africa the in Spain and the in Gaul Gau were all aH for a time tim II zealous Arians j and the heresy maintained its influence amongst among t the Lombards in the north of Italy Itay to a later period than elsewhere Gradually however it perished as a distinctive distinct distinct- ive national type of Christianity before the growth of medi medieval mediaeval val Catholicism and the name of Arian ceased to represent a definite form of Christian doctrine within the church or a definite definite nite party outside of it Miss L. 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