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ALEXANDER Bishop of Alexandria.
AFter the Death of Peter Bishop of Alexandria, who suffer'd Martyrdom in the 9th. Year of the Persecution begun by Dioclesian, Achill•••• was chosen in his room to the See of Alexandria. * 1.1 Alexander, of whom we now write, Succeeded this Achillas in the Year 321, if we follow the Testi∣mony of St. Jerom; or according to others, towards the Year 315. He oppos'd the Heresie of Arius vigorously, and endeavour'd to sti••••e it in its Birth, by Excommunicating him who was the Author of it, and his Followers. This he did in a Council assembled in the City of Alexandria for that purpose. But Arius and those of his Faction, having found some Bishops that receiv'd them into their Communion, though they were Condemn'd by their Bishop, Alexander complains in a Letter which he wrote to his Fellow-Bishops, which is related by Theodoret, Ch. 4. of the First Book of his History; wherein he describes the Troubles that were caus'd in the Church by Arius and his Faction, he lays open their Heretical Doctrine, and observes that they had withdrawn to some Bishops who had received them into their Communion, and sign'd Letters in their Favour, because they dis∣guis'd their true Sentiments, and conceal'd the Poison of their corrupt Doctrine. He reprehends the Conduct of those Bishops, and accuses them of having violated the Canon of the Apostles, by Patronizing the Actions of those who deny'd the Divinity of Jesus Christ. Afterwards he refutes the impious Opinion of the Arians, and proves from Testimonies of Scripture, That the Word was not a Creature made of Nothing, but that he subsisted from all Eternity, and is equal to his Father, being of the same Nature with him, and that there never was a time when the Son of God was not, and that the Father was always a Father. After having thus Establish'd the Divinity of the Son of God by most convincing Proofs drawn from the holy Scriptures, he proceeds to the Explication of the Articles contain'd in the Creed, concerning the Holy Spirit, the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, and the Resurrection of the Dead. He observes that Jesus Christ had a real Body, and not an imaginary one, that he was Crucified and was dead; but his Divinity suffer'd nothing. He adds, That this is the Doctrine of the Apostolick Church, for which he is ready to die; and says, that Arius and Achil∣las were cast out, because they taught another Doctrine: wherefore he exhorts his Fellow-Bishops to avoid them, and to joyn with him to repress their Insolence. After all, he prays them to send him their Letters approving what he had done, and concludes his Letter with the Names of those Hereticks whom he had Condemn'd and cast out of the Church.
When the Bishops who maintain'd Arius wrote also on their Side in his favour, Alexander found himself oblig'd to write again a large Letter on this Subject to all the Bishops in the World, which is set down by Socrates and Theodoret, Ch. 6. of the First Book of their History. I know very well, that 'tis commonly thought that this Letter was written immediately after the Excommunication of Arius, before that which is in the Fourth Chapter of Theodoret: But this is a mistake, since this Letter was written at the time when Eusebius of Nicomedia was fully declar'd a Patron of Arius. Wherefore Alexander having observ'd in this Letter, That since the Catholick Church was but one Body, and all the Bishops were oblig'd to preserve Peace in it, It was expedient, that they should recipro∣••ally advertise one another of what happen'd in each Diocess; to the end, that when one Member was afflicted, all the rest should mourn, or else rejoice together with it.
After he had begun his Letter with this handsom Reflexion, he adds, That he had once a design to have buried this Disorder in Silence; but since Eusebius had taken upon him the Patronage of these Apostates, and had written on all hands in their favour, he thought himself oblig'd to break Silence, and to give Notice to all the World of this New Error, and to hinder his Fellow-Bishops from giving credit to the Letters which Eusebius might have written.After this, he inserts the Names of these Hereticks, lays open their Error, and refutes it in a few words. He says, That their Impiety was the cause why they were thrown out of the Church and smitten with an Anathema; and though he acknowledges that he was sensibly troubled for their loss, yet he must not wonder that such false Teachers should arise and corrupt the Faith and Doctrine of Jesus Christ, since we are forewarn'd of them by Christ and his Apostle.
These Two Letters of Alexander were sharp and vehement; wherein he pursues Arius and his Party vigorously, and having represented their Doctrine after such a manner, as discovers all that's odious in it, he disputes against it by many solid Arguments, and writes to his Fellow-Bishops with great As∣surance, and yet with due respect. In short, one may say, That these Letters are the best in their kind.
Cotelierius has also publish'd a Letter, or a Pastoral Advertisement of Alexander to his Priests of Egypt and Mareotis, written after these Two Letters, in which he tells them, That tho' they had subscrib'd to the First Pastoral Advertisement which he had address'd to Arius and those of his Facti∣on, wherein he exhorted them to return from their Impiety, and make Profession of the Catholick Faith; yet he thought it still necessary once more to Assemble the Clergy of Alexandria and Mareotis, to shew them the Letter which he had written to all the Bishops since the first Condemnation of the Arians, and to give them Notice, that Carus and Pistus Priests, Serapion, Potamon, Zosi••us and Ire∣naeus, Deacons, having join'd themselves to the other Arians, were depos'd. He demands their Con∣sent and Approbation, because, says he, 'tis reasonable that ye should know what I have written, and imprint it in your Minds, as if you your selves had written it. This Monument of Antiquity, gives us to understand, That according to the Discipline of the Church of Alexandria, which was agree∣able to that of other Churches, the Bishop of that great See, held Synods of his Priests or Curates,