XXVII. CHAP. placed him on the archiepifcopal throne of Conftantinople. But the faint (who had not fubdued the imperfections of human virtue) was deeply affected by the mortifying confideration, that his entrance into the fold was that of a wolf, rather than of a fhepherd: that the glittering arms, which furrounded his perfon, were neceffary for his fafety; and that he alone was the object of the imprecations of a great party, whom, as men and citizens, it was impoffible for him to defpife. He beheld the innumerable multitude of either sex, and of every age, who crowded the streets, the windows, and the roofs of the houses; he heard the tumultuous voice of rage, grief, aftonishment, and defpair; and Gregory fairly confeffes, that on the memorable day of his inftallation, the capital of the East wore the appearance of a city taken by ftorm, and in the hands of a Barbarian conqueror 38. About fix weeks afterwards, Theodofius declared his refolution of expelling from all the churches of his dominions, the bishops and their clergy, who fhould obftinately refuse to believe, or at least to profefs, the doctrine of the council of Nice. His lieutenant Sapor was armed with the ample powers of a general law, a special commiffion, and a military force 39; and this ec In the Eaft, A.D.381. 38 See Gregory Nazianzen, tom. ii. de Vitâ fuâ, p. 21, 22. For the fake of posterity, the bifhop of Conftantinople records a ftupendous prodigy. In the month of November, it was a cloudy morning; but the fun broke forth, when the proceffion entered the church. 39 Of the three ecclefiaftical hiftorians, Theodoret alone (1. v. c. 2.) has mentioned this important commiffion of Sapor, which Tillemont (Hift. des Empereurs, tom. v. p. 728.) judiciously removes from the reign of Gratian, to that of Theodofius. clefiaftical clefiaftical revolution was conducted with fo much CHAP. XXVII. difcretion and vigour, that the religion of the emperor was established, without turnult, or bloodfhed, in all the provinces of the Eaft. The writings of the Arians, if they had been permitted to exift 40, would perhaps contain the lamentable story of the perfecution, which afflicted the church under the reign of the impious Theodofius; and the fufferings of their holy confeffors, might claim the pity of the difinterested reader. Yet there is reafon to imagine that the violence of zeal and revenge was, in fome measure, eluded by the want of resistance; and that, in their adverfity, the Arians difplayed much lefs firmness, than had been exerted by the orthodox party under the reigns of Conftantius and Valens. The moral character and conduct of the hoftile fects appear to have been governed by the fame common principles of nature and religion but a very material circumftance may be difcovered, which tended to diftinguish the degrees of their theological faith. Both parties, in the schools, as well as in the temples, acknowledged and worshipped the divine majefty of Chrift; and as we are always prone to impute our own fentiments and paffions to the Deity, it would be deemed more prudent and respectful to exaggerate, than to circumscribe, the adorable perfections of the Son of God. The disciple of Athanafius exulted in the proud confidence, that he had entitled himself to the divine 40 I do not reckon Philoftorgius, though he mentions (1. ix. c. 19.) the expulfion of Damophilus. The Eunomian hiftorian has been carefully ftrained through an orthodox fieve. favour: XXVII. CHAP. favour: while the follower of Arius must have been tormented, by the fecret apprehenfion, that he was guilty, perhaps, of an unpardonable offence, by the scanty praise, and parfimonious honours, which he bestowed on the Judge of the World. The opinions of Arianifm might fatisfy a cold and fpeculative mind; but the doctrine of the Nicene Creed, most powerfully recommended by the merits of faith and devotion, was much better adapted to become popular and fuccefsful in a believing age. The council of Con#tantinople, A.D. 381. May. The hope that truth and wisdom would be found in the affemblies of the orthodox clergy, induced the emperor to convene, at Conftantinople, a fynod of one hundred and fifty bishops, who proceeded, without much difficulty or delay, to complete the theological fyftem which had been established