P R E F S C E. blefled Trinity, and the perfon ofChrifl, without much regarduntoplain divn.e Teftimonies, in witch ways wherein cunning and fophfry didmuch bear fay, began to multiply fuch anew, curious.and fall notions about them, efpecially a- bout the latter, as couldnew difturbances, and theft of large extent and long continuance. For the itfupprefon, councils were called one on the neck ofano- ther, whereon commonlynewoccaftons ofdifferences didarife, andmatt ofthen; managedwithgreat fcandal unto chreian religion. 1-or men began much to forego theprimitive ways ofoppo/<ngerrors, and extingauifhing herefes, beta- king themf Ives unto their interefl, the numberof their party, and prevalent), with theprefint emperors. And although it fo fell out, as in that at Conftan- tinoplc, thefir/t at Ephcfus, and that at Chalcedon, that the Truthfor the Affiance ofit didprevail (for in many others ithappened quite otherwifi)yet did they alwaysgive :occa(ions unto new divif:ons, animojties, andeven mutu- alhatreds, among theprtncipal leaders of the ehriltianpeople. Andgreat con - tells there were amongfame of them whopretended to believe thefame Truth, whether fach or Each acouncil fhonld be received, that isplainly, whether the church fhould refblve itsfaith into their authority. The ftrifes ofthis nature about thefirft Ephefine council, and thatat Chalcedon ; not to mention them wherein the Arians prevailed, takeup agood part of the ecclefiaftical gory of thole days. And it cannot be denie but that fonic oftheprincipalperfon and affemblies who adhered unto the truth, didin the heat ofoppofition unto the he- relies ofother men, fall intonnju liftable excels themfeIves. We may take an Inftance hereof with refpetlunto the Neftorian bereft, con- :: Awned in the firft Ephefian council, and afterwards in that at Chalcedon. Cyrillus ofAlcxandria, a man learned and vehement, defngned by all means to be unto it Fat hispredecefor Athanafius had been to the Arian. But -intofish exceffes in his undertakings, as gave great aeration untofart er tu- _ mutts, for it is evidentthat he diftinguifheth not between uortçc n and pácrg and therefore. affirms, that the divine word and humanity :had pohu pú6m, one nature only. So he dothplainly in cpi1t. ad.Suceeftum; they are ignorant faith he,..E'-r1 ;ma' dTfit;aar Ici ,ecru pucis rl oáyo c¢capza e /ee. Hence Eutyches, the Archimandrite, teak occafon to runginto a contrary extreme, being a no left fierce enemy to Neforits tj nl"Cysillus was. For to oppofe him who divided the perfon of (brill into'two ; he confounded his natures into one, his deli- rantfilly being confirmed by that goodly afembly, thefecondat Ephefus. Be- fides, it is co-efefed that Cyrillus through the vehemency of his fpirit, ha- tred unto Neftorius, and following the condett7 of his own mind in nice and fubtle exprefons of the great myftery of theperform of Chrift, did utter many things exceeding the bounds of prefcrebed unto us by the apoftle, Rom. xii. 3. ifnot tholeoftruth it felf. Hence at is come topats that manglearn- ed men begin to think and write that Cyrillus was in the wrong, and Ne- 4orius by his means, condemned undefervedly. However it is certain to me, that the doctrine condemned at Ephefis and Chalcedon as the doctrine of Neforius, was deftrue'tive of the true perfonof Chrift ; and that Cyril,, tho' he miffed it in fundry exprefnons, yet aimed at the declaration and confirma- tion of the truth ; as he was longfine vindicated by Theorianus, dialog. con. Armenios. However, fuels was the watchful care of Chrs over the church as unto the prefervation-of thefacredfundamental truth, cóncerning his divine per- fón, and the union of his natures therein, retaining their diftintl properties and operations, that notwithflanding all the faltion and diforder that were in thofeprimitive councils, and fcandalous contefts of many of the members ofthen; notwithflanding the determination contrary unto it in great and numerous councils, thefaith of it was prefrved entire in the hearts of all that truly believed, and triumphedover thegates ofhell. e I have ix
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