DeMajority

Democratic Majority
Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions CHAPTER XXXV. (Page) 381 THETRINITY. There lived in Alexandria a presbyter of the name of Arius, a disappointed candidate for the office of bishop. He took the ground that there was a time when, from the very nature of Son-ship, the Son did not exist, and a time at which he commenced to be, asserting that it is the necessary condition of the filial relation that a father must be older* than his son. But this assertion evidently denied the co-eternity* of the three persons of the Trinity, it suggested a subordination or inequality among them, and indeed implied a time when the Trinity did not exist. Hereupon the bishop, who had been the successful competitor against Arius, displayed his rhetorical powers in public debates on the question, and, the strife spreading, the Jews and Pagans, who formed a very large portion of the population of Alexandria, amused themselves with theatrical representations of the contest on the stage— the point of their burlesques being the equality of age of the father and the son. Such was the violence the controversy at length assumed, that the matter had to be referred to the emperor (Constantine). At first he looked upon the dispute as altogether frivolous, and perhaps in truth inclined to the assertion of Arius, that in the very nature of the thing a father must be older than his son. So great, however, was the pressure laid upon him, that he was eventually compelled to summon the council of Nicea, which, to dispose of the conflict, set forth a formulary or creed, and attached to it this anathema: “ The holy Catholic and Apostolic Church anathematizes those who say that there was a time when the Son of God was not, and that, before he was begotten, he was not, and that he was made out of nothing, or out of another substance or essence, and is created, or changeable, or alterable.” Constantine at once enforced the decision of the council by the civil power. ^h ^h Draper: Religion and Science, vol. i. p. 159. Even after this “ Subtle and profound question” had been settled at the Council of Nice, those who settled it did not understand the question they had settled. Athanasius, who was a member of the first general council, and who is said to have written the creed which bears his name, which asserts that the true Catholic faith is this: “ That we worship One God as Trinity, and Trinity in Unity— neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance— for there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost, but the Godhead of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one, the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal,” (Page) 382 THE TRINITY. — also confessed that whenever he forced his understanding to meditate on the divinity of the Logos, his toilsome and unavailing efforts recoiled on themselves; that the more he thought the less he comprehended; and the more he wrote the less capable was he of expressing his thoughts. ⁱ ⁱ Athanasius, tom. i. p. 808. Quoted in Gibbon’s Rome, vol. ii. p. 310, Gennadius, patriarch of Constantinople, was so much amazed by the extraordinary composition called “Athanasius’ Creed,” that he frankly pronounced it to be the work of a drunken man. (Gibbon’s Rome, vol. iii. p. 555, note 114.) We see, then, that this great question was settled, not by the consent of all members of the council, but simply because *the majority* were in favor of it. Jesus of Nazareth was “ God himself in human form;” “one of the persons of the Ever-Blessed Trinity,” who “had no beginning, and will have no end,” because the majority of the members of this council said so*. Hereafter— so it was decreed— all must believe it; if not, they must not oppose it, but forever hold their peace. The Emperor Theodosius* declared his resolution of expelling from all the churches of his dominions, the bishops and their clergy who should obstinately refuse to believe, or at least to profess, the doctrine of the Council of Nice. His lieutenant, Sapor, was armed with the ample powers of a general law, a special commission, and a military force; and this ecclesiastical resolution was conducted with so much discretion and vigor, that the religion of the Emperor was established. ^j ^j Gibbon’s Rome, vol. iii. p. 87. Here we have the historical fact, that bishops of the Christian church, and their clergy, were forced to profess their belief in the doctrine of the Trinity. We also find that: “ This orthodox Emperor (Theodosius) considered every heretic (as he called those who did not believe as he and his ecclesiastics professed) as a rebel against the supreme powers of heaven and of earth ( he being one of the supreme powers of earth) and each of the powers might exercise their peculiar jurisdiction over the soul and body of the guilty. “ The decrees of the council of Constantinople had ascertained the true standard of the faith, and the ecclesiastics, who governed the conscience of Theodosius, suggested the most effectual methods of persecution. In the space of fifteen years he promulgated at least fifteen severe edicts against the heretics, more especially against those who rejected the doctrine of the Trinity.” ^k ^k Gibbon’s Rome, vol. iii. pp. 91, 92. Thus we see one of the many reasons why the “ most holy Christian religion” spread so rapidly. Arius— who declared that in the nature of things a father must be older than his son— was excommunicated for his so-called heretical notions concerning the Trinity. His followers, who were very numerous, were called Arians. Their writings, if they had been permitted to exist, ^l would undoubtedly contain the lamentable story of the persecution which affected the church under the reign of the impious Emperor Theodosius. ^l All their writings were ordered to be destroyed, and any one found to have them in his possession was severely punished. Doane, Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions, 7th ed., pp. 386 et seq. Doane, Bible Myths pp. 368 et seq. INDEX of Subjects.

