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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49900	The lives of Clemens Alexandrinus, Eusebius, Bishop of Cæsarea, Gregory Nazianzen, and Prudentius, the Christian poet containing an impartial account of their lives and writings, together with several curious observations upon both : also a short history of Pelagianism / written originally in French by Monsieur Le Clerc ; and now translated into English.	Le Clerc, Jean, 1657-1736.	1696 (1696)	Wing L820; ESTC R22272	169,983	390

reason these words of Tacitus Maxima quaeque ambigua sunt dum alii quoquomodo audita pro compertis habent alii vera in contrarium vertunt gliscit utrumque posteritati Eusebius vaunts very much the Bishops which were here But † Socrat. l. 7. Sabinus a Macedonian Bishop of Heraclea a Town of Thrace treats them as Ignoramus's in his Collection of Councils There was likewise a great number of Priests and Deacons who came in company with the Bishops The Council open'd the 14th of June and therein were regulated several things which we shall not here take notice of designing only to remark what past in relation to the principal Question therein decided to wit Arianism As soon as ever the Bishops were arrived they made particular Assemblies without any interruption and sent for Arius * Sozom. l. 7. 19. to them to inform themselves of his Opinions After they had heard from him what he thought some of 'em were for condemning all sorts of Novelties and to content themselves in speaking of the Son in the same terms their Predecessors had used and others affirm'd that the Opinions of the Antients were not to be received without examining There were seventeen Bishops according to † Ib. c. 20. Sozomen who favoured Arius his new Explications the chief of which were Eusebius of Nicomedia Eusebius of Caesarea Menophantes of Ephesus Patrophilus of Scythopolis Theognis of Nice Narcissus of Neroniadas Theonas of Marmarica and Secondus of Ptolemais These Bishops drew up a Confession of Faith ‖ Theodor. l. 1. c. 7. ex Athanasio according to their Sentiments but they had no sooner read it in the Assembly but it was cry'd out upon as false 't was torn in pieces and they were reproach'd with it as Persons who would as they said betray the Faith and Godhead of Christ A Letter of Eusebius of Nicodemia wherein he exprest his Thoughts had the same lot Afterwards a Creed was undertaken to be made wherein the Opinions contrary to those of Arius were established It was immediately observ'd that the new ways of of speaking which the Arians used were to be condemned That the Son had been extracted from Nothing That he was a Creature That there was a time wherein he was not c. And Scripture Phrases were to be used such as these That the Son is Only-Begotten the Reason Power Wisdom of the Father the Brightness of his Glory and Character of his Power The Arians having shew'd that they were ready to admit a Confession exprest in these terms the Orthodox Bishops feard lest they should expound these terms in an ill sence And therefore they were for adding That the Son is of the Substance of the Father because this is that which distinguishes the Son from the Creatures Hereupon the Arians were ask'd whether they acknowledged That the Son is not a Creature but the Power the only Wisdom and Image of the Father That he is Eternal and like to the Father in all things in fine True God The Heterodox having spoken among themselves believ'd that these Expressions might very well agree with the Notion they had of the Divinity of the Son and denoted they were ready to receive them In fine It being observed that Eusebius of Nicomedia in the Letter which was read rejected the Term of Consubstantial 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was thought that the Orthodox Doctrine could not be better express'd and all Equivocation excluded than in making use of it and so much the rather in that the Arians seem'd to be afraid of it This Circumstance is owing to * Lib. 3. de Pid ad Grac. cap. ult St. Ambrose whose words are these Auctor ipsorum Eusebius Nicomediae Episcopus Epistola sua prodidit dicens si verum inquit Dei Filium increatum dicimus homoousion Consubstantialem cum Patre incipimus consiteri Haec cum lecta esset Epistola in Concilio Nicoeno hoc verbum in tractatu fidei posuerunt Patres quod viderunt Adverfariis esse formidini ut tanquam evaginato ab ipfis gladio ipsum nefandae caput Haereseos amputarent The Orthodox conceiv'd then their Sentiment touching the Divinity of the Son in these terms † Socr. l. 1. c. 8. We believe in one only Lord Jesus Christ Son of God only Son of the Father that is to say of the Substance of the Father God born of God Light of Light True God born of the True God begotten not made Consubstantial with the Father The Arians in vain complain'd that these words were not to be found in Scripture They were told That those they were wont to use were not there neither being wholly new whereas it was near six-score Years since that several Bishops had used the word Consubstantial The Fathers of the Council during this Time were not so busied in vanquishing the Arians and in making several Regulations which I shall here omit but that they remembred their private Grudges Several Church-men says * L. 1. c. 17. Sozomen as if they had been assembled to prosecute their particular Affairs as it commonly happens thought this a sit time to get