their Councils abridged, bus ea frngillatim oppugnabantur, originem, nondumfatisilluftrats2 ae patefaffs2 rei veritate, quedamfuisfcriptis afperferint, qua cum orthodoxefidei regale' mi- nimé sonfentiant. (And yet the Papilts fwear, not to expound Scripture, but according to the unanimous confent of the, Fathers.) Ne ab hoc Trinì_ tatis myfterio ac queftionedifcedam, ohfervavimus jamdtsdum Juflinuni Mart, Dialogo cum Tryph. de filio Dei idem propemodúrn cum Arianis fentire. And in his Books, DeTrintt. he at large citeth the verywords of himand many other Fathers. But he here giveth them this gentle excufe, Sed áb omni culpa tarn.hic quam Lucianus aliique liberandi funs, qui nondum agitate' controverfia, panem de eá commode pronunci.âffe videntur. Simile quiddam de Dionyf. Alex. wadit. Bafilius, Ep.4i, &c. But it is enoughto thinkcha- ritably, that they were faved, without going fo far as to fay, they were without allfault. For Chriftianity is the fame thing before fuchControver- fies and after : And it'shard to think how he can be a Chriftian, that de-. nyèthChrifts Effence : But God is merciful, and requireth not knowledge alike in all, that have not equal means of knowledge. Which charity mull be extended toothers aswell as to thefeFathers. Yet the fame Peter- vinecannot endure Camerarius, for faying, that Arhanafrus; though a vali- ant Championof the truth, didfometime indulge his owndefres, andmix fame ill withfurred things : But ifhe were not at all to beblamed, Conftantive was niuch the more tobeblamed for banishing him ; And why fhould not his honour be of fomeregard ? The truth is, the Alexandrian Bishops and People were long more violentand troublefome than others, as not only Socrates, but manyother Hiltorians note : And as it was noted with diího-' pour in and Diofcorus, &c. fo it can hardly be believed by them that read the Hiftory throughout, that Alexander and Athanafiris wanted not fomethingof the humble patience, meeknefs, and healing ten andskill tha*their Cafe required : For who is perfed ? And how apt are greatBifhops to be too violentagainftDilfenters, infreadof heal- ing themwith Love and clear convincing Evidence ? §. 5. Happy had itbeen if Prudence had filenced this Herefie betimes, for never any one did fo great mifchief to the Church. The badnefs of it, was the honour ofthe Nicene Council that fuppreffed it, as far as in them lay. But alas, the Remedy feemed quicklyconquered by the Difeafe: As ConflAntine had work enough to keep Peace among the Bifhops in the Council, by his prefence and reproofs ; fo when the Arians profeß'd re- pentance, his peaceablenef$ caufed him too far to indulge them ; by which fome ofthem got fuch interest in his Court, as proved thefollowing Cala- mityof the Church. And it is the fadder to think ón, that the two great Emperours, Conflantius and Valens, that were deceivedby them, anddrawn into violent Perfecution, are noted tobe otherwife none ofthe worft men. Epiphanius faith., p.737. Accefft e- Imperatorumfavor crajas initials à Con - ftantio Imperatore profittameft : i cant ceteris in rebus' perhumanus se bonus effet, C alia;rainpsus se multis probitatis ornamentis preditus, hác unâ re ab. erravit, quidnon tmpreffa e' parente fidei veftigiafequutus eft : od ipfum ta- H men 49
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