gies. His greatest controversial work is that entitled The Epitome of False-fabled Heresies, 451; this covers an immense variety of anti-Catholic doctrines and is therefore still valuable to the student of dogma. In the last of its five books, THEODORET enumerates the chief articles of the Christian faith and of the moral law, as the best defence against heresy. CHAPTER XIV THE MAKING OF THE CREED Among the pupils of LUCIAN of Antioch, was a clever and influential presbyter, ARIUS, 256-336, whose ministry in Alexandria was first disturbed by his support of Meletius of Lycopolis in an attack on the prevailing views about episcopacy; and next, and much more seriously, by his attempt to simplify the doctrine of the person of Christ. ALEXANDER, bishop of Alexandria, entered into this doctrinal dispute, but laid himself open to the charge of being a Sabellian, by some of the passages contained in a charge to his clergy, 318, on the subject of the Unity of the Godhead. Thus began the heresy of Arianism with which the Church was convulsed for nearly a century. ARIUS put his opinions into writing in a Letter to EUSEBIUS of Nicomedia, in the course of which he declares: we say, and believe, and have taught, and do teach, that the Son is not begotten, nor in any way part of the Unbegotten; and that He does not derive His subsistence from any matter; but that by His own will and counsel He has subsisted before time, and before ages as perfect God, only-begotten and unchangeable. And that He existed not, before He was begotten, or created, or purposed, or established. For He was not unbegotten. |