Democratic Majority

Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions
CHAPTER XXXV. (Page) 381
THETRINITY.
There lived in Alexandria a presbyter of the name of Arius, a disappointed candidate for the office of bishop. He took the ground that there was a time when, from the very nature of Son-ship, the Son did not exist, and a time at which he commenced to be, asserting that it is the necessary condition of the filial relation that a father must be older than his son. But this assertion evidently denied the co-eternity of the three persons of the Trinity, it suggested a subordination or inequality among them, and indeed implied a time when the Trinity did not exist. Hereupon the bishop, who had been the successful competitor against Arius, displayed his rhetorical powers in public debates on the question, and, the strife spreading, the Jews and Pagans, who formed a very large portion of the population of Alexandria, amused themselves with theatrical representations of the contest on the stage— the point of their burlesques being the equality of age of the father and the son. Such was the violence the controversy at length assumed, that the matter had to be referred to the emperor (Constantine).
At first he looked upon the dispute as altogether frivolous, and perhaps in truth inclined to the assertion of Arius, that in the very nature of the thing a father must be older than his son. So great, however, was the pressure laid upon him, that he was eventually compelled to summon the council of Nicea, which, to dispose of the conflict, set forth a formulary or creed, and attached to it this anathema:

“ The holy Catholic and Apostolic Church anathematizes those who say that there was a time when the Son of God was not, and that, before he was begotten, he was not, and that he was made out of nothing, or out of another substance or essence, and is created, or changeable, or alterable.”

Constantine at once enforced the decision of the council by the civil power. ^h

^h Draper: Religion and Science, vol. i. p. 159.

Even after this “ Subtle and profound question” had been settled at the Council of Nice, those who settled it did not understand the question they had settled. Athanasius, who was a member of the first general council, and who is said to have written the creed which bears his name, which asserts that the true Catholic faith is this:

“ That we worship One God as Trinity, and Trinity in Unity— neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance— for there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost, but the Godhead of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one, the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal,”

(Page) 382 THE TRINITY.

— also confessed that whenever he forced his understanding to meditate on the divinity of the Logos, his toilsome and unavailing efforts recoiled on themselves; that the more he thought the less he comprehended; and the more he wrote the less capable was he of expressing his thoughts. ⁱ

ⁱ Athanasius, tom. i. p. 808. Quoted in Gibbon’s Rome, vol. ii. p. 310,
Gennadius, patriarch of Constantinople, was so much amazed by the extraordinary composition called “Athanasius’ Creed,” that he frankly pronounced it to be the work of a drunken man. (Gibbon’s Rome, vol. iii. p. 555, note 114.)

We see, then, that this great question was settled, not by the consent of all members of the council, but simply because the majority were in favor of it. Jesus of Nazareth was “ God himself in human form;” “one of the persons of the Ever-Blessed Trinity,” who “had no beginning, and will have no end,” because the majority of the members of this council said so. Hereafter— so it was decreed— all must believe it; if not, they must not oppose it, but forever hold their peace.

The Emperor Theodosius declared his resolution of expelling from all the churches of his dominions, the bishops and their clergy who should obstinately refuse to believe, or at least to profess, the doctrine of the Council of Nice. His lieutenant, Sapor, was armed with the ample powers of a general law, a special commission, and a military force; and this ecclesiastical resolution was conducted with so much discretion and vigor, that the religion of the Emperor was established. ^j

^j Gibbon’s Rome, vol. iii. p. 87.

Here we have the historical fact, that bishops of the Christian church, and their clergy, were forced to profess their belief in the doctrine of the Trinity.
We also find that:

“ This orthodox Emperor (Theodosius) considered every heretic (as he called those who did not believe as he and his ecclesiastics professed) as a rebel against the supreme powers of heaven and of earth ( he being one of the supreme powers of earth) and each of the powers might exercise their peculiar jurisdiction over the soul and body of the guilty.
“ The decrees of the council of Constantinople had ascertained the true standard of the faith, and the ecclesiastics, who governed the conscience of Theodosius, suggested the most effectual methods of persecution. In the space of fifteen years he promulgated at least fifteen severe edicts against the heretics, more especially against those who rejected the doctrine of the Trinity.” ^k

^k Gibbon’s Rome, vol. iii. pp. 91, 92.

Thus we see one of the many reasons why the “ most holy Christian religion” spread so rapidly.
Arius— who declared that in the nature of things a father must be older than his son— was excommunicated for his so-called heretical notions concerning the Trinity. His followers, who were very numerous, were called Arians. Their writings, if they had been permitted to exist, ^l would undoubtedly contain the lamentable story of the persecution which affected the church under the reign of the impious Emperor Theodosius.

^l All their writings were ordered to be destroyed, and any one found to have them in his possession was severely punished.

Doane, Bible Myths and their Parallels
in other Religions, 7th ed., pp. 386 et seq.

Doane, Bible Myths pp. 368 et seq.

INDEX of Subjects.