those punish'd who had offended them Each of 'em presented Requests to the Emperor wherein they accused one or other and signified the Wrong they had done them This happening every Day the Emperor set one a-part in which they were every one of 'em to bring his Grievance The Day being come the Emperor took all their Requests and caused them to be thrown into the Fire and exhorted them to a mutual Forgiveness according to the Precepts of the Gospel He afterwards enjoyn'd them to labour in clearing up the Points of Faith of which they were to be Judges and a fix'd Day wherein the Question of the Constubstantiality should be decided The Day appointed * Euseb Vit. Const l. 3. c. 10. being come Constantine convocated all the Bishops into an Hall of the Palace where he had caus'd Chairs to be set on both sides The Bishops entred first and the Emperor came in afterwards and did not sit down at the Head of the Assembly on a Gilded Seat which he caused to be there placed till the Bishops by Signs had given him leave Being set down Eusebius of Caesarea who was at his Right-hand harrangu'd him and thank'd him for the care he had taken to preserve the Purity of the Catholick Faith Constantine afterwards began to speak and made a Discourse in Latin wherein he represented That he had no greater Affliction than the Divisions he observ'd among Christians exhorting the Bishops very earnestly to Peace An Interpreter afterwards turn'd the Speech into Greek for the Eastern Bishops understood not Latin Although it seems that Business was prepared in particular Assemblies before-hand yet there arose at first a great Controversie And Constantine had the patience to hear long Contests wherein he exercised the Office of Moderator in endeavouring to accord those whose Sentiments or Expressions

Empire and Government and the most like Him who only is Almighty 'T is that Excellent Nature which governs all things according to the Father's Will which Rules the World well which Acts by an Unexhausted and Unwearied Power and which sees the most secret Thoughts The Son of God never leaves the Post from which he sees all things He is neither divided nor separated he doth not go from one place to another he is every where and is confin'd within no Bounds All Spirit All Paternal Light All Eye he sees all things understands all things knows all things and dives by his Power into the Powers themselves To that Paternal Reason who hath received that Holy Administration the whole Army of Angels and GODS is subjected because of Him who put them under him Clemens had another Opinion concerning the Humane Nature of Christ which perhaps he entertained lest he should make the Body of Christ inferior to that of the Gods of Homer The Gods of that Poet † Iliad 1. vers 342. neither ate Bread nor drank Wine And Our Lord according to * Paed. l. 1. p. 202. Clemens needed no Milk when he came into the World and was not nourished with Meat which he took only out of Condescension and which did not undergo the same Change in his Body which it does in ours Hence it is that † Vid. Diss P. Allix de Sanguine Christi Origen his Disciple believed that Christ had no Blood but a Liquor like that which Homer ascribes to his Gods and calls ΙΧΩΡ Plato says in several places that God inflicts no Punishment upon Men but for their Good and not at all out of meer Vengeance Which ‖ Paed. l. 1. p. 116. Strom. l. 4. p. 536. Clemens observes so as to make one believe that he approves it Plato said further That the Souls are purged with Fire in another Life and that after they have been purged they are restored to their former state * Strom. l. 5. p. 549 592. Clemens believed that the Apostles had the same Thoughts when they spake of a Fire which is to consume the World And † Vid. Huet Orig. l. 2. quaest 11. Origen his Disciple concluded from those Principles That the Devils and Damn'd Men should be one day delivered from their Sufferings The Apostles describe the Place wherein Wicked Men shall be tormented under the Notion of a Lake of Fiery Brimstone They use the same word with the Pagans to denote the State of the Souls after Death viz. ΑΔΗΣ They say that Men descend into it and that Christ descended into it This was enough to make Clemens exclaim thus * P. 592. What was Plato ignorant of the Rivers of Fire and the Depth of the Earth which the Barbarians call Gehenna and which he Prophetically 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 named Tartarus He hath mention'd Cocytus Acheron Pyriphlegethon and such like Places where Wicked Men are punisht that they may be mended Clemens did also believe with most of the Ancient Fathers † Strom. l. 6. p. 637 seq That Christ did really descend into Hell and preached there to the Damned Souls of which he saved those that would believe in Him I could alledge many other Instances whereby it would appear that Clemens explained the Opinions of the Christians by the like Doctrines which he found in the Philosophers But the before-mentioned Examples will suffice to those who have neither Time nor the Means to read that Author Those who will consult the Original will find enough of themselves One may further learn one thing from thence which most of those who apply themselves to the reading of the Fathers do not much mind and without which 't is almost impossible to understand them well in an infinite number of places viz. That before One begins seriously that Study the Heathen Philosophers