Mr. Blount's oracles of reason examined and answered in nine sections in which his many heterodox opinions are refuted, the Holy Scriptures and revealed religion are asserted against deism & atheism / by Josiah King ...

Pag. 99.

The Arians had not the Freedom to dispute their Cause in the Council of Nice.

ANSWER.

If this could be made appear, then farewell to the Authority of the Nicene Council; but if this be false (as undoubtedly it is) what a horrid injury is done to this most Venerable Assembly? This is one of the greatest Objections the Protestants have against the Council of Trent, and that the Catholicks of old had against the Arian Synods: but who can believe this, that knows with what fervency and zeal Saint Athanasius declaims

against this perverse Method? And this Method He says is repugnant to the Law of God, and the Blessed Apostle. Athanasius Apol. ad Const. Imper. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The divine Law, and the Blessed A∣postle require and Command all parties to be heard: And to this purpose He quotes Acts 24 ver. 19. who ought to have been before thee, and object if they had ought against me— or else let these same here say if they have found any evil doing in me, whilst I stood before the Council. And he quotes the 25.

About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief Priests, and the Elders of the Jews inform∣ed me, desiring to have judgment against him.

—to whom I answered,

It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused, have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for him∣self concerning the crime laid against him.

Can it now be possibly conceived, that Atha∣nasius should thus expose himself, and the Sacred Synod, as He must of necessity have done, if ei∣ther He or they had been obnoxious to the same charge?

Sozomen, lib. 1. c. 15. Eccles. Histor, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

When the Bishops were assembled together, they sent for Arius, and proposed his Opinion to be disputed and discussed.

Socrates, lib. 1. c. 5. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

The Opinion of Arius was defended by Eusebius Bi∣shop of Nicomede, by Theagnis Bishop of Nice, by Maris Bishop of Chalcedon in Bithynia; who were opposed with great zeal by Athanasius a Deacon of the Church of Alexandria.

Theodoret lib. 1. c. 7.

I have formerly made mention of some who in the Council defended the cause of Arius: besides those, Menophantus of Ephesus, Patrophilus of Scythopolis, Theognis of Nice, Narcissus of Neroniad (this Neroniad is a City of the other Cilicia, now called Ireno∣polis) 'Theonas of Marmarita, Secundus of Pto∣lemais, a City of Egypt, opposed the Catholiek Faith, and took on them the Defense and Pa∣tronage of Arius.

Ruffinus lib 1. c. 2.

For many days there was a great dispute in the Council, where some ve∣hemently favoured Arius, and contended for his Doctrines.

Who can now believe, after such a cloud of of Witnesses, that there should be the least Mite of truth in this Position of Mr. Blount's, That the Arians had not the freedom to dispute their cause at the Council of Nice.

What should occasion this grand Mistake in our Deist, may without great difficulty be conjectu∣red: I do not find any ground for it in the Ara∣bian Historians before mentioned: but in that impudent Writer Sandius, pag 167. I find the whole charge: For there He affirms, That Arius and his Complices were censured, judged, and

condemned, causa inaudita multo minus rationibus expensis: They were condemned, says He, without being heard; much less had they permission to produce their Arguments and Reasons. And that which overcomes all Impudence, is, that the said Sandius for proof, cites Socrates, Theodoret, and Athanasius himself; whereas there is no∣thing in those Authors but makes against Him; for the places I have cited, I have viewed in the Original.

Upon the whole, this plainly appears, that Arius was cited before the Fathers in the Coun∣cil, His Propositions were debated, His cause was espoused by some in the Council with much zeal; every thing on either side was weighed with great deliberation, that nothing might be rashly concluded in so weighty and important an Affair.