their Councils abridged. 54 S. 40. LIII. The Oriental Bilhops offendedat the fecond Confeffion at Sirmium, for leaving out thewordfubgance; gathered in Council atAncyra, an. 358. and rejeftingthe Arians, were called Semi-Arians, becaufe yet they were not for [ Le.msros ] but the [ú(or&oiov, ] Not [the famefublance,1 but [Like fubftance.] Thefe after turning Macedonians (for lk2acedonius was one of them) deny theHoly Ghoft to be God. §. 41. LIV. Conftantius finding that all his endeavours miffed their end, and that infteadofbringing all theBilhops toConcordand oneCommunion, the veryArians, and theSemi.Arians, divided and fubdivided among them- felves, did fummon another General Council at Nicomedia: But the City fuddenly perifhing, he calledthe Wefternpart toAriminum, and the Eaflftern toSeleucia, taking them yet butas oneCouncil. Above 4400 Bilhops met at Ariminum, who were to determine firft Doftrinal and then Perfonal Controverfies, and thenfend tenLegatesofeach partto theEmperor,with the refults : Themolt were Orthodox, but the Arian- Legates were better fpeakers, and prevailed ; fo that the Emperour delayed them becaufe of an Expedition that he had in hand against the Barbarians; In themean time fome Affembled at Nice, and drew up Another Confeffion: And when theLegates returned toAriminum, the Arian Party ofBilhops, by theEm- perours countenance, fo far prevailed, as that almoft all the Orthodox fubfcribed to them. (Gaudentius Bithop of Ariminum wasmurdered by the Souldiers.) Binnius and fome others, wouldhave this Council at Arimi- num to be two; the firft Orthodox, the fecond Arian: Bellarmine and o- thers called it but one : which was Orthodox in thebeginning, but for fear and complyance fell offat thelaft. §. 4z. LV. Whether the Council at Seleucia (hall be takenfor one ofit felf, or but for part of that at Ariminum, though far diftant, I leave to the Reader. But here the Heterodox Bilhops carried all, but fo as to di- vide among themfelves; Oneparty called Acaciana were forforbearing the word [fubftance.] The Semiarians condemned both them and the Arians, and were for [Lille fubfiances.] They excommunicated and depofed ma- ny Arians, who appealed to the Emperour, and craved yet another Synod. So that the further he went for concord, the further he was from it, the Bifhops dividing and fubdividing more and more; and the Emperours and Bifhops, by diverfity of Judgment, and by Herefie, be. came now to the Church what Heathen Perfecutors had been hereto- fore. Sulpitius Seveeus tellsus,that one thingthat drewmany to fubfcribe to the Arian and SemiarianCreeds, was a certain liberty of their own Addi- tions or Interpretations, which was granted the Orthodox to draw them in.. [Subfcribe in your own fence. q. d.] And fo conditional fabfcri ptions quieted their Confciences, and when the Arians thought they Ill had the Viftory, and had made the reft Conformifis, it proved other.. wife, for they did not in fence and with approbation fubfcribe. I z But
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