especially Plato must be carefully read Without this One can't well apprehend what Grounds they go upon nor succesfully examine the strength of their Reasonings nor guess how they came by so many Opinions that are so different from those which are now entertained in our Schools Now to return to the Life of Clemens The Antients do unanimously say that he succeeded Pantaenus in the Office of Catechist He performed it with success and many Great Men came out of his School as Origen and Alexander Bishop of Jerusalem His Method of Instructing the Catechumeni consisted in teaching them what was Good in the Heathen Philosophy and so leading them by degrees to Christianity which they more readily embraced when they had relished many of those Maxims derived from the Light of Nature and scatter'd in the Writing of the Philosophers whom they saw every Body had a great Respect for than if they had been roughly told that they ought to renounce all their Opinions and look upon the rest of Mankind not only as Men that were guilty of Error but that had said nothing that was True * Strom. l. 1. p. 278. As Plow-men do not cast the Seed into the Ground but when they have watered it so says Clemens we draw out of the Writings of the Grecians wherewith to water what is earthly in those whom we instruct that they may afterwards receive the Spiritual Seed and be able to make it easily spring forth In effect the Light of the Gospel supposes that of Nature and doth not destroy it We don't find that Christ and his Apostles undertook to give us a compleat System of all the Doctrines that have some relation with Religion they supposed that we were already provided with several Thoughts received in all Nations upon which they reasoned else they should have for Example exactly defined all Vertues which they have not done because they found in the Minds of all Men some Idea's which though imperfect yet were most true So that they were content to add what was wanting in them or to take from them what ill Customs might have unfitly added to ' em Besides the Office of Catechist Clemens was promoted to the Priesthood in the Beginning as 't is thought of the Empire of Severus because Eusebius writing the Events of the Year CXCV. gives Clemens the Title of Priest About that time he began to defend the Christian Religion against Heathens and Hereticks by a Work which he entitled Stromata of which I shall speak hereafter because in that Work according to a Chronological Supputation * Lib. 1. pag. 336. he doth not go higher than the Death of Commodus From whence † Lib. 6. cap. 6. Eusebius concluded that he compiled it under the Empire of Severus who succeeded that Emperor Severus being exasperated against the Christians ‖ Vid. Dodwel Diss Cyp. XI §. 41 seq perhaps because of a Rebellion of the Jews with whom the Heathens confounded those who profest Christianity began to persecute them violently That Persecution having begun at Antioch went as far as Egypt and forced

the New Testament But it will be sufficient to remark here That the Apostles apply to our Saviour Christ Passages of the Old Testament which Philo had applied to the Reason and that this Jewish Philosopher has given to this same Reason most of the Titles which the Apostles have given to Jesus Christ. The Pagans who had then embraced the Gospel and who were in some measure vers'd in the Heathen Philosophy remarking this resemblance of Terms persuaded themselves that the Apostles believ'd the same things in respect of these Matters as the Platonick Jews and Pagans And this seems to be that which drew several Philosophers of this Sect into the Christian Religion and giv'n such a great Esteem to the Primitive Christians for Plato Justin Martyr in his First Apology says * Pag. 48. Edit Col. An. 1686. That Jesus Christ was known in part by Socrates for the Reason was and is still the same which is in every Man It is She that has foretold the Future by the Prophets and who being become subject to the same Infirmities as we has instructed us by her self He says moreover † Pag. 51 ●●●sd edit That the Opinions of Plato are not remote from those of Jesus Christ. And this has made likewise St. Augustine to say That if the ancient Platonists were such as they were described and were to rise again they would freely embrace Christianity in changing ‖ De. Ver. Rel. c. 3. Vid. Ep. LVI some few Words and Opinions which most of the late Platonists and those of his time had done Paucis mutatis verbis atque sententiis Christiani fierent sicut plerique recentiorum nostrorumque temporum Platonici fecerunt Tertullian affirms in his Apology * Cap. XXL That when the Christians say That God has made the Universe by his Word by his Reason and by his Power they speak only after the sage Heathens who tell us That God has made the World by his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Word or Reason Clemens Alexandrinus has likewise believ'd that Plato held the Doctrine of the Blessed Trinity as I have observed in the Life of that Father Origen against Celsus does not deny but that Plato spake the truth in speaking of † Lib. 6. pag. 270 280. God and of his Son He only maintains that he did not make such a just Use as he ought of his Knowledge He does not say that the Foundation of the Christian Doctrine is different in this from that of Plato but that this Philosopher had learn'd it from the Jews Constantine in his Harangue to the ‖ Cap. IX