ROMAN CATHOLICS. 
fourth century, in which the fathers, Cyril, 
Basil, Gregory, and Ambrose, flourished, 
was instituted the monastic life. Notwith- 
standing the piety and sanctity to which 
this institution made pretensions, a manifest 
love of power, and riches, was predomi- 
nant ; and that, at best, the monastic life 
laid the foundation of that superstructure 
cf mystery, intolerance, and superstition, 
whfch in subsequent periods of the church 
made such havock with the peace and hap- 
piness of mankind. It was from this time 
that the church became modelled by assum- 
ing priests ; the simplicity of truth was ob- 
scured by mystery ; and the kingdom ot 
Christ became a kingdom of this world. 
The popes, as bishops of Rome, having laid 
the foundation of that monarchical power to 
which they afterwards rose, one of the 
first and most essential steps was the 
.creation of the dignity of Pati iarch, after- 
wards confirmed by the Council of Nice. 
Thus the hierarchy became formed ac- 
cording to the constitution of the Roman 
empire. ' After this it was resolved that the 
precedence and authority of bishops over 
others should be determined by the rank of 
the cities where they resided ; and of con- 
sequence in process of time, as it could be 
effected, the Bishop of Rome must have the 
supremacy ; and this was managed with so 
much art, as to be confirmed in the next 
council, without its appearing previously to 
have been made a point of. 
Constantine the Great, who became a 
Christian, A. D. 312, took the cause of reli- 
gion into his hands, and defended his new 
friends against the rage of their heathen 
adversaries with so much success, that 
he restored peace and tranquillity to the 
Christian world. When the church, under 
tliis Emperor and his successors, enjoyed 
the protection of the civil powers, the 
Christians began to compare their present 
with their past condition, and called to 
mind tlie sufferings of their predecessors, 
and the patience and fortitude which they 
had exerted, particularly in the last and se- 
verest persecution. These considerations 
raised in them a high, and indeed, ip some 
degree a Just veneration for the martyrs. 
But it did not stop here ; what was at first 
only a pious veneration, soon rose into a 
Jtind of adoration; and it was discovered 
that considerable profit might be gained by 
the sale of bones and reliques that it were 
honourable, not to say miraculous, to pos- 
sess, and meritorious to preserve. Athana- 
sius and Gregory, Nazienzen and Chrysos- 
tom, used all their power and eloquence to 
increase the popular veneration and invo- 
cation 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 ambi- 
tious priests, to be far more profitable 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, be- 
loved of God,” to crush by numbers, cla- 
mour, and authority, what proved too stub- 
born or too firm to yield to their arguments. 
By the arbitrary decision of three hundred 
and thirteen out of three hundred and eigh- 
teen bishops it was proved that the Son is 
consubstantial and of the same substance 
with the Father ; and moreover that whoso- 
ever should dare to assert that this expres- 
sion is unscriptural, he should, without fur- 
ther ceremony, be deemed a heretic, be 
cut off from communion with the church 
in this world, and without doubt should 
perish everlastingly in the w'orld to come ! 
After they had thus decided, and had ba- 
isished Arius, and his followers, who deter- 
mined to abide by the language of Scrip- 
ture, these domineering priests sent letters 
of self-commendation to their friends in 
Egypt, Lybia, and Pentapolis. Having re- 
warded the . priests, and recommended to 
them peace and harmony, Constantine dis- 
missed the council, and wrote to several 
churches, recommending and enjoining uni- 
versal conformity to the council’s decrees, 
both in doctrines and ceremonies ; using 
this, among other arguments, that what 
they had decreed was the will of God, and 
that tlie agreement of so great a number of 
bishops could be by no other than the imme- 
diate inspiration of the Holy Ghost. That 
tlie Nicene doctors were inspired, whoever 
considers the- nature and extent of their 
anathemas and depositions, together with 
the subsequent persecutions, of which this 
couiicil 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 de- 
crees of the Nicene fathers, nor the letters 
of Constantine, most unhappy consequences 
very soon took place. The orthodox em- 
peror, finding his admonitions disregarded, 
resolved, in the madness 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 
