ROMAN CATHOLICS. 



rose into a kind of adoration ; and it was 

 discovered that considerable profit might 

 be gained by the sale of bones and reli- 

 ques, that it were honourable, not to say 

 miraculous, to possess, and meritorious to 

 preserve. Athanasius and Gregory, Na- 

 zienzen and Cbrysostom, used all their 

 power and eloquence to increase the po- 

 pular veneration and invocation of saints, 

 the love of monkery, and the belief of 

 miracles wrought by monks and reliques. 



The period of intellectual vassalage 

 now commenced ; and trick and finesse 

 were soon discovered, by avaricious and 

 ambitious priests, to be far more profita- 

 ble than the truth as it is taught by Jesus. 



It was about this time that the Council 

 of Nice assembled, "by the grace of 

 God, and favour of Constantine, the prince 

 beloved of God," to crush by numbers, 

 clamour, and authority, what proved too 

 stubborn or too firm to yield to their ar- 

 guments. By the arbitrary decision of 

 three hundred and thirteen out of three 

 hundred and eighteen bishops, it was 

 proved, that the Son is consubstantial and 

 of the same substance with the Father ; 

 and moreover, that whosoever should 

 dare to assert that this expression is un- 

 scriptural, he should, without further 

 ceremony, be deemed a heretic, be cut 

 off from communion with the church in 

 this world, and without doubt should 

 perish everlastingly in the world to come ! 

 After they had thus decided, and had ba- 

 nished Avius, and his followers, who de- 

 termined to abide by the language of 

 Scripture, these domineering priests sent 

 letters of self-commendation to their 

 friends in Egypt, Lybia, and Pentapolis. 

 Having rewarded the priests, and recom- 

 mended to them peace and harmony, Con- 

 stantine dismissed the council, and wrote 

 to several churches, recommending and 

 enjoining universal conformity to the coun- 

 cil's decrees, both in doctrines and cere- 

 monies ; using this, among other argu- 

 ments, that what they had decreed was 

 the will of God, and that the argument of 

 so great a number of bishops could be by 

 no other than the immediate inspiration 

 of the Holy Ghost. That the Nicene doc- 

 tors were inspired, whoever considers the 

 nature and extent of their anathemas 

 and depositions, together with the sub- 

 sequent persecutions, of which this coun- 

 cil was the foundation, can have no doubt; 

 whether their inspiration was by the Holy 

 Ghost, is another question. 



The scriptural Christians, being now 

 the weaker party, not relishing neither 

 the decrees of the Nicene fathers, nor 



the letters of Constantine, most unhappy 

 consequences very soon took place. The 

 orthodox emperor, finding his admoni. 

 tions disregarded, resolved, in the mad- 

 ness of his zeal, to try the efficacy of 

 more forcible motives ; and accordingly 

 issued sundry edicts against all who 

 should dare to oppose his will, or slight 

 the decrees of the Council of Nice ; at 

 the same time ordering that the books of 

 their opponents should be burnt ; and if 

 any kept them in their possession, or en- 

 deavoured to counteract his edict, they 

 should, on conviction thereof, suffer death . 



Thus the authors of the Nicene Creed 

 first brought in the punishment of heresy 

 with death, and persuaded the^ emperor 

 to destroy those whom he could not 

 easily convert. The scriptures were 

 now no longer the rule of faith and man- 

 ners ; but orthodoxy and heterodoxy 

 were decided by vote, and agreed upon, 

 not by the number and weight of argu- 

 ments, but by the number and power of 

 emperors, priests, and councils. 



The next council that was held, was 

 composed of bishops possessing opinions 

 somewhat different from those of their 

 predecessors, because Constantine II. 

 happened to be favourable to the Arians. 

 The side of orthodoxy was now changed ; 

 but fulminations and damnations still ad- 

 hered to the decrees of the council, 

 against all those who should dare to op- 

 pose them. This alternate shifting of 

 hands continued through the whole of 

 this century. It was in this century also 

 that painted crosses and the making of 

 pilgrimages became fashionable. 



The fifth century gave birth to an 

 established union of the temporal and 

 spiritual jurisdiction of the popes; 

 though as yet no one had the hardihood 

 to declare himself either infallible or 

 supreme. The prohibiting priests to 

 marry, baptizing with godfathers and 

 godmothers, the sign of the cross in 

 baptism, and some other less important 

 matters, were introduced in this century. 



The bulk of ecclesiastical historians fix 

 the year 606 for the title of universal 

 bishop, being conferred on the Pontiff of 

 Rome. This dignity had been assumed 

 by the bishop of Constantinople in the 

 preceding century, but was now con- 

 firmed to Boniface III. ; who, being 

 elected Pope, prevailed on the Emperor 

 Phocus to take the title of universal 

 bishop from the Bishop of Constantino- 

 ple, and grant it to him, and his suc- 

 cessors, by his absolute decree ; which 

 passed for that purpose. 