Saints after having prais'd Plato in that he was the first Philosopher who brought Men to the Contemplation of Intellectual Things thus goes on He has spoken of a First God who is above all Essences wherein he has done well He has likewise submitted to him a Second and has distinguisht Two Essences in number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Perfection of the one being the same as that of the other and the Essence of the Second God taking his Existence from the First For it is He who is the Author and the Director of all things being Above All. He that is after him having executed his Orders attributes to Him as to the Supreme Cause the Production of the Universe There is then but One to speak properly who takes care to provider for All to wit the Reason who is God and who has set all things in their Order This Reason being God is likewise the Son of God for who can call 〈◊〉 otherwise without committing a great Fault He that is the Father of all things is justly said to be the Father of his own proper Reason HITHERTO 〈◊〉 TO HAS SPOKE LIKE A WISE MAN 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but he has varied from the Truth in introducing a multiplicity of Gods and in giving to each of 'em his Form We might cite several other such like Passages whereby one might see that several among the Fathers of the first three Centuries have believ'd that the Opinion of Plato and that of the Apostles was the same If we consider that the Question here is about things of which we have naturally no Idea and which is even Incomprehensible supposing Revelation and of which one can only speak in metaphorical and improper Language it will then appear to us no wonder if since the Apostles times there have arose several Opinions on this Subject Thus the Ebionites are charged to have denied the Pre-existence of Our Saviour's Divinity and to have held that he was only a meer Man These Ebionites have remain'd a long time seeing that not only Justin Martyr and St. Irenaeus do mention them but St. Jerom seems to take notice that they were in his time It 's affirm'd That Artemon under the Emperor Severus and Paulus Samosatenus Bishop of Antioch under the Emperor Aurelius maintain'd the same Opinions Cerinthus on the contrary held the Pre-existence of the Reason which he call'd the Christ and affirm'd that she had descended on Jesus in the form of a Dove when he was Baptiz'd and that she ascended up into Heaven when he was Crucify'd It is indeed very difficult to affirm that this was precisely the Opinions of these Hereticks because we have nothing remaining to us of them and that we cannot fully trust those who speak of 'em only with detestation seeing it might easily be that their great Zeal has hindred them from well comprehending them And this is a Remark which we must make in respect of all the Ancient Hereticks whose Opinions are denoted to us only from the Writings of their Adversaries About the Middle of the Third Century Sabellius of Ptolemaïs in Lybia produced a new Opinion which was condemned in Egypt and afterwards every where He was charg'd with * Synod Const ap Theod. l. 5. c. 9. Damas is apud eundem c. 11. confounding the Hypostases and for denying the Properties which distinguish the Father the Son and Holy Ghost and for having said That the Father is the same as the Son Whereas Plato and his Followers reckon'd Three Numerical Essences It seems that Sabellius would acknowledge but One whom he call'd the Father the Son or Holy Spirit in divers regards It 's said that some others had maintain'd the same thing before and after him as Noet and Beryllus of Botsra A while after Sabellius appear'd Paulus Samosatenus Bishop of Antioch who was as we have said of the Ebionites Sentiment in relation to our Saviour's Divinity Although the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had been used in the Platonick Philosophy to signifie what is of the same kind as has been observ'd already and as may be seen in Bull 's Defence of the Nicene Council § 2. chap. 1. Yet the Council which met at Antioch to Condemn Paul of Samosotia Condemn'd likewise this Term. But its hard to find in what sence it was taken because the Acts of

appear'd remote in upholding the Arguments which seem'd to him weak and in giving Praises to such who seem'd to speak well Eusebius of Caesarea long held out against the Use which they * Socrat. l. 1. c. 8. Theod. l. 1. c. 12. would make of the word Consubstantial He offer'd another Confession of Faith wherein it was omitted and wherein he call'd the Son barely God born of God Light of Light Life of Life Only Son First-born of all Creatures Begotten of his Father before all Worlds The Emperor approv'd this Confession of Faith and exhorted the Fathers of the Synod to follow it in adding thereto only the word Consubstantial Afterwards the Confession was read which had been drawn up with this Word the Terms of which have been already recited Anathema's were join'd thereto against those who should use on this Occasion other Terms than those of the Holy Scripture which must be understood with an Exception of those which the Council thought fit to Consecrate This Proposition was particularly condemn'd That the Son existed not before he was begotten Eusebius and others requested That the Terms of the Symbol and Anathema's might be explained 1. It was said That the word Begotten and not Made was used because this last word expresses the