Christos autotheos, or, An historical account of the heresie denying the Godhead of Christ

TO THE READER.

AFter the Heresie denying the Divinity of Christ had been long silenced by Argu∣ment and Discipline, it was again brought upon the Stage by Arius, whose Character makes not much for its Credit. For tho' in holy Orders, he was proud and aspiring, subtle witted, and an excellent Proficient in the Art of Flattery. Besides he was one that had such an overweaning Conceit of his own Abilities, that he thought all to be his Inferiours in Desert. And through this his vain unhappy Temper he became impatient of Contradiction, full of Envy and Stomach, and bold to broach Heresie. And it was observed That Discipline and good Counsel, which usually make others better, made Arius the worse; and the more his Heresie was condemned, the more he labour'd to propagate and defend it.

Sulpitius lib. 2. observes, that the Arian He∣resie receiv'd no small Advantage from the Quali∣ty of the Persons chosen to be its publick Managers. Who (as he tells us) were Senes callidi, old stanch

Disputants, who had been long vers'd in Contro∣versie. Whereas the Managers chosen by the Or∣thodox, were Young Men, parùm docti & pa∣rùm cauti, fuller of Warmth than of Learn∣ing.

And this had a great Influence upon the Cause, all Men concluding of the rest on either side, by the Quality of the Managers.

Besides, the Orthodox dealt plainly, argued with Openness and Simplicity, and in their Forms of Confession were clear and ingenuous. Whereas the Hereticks wrought with great Subtilty, decli∣ning no Artifice that might advantage their Cause; and in their Confessions, they loved Ambiguity and Equivocation, and (which did not a little turn to their Advantage) they always laboured to be∣get in the several Emperours & their Favourites a good liking of their Doctrine, and either to gain them to it, or not greatly to disapprove it.

But (according to an Ancient Wri∣ter) it may justly create our Wonder, * 1.1 that notwithstanding the Authors of this Venom are long since dead and gone, the wicked Doctrine shou'd still remain, and that after so many Confutations and Censures there∣of, any shou'd be found to maintain and dif∣fuse it. But our Wonder will cease when we consider with judicious Hooker

That the Weeds of Heresie being grown up to Ripeness, do even in cutting down sometimes scatter those

Seeds, which for a while lie unseen and buried in the Earth, but afterwards freshly spring up again no less pernicious than at the first.

And the same learned Author observes, that the Heresies concerning the Holy Trinity have of later Years grown up no where so fast as where the Athanasian Creed and the Glo∣ria Patri have not been made use of. And no Wonder that Heresies should thrive in those Places where the best Preservatives against them have been neglected.

For as to the Creed of Athanasius, what is it else, but a Divine Explication of the chief Articles of the Christian Faith? Which Creed was so highly valued by the Church, that she made it part of her Liturgy. And as for the Gloria, or the Hymns and Sen∣tences of Glory, they were a Part of the Liturgy long before the Athanasian Belief: And they were ever look'd upon as an heaven∣ly Acclamation of joyful Applause to his Praise in whom we believe. And from the beginning the Church of Christ by a secret universal Impulse of God's Spirit, always ty'd it self to end neither Sermon nor almost any special Matter wherein the Things of God were concerned, without some peculiar Words of Ho∣nour and Glory to the Trinity, which all true Christians believe and worship. And who∣ever

omitted to do this, was suspected to want a right Faith of the Trinity, and to doubt of the Equality of the Persons: For if we really believe,

The Godhead of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, to be all one, the Glory Equal, and the Majesty Coeternal,

why do we not publickly own it, by ascribing equal Glory to each of them? And where can we do this with more Solemnity than at the Close of those Homilies and Discourses which we make unto the People? The Use of the Gloria was never quarrell'd at or omitted by any till Arius, who being press'd with this Usage of the Church, as an Argument against the Heresie which makes the Son inferiour to the Father, labour'd to corrupt this Hymn, saying, Glory be to the Father, by the Son, in the Holy Ghost. But the Church was careful to main∣tain the ancient Usage, * 1.2 adding on Purpose against Arius, As it was in the Beginning, is now, and ever shall be.

The Gloria Patri it has ever been esteem'd the Christians Creed and Hymn. For the Summ of the Christians Faith is the Mystery of the Trinity, by which he declares against all Hereticks in the World. And it is also the Chri∣stians Hymn wherewith he ought to close all his Religious Services, Praises, Prayers, Thanks∣givings,

Confession of Faith and Sins. And as to the great Mystery contain'd in the Gloria, it was well with Christianity when Men went no farther therein than the Scripture led them, and when they rested in such Discoveries of the Tri∣nity as God has been pleas'd to give in his Word. By which Word if we wou'd once guide our Senti∣ments, and submit them to it, we might hope to see all those Disputes buried in silence, which now make so great a Noise: Ridente Turcâ, non dolente Judaeo. And if those very Men, who are at present so keenly engag'd in Debates about the Trinity, wou'd speak out, they wou'd tell us That Trinity in Unity, and Unity in Tri∣nity is a Mystery surpassing their Abilities to ex∣plain, and that it surmounts the Power of humane Nature to give a satisfactory Answer to all the Doubts, Cavils and Questions which bold Men may raise about it.

Let the Mysteries of Christianity continue at that Distance where God has set them to be be∣liev'd and ador'd, and then Peace and Truth will meet and embrace.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Phrob. con∣tna Ar.
• * 1.2

  Con. Va. c. 7.