r About A.D. 330. under Conftantine the great, vira. z About A.D. 383. under Thcodofaut. About A.D. 490. under Theodofiut the fecond , not .3107-4 6}, -, but xts-6164)-. About A. D. 456. under Martianut, Calcedon. Cent,4. Cent. S. To the Chriftian Reader. God was confubflantiall with the Father, and that there was a time when he was not, was confuted,and truth obtained a victory there, God flirring up many learned men to oppofe him. And in the fecond, that of Conftantinople, when there was a M aced onius who called the Holy Ghofl a creature, many were able by the power of truth to con- found him. And the third, when a Nefforius, who denyed that the Virgin Mary could be called the mother of God, providence ordered it f ò, that then a Councell of learned Bithops and Elders at Ephefus /hould bla(l that opinion. And when an Eutiches (who in a different may from Neftorius, who denyed the per -' fmall Union of two Natures in Chrift) would have the immenfity of the Divine nature in Chrift, that there was only the Divine nature in him, another Councell at Calced on overthrew him. God had variety of champions to contefí with the moll fubtill andprevailing adverfaries, from hand to hand;particularly when there was Manes and Ma- nichæi , who rejelled the old Teflament, and affir- med that man fell not by voluntary defection, but of nece stay, becaufe mans body was made of theprince his (wherewith Auftin was leavened before converfaon,) The Lord had Chryfoftome and o- thers to hinder the fpreading andprevailing of it. When there was ,an Arrius, who denied the Divi- nity of Chrift, there fhould be an Athanafius raifed to overthrow. him. When a,Macedonius to weft the holy Gholl,then it Bafizto break him. When
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=