in the council of Nice. The vehement disputes of the fourth century had been chiefly employed on the nature of the Son of God and the various opinions, which were embraced concerning the Second, were extended and transferred, by a natural analogy, to the Third, perfon of the Trinity". Yet it was found, or it was thought, neceffary, by the victorious adverfaries of Arianifm, to explain the ambiguous lan 41 Le Clerc has given a curious extract (Bibliotheque Universelle, tom. xviii. p. 91-105.) of the theological fermons which Gregory Nazianzen pronounced at Conftantinople against the Arians, Eunomians, Macedonians, &c. He tells the Macedonians, who deified the Father and the Son, without the Holy Ghost, that they might as well be filed Tritheifts, as Ditheifts. Gregory himself was almost a Tritheist; and his monarchy of heaven resembles a well-regulated aristocracy. 3 guage 42 XXVII. guage of fome refpectable doctors; to confirm CHAP. the faith of the Catholics; and to condemn an unpopular and inconfiftent fect of Macedonians; who freely admitted that the Son was confubftantial to the Father, while they were fearful of seeming 'to acknowledge the existence of Three Gods. A final and unanimous fentence was pronounced to ratify the equal Deity of the Holy Ghoft; the mysterious doctrine has been received by all the nations, and all the churches of the Christian world; and their grateful reverence has affigned to the bishops of Theodofius, the fecond rank among the general councils 2. Their knowledge of religious truth may have been preserved by tradition, or it may have been communicated by inspiration; but the fober evidence of history will not allow much weight to the perfonal authority of the Fathers of Conftantinople. In an age, when the ecclefiaftics had fcandaloufly degenerated from the model of apoftolical purity, the most worthlefs and corrupt were always the moft eager to frequent, and disturb, the epifcopal affemblies. The conflict and fermentation of fo many opposite interefts and tempers inflamed the paffions of the bishops and their ruling paffions were the love of gold, and the love of difpute. Many of the fame prelates who now applauded the orthodox piety of Theodofius, had repeatedly changed, with prudent flexibility, their creeds : 42 The first general council of Conftantinople now triumphs in the Vatican but the popes had long hefitated, and their hesitation perplexes, and almoft staggers, the humble Tillemont (Mem. Ecclef. tom. ix. p. 499, 500.), and XXVII. CHAP. and opinions; and in the various revolutions of the church and ftate, the religion of their fovereign was the rule of their obfequious faith. When the emperor fufpended his prevailing influence, the turbulent fynod was blindly impelled, by the abfurd or selfish motives of pride, hatred, and refentment. The death of Meletius, which happened at the council of Conftantinople, prefented the most favourable opportunity of terminating the fchifm of Antioch, by fuffering his aged rival, Paulinus, peaceably to end his days in the epifcopal chair. The faith and virtues of Paulinus were unblemished. But his caufe was fupported by the Western churches and the bishops of the fynod refolved to perpetuate the mifchiefs of difcord, by the hafty ordination of a perjured candidate 43, rather than to betray the imagined dignity of the Eaft, which had been illuftrated by the birth and death of the Son of God. Such unjuft and diforderly proceedings forced the graveft members of the affembly to diffent and to fecede; and the clamorous majority, which remained mafters of the field of battle, could be compared only to wafps or magpies, to a flight of cranes, or to a flock of geefe 4. A fu 1 44 43 Before the death of Meletius, fix or eight of his most popular ecclefiaftics, among whom was Flavian, had abjured, for the fake of peace, the bishopric of Antioch (Sozomen, 1. vii. c. 3. 11. Socrates, 1. v. c. 5.). Tillemont thinks it his duty to disbelieve the story; but he owns that there are many circumstances in the life of Flavian, which feem inconfiftent with the praises of Chryfoftom, and the character of a faint (Mem. Ecclef. tom. x. p. 541.). 44 Confult Gregory Nazianzen, de Vitâ fuâ, tom. ii. p. 25–28. His general and particular opinion of the clergy and their affemblies, may 8 |