Production of Creatures to which the Son has no likeness being of a Substance far more excellent than they begotten by the Father in an incomprehensible manner 2. As for the word Consubstantial it is proper to the Son not in the sence wherein it is taken when we speak of Bodies or Mortal Animals the Son being Consubstantial with the Father neither by a Division of the Divine Substance of which he possesses a part nor by any change of this same Substance The meaning of which is only this That the Son has no Resemblance with the Creatures which he has made but that he is in all things like to his Father by whom he has been begotten or That he is not of another Hypostasis or Substance but of that of the Father 3. Those were condemn'd who said That the Son was not before he was born seeing that he existed before his Corporal Birth and even before his Divine Generation according to Constantine's Argument * These words of Eusebius's Letter are not to be found but in Theodorit Socrates having retrenched them For before said he that he was actually Begotten he was in Power in his Father in a manner Unbegotten the Father having been always Father as he is always King and Saviour and all things in Power being eternally in the same Condition It will perhaps seem that this is pure Arianism and that this is to deny the Eternity of the Son But we must observe that in the style of that time to Exist before the World and to be Eternal is the same thing seeing that to prove his Eternity this Passage is cited * Vid. Ep. Alexandri Ep. Al. supra laudatam In the Beginning was the Word And it sufficed to shew that he was Begotten before there was any Time So that we must not reject these words as Supposititions meerly for this reason And it is so ordinary to find hard Expressions in those who attempt to explain in any sort this incomprehensible Mystery that if one might hence judge of them one would be apt to declare them all Hereticks which is to say to anathemamize the greatest part of the Ancients Besides this † * De. Deret Nicaen Tom. 1. pag. 251. St. Athanasius who openly treats Eusebius as an Arian makes allusion to one part of this Passage and draws thence a Consequence which Eusebius without doubt would not have owned which is That the Arians believed that the Divinity of Jesus Christ did not exist before his Corporal Birth After these Explications Eusebius subscribed as he himself testifies in the Letter above recited ‖ Athanas ibid. although he had refused it the day before The long and formal Opposition which he had made against the word Consubstantial caused it to be suspected that there was want of Sincerity in this Subscription In fine Arius and his Party were anathematized and all their Books condemned and particularly a Poem which Arius had entituled Thalia Most of the Arian Bishops subscribed after Eusebius his Example to this Confession of Faith and the Anathema's after the Explication above-mentioned Yet there were some of 'em who refused at first to sign * Socr. l. 1. c. 1. the principal of which were Eusebius of Nicomedia Theognis of Nice Maris of Calcedon Theonas of Marmarica and Secondus of Ptolemais They were immediately Excommunicated by the Council and were to be sent afterwards as well as Arius into Exile by Constantine The Council wrote a Circular Letter † Ib. Socr. l. 1. c. 9. to the Churches of Egypt denoting to 'em in what sort they had carried themselves in the business of Arius and what had been ordered touching Melece the Schismatical Bishop and the Observation of Easter Constantine wrote also to the Church of Alexandria to assure it that after a full and mature Examination Arius had been condemned by the common Consent He greatly vaunted of the Moderation and Learning of the Bishops making no mention of their Quarrels according to the Custom observed in Publick Acts and such like Occasions where every thing is supprest which may give an ill Opinion of the Decrees of these kinds of Assemblies In another Letter directed to the Bishops and Churches he enjoins the Name of Porphyrus to be given to Arius and his Followers to be called Porphyrians This Porphyry was a famous Platonist who had written against the Christian Religion and whose Books Constantine had caus'd to be burnt Lucas Holstenius has written his Life which is to be found at the end of the Book Of the Abstinence of Animals Constantine design'd to declare hereby Arius an Enemy to the Christian Religion and not in any manner reproach him with being a Platonist touching the Trinity seeing Constantine did not disapprove as we have seen the Sentiments of Plato It 's true the Arians have been upbraided with their too great application to the reading of this Philosopher and other Heathen Authors Revera de Platonis Aristophanis says * Advers Lucif T. 2. p. 142. Ed. Gryph St. Jerom in episcopatum allegentur Quotus enim quisque est qui non apprime in his eruditus sit Accedit ad hoc quod Ariana hoeresis magis cum sapientia seculi facit argumentationum rivos de Aristotelis fontibus mutuatur Thus the Orthodox and Hereticks equally approved the Sentiments of Plato each of them apparently explaining them according to his Hypothesis Constantine further ordered in the same Letter to burn all Arius's Books to the end that not only his pernicious Doctrine be destroyed but that there remain no monument of it to Posterity He likewise declared That if any one concealed any of his Books and did not bring