464 A T H 
chides, that Hilary bifliop of Arles, about the year 430, 
compofed The Expofition of Faith, which now bears the 
name of the Athanafian Creed, for the ufe of the Gallican 
clergy, and particularly thofe of the diocefe of Arles: 
that, about the year 570, it became famous enough to be 
commented upon; but that all this while, and for feveral 
years lower, it had not yet acquired the name of Athana¬ 
fian, but w'as fimply fly led The Catholic Faith. That, 
before 670, Athanafius’s admired name came into recom¬ 
mend and adorn it, being in itfelf an excellent fyftem of 
the Athanafian principles of the Trinity and incarnation, 
in oppofition chiefly to the Arians, Macedonians, and 
Apollinarians. This is the hypothefis of the learned au¬ 
thor of the Critical Hiftory of the Athanafian Creed. 
As to the reception of this creed in the Chriftian church¬ 
es, we find, that it obtained in France in the time of Hinc- 
niar, anno 850; that it was received in Spain about 100 
years later than in France, and in Germany much about 
the fame time. As to our own country, we have clear 
and pofitive proofs of this creed being lung alternately in 
our churches in the tenth century. It was in common ufe 
in fome parts of Italy, particularly in the diocefe of Ve¬ 
rona, about the year 960, and was received at Rome about 
the year 1014. As to the Greek and oriental churches, it 
has been queilioned whether any of them ever received 
this creed at all; though fome very confiderable writers 
are of a contrary perfualion. It appears then, that the re¬ 
ception of this creed has been both general and ancient; 
and may vie with any, in that refpedl, except the Nicene or 
Conlfantinopolitan, the only general creed common to all 
the churches. 
As to the matter of this creed, it is given as a fummary of 
the true orthodox faith, and a condemnation of all herefies 
ancient and modern. Unhappily it has proved a fruitful 
fourceof unprofitable controverfy and unchriftian animo- 
iity even down to the prefent time. Lately, however, at¬ 
tempts have been made reftore its credit, by propofing to 
omit its damnatory claufes. But, how much more com¬ 
patible would it be with the benevolent and divine fpirit 
of the church of England, if this whole mafs of incom- 
prehenfibles,—of which the wife and good archbifnop Til- 
lot Ion, a century ago, wifhed her well rid,—were cancelled 
altogether! 
ATHANA'SILTS (St.) bifliop of Alexandria, and one 
of the greateft defenders of the faith againll the Arians, 
was born in Egypt. He followed St. Alexander to the 
council of Nice, in 325, w'here he difputed againll Arius, 
and the following year was made bifliop of Alexandria; 
but, in 335, was depofed by the council of Tyre: when, 
having recourfe to the emperor Conftantine, the Arian 
deputies accufed him of having hindered the exportation 
of corn from Alexandria to Conftantinople; on which the 
emperor, without buffering him to make his defence, ba- 
nifhed him to Treves. The emperor, two years after, gave 
orders that he fliotild be reflored to his bifhopric : but, on 
his return to Alexandria, his enemies brought frelh accu- 
fations againfl him, and cliofe Gregory of C appadocia to 
his fee ; which obliged Athanafius to go to Rome and re¬ 
claim it of pope Julias. He was there declared innocent, 
in a council held in 342, and in that of Sardica in 347, and 
two years after was reftored to his fee by order of the em¬ 
peror Conftans: but, after the death of that prince, he 
was again banifhed by the emperor Conftantius, which 
obliged him to retire into the delerts. The Arians then 
elected one George in his room ; who, being killed in a 
popular fedition under Julian in 360, St. Athanalitis re¬ 
turned to Alexandria, but was again banifhed under Ju¬ 
lian, and reftored to his fee under Jovian. He addrelfed 
to that emperor a letter, in which he proposed that the 
Nicene creed Should be the ftandard of the orthodox faith, 
and condemned thofe w ho denied the divinity of the Holy 
Ghoft. Fie was alfo banifhed by Valeris in 367, and af¬ 
terwards recalled. St. Athanafius died on the 2d of May, 
373. His works principally contain a defence of the myf- 
tery of the Trinity, and.of incarnation and divinity of the 
A T H 
Word and Holy Spirit. There are three editions of his 
works which are'eftf'emed; that of Commelin, printed in 
1600 ; that of Nannius, in 1627 ; and that of Montfaucon. 
A'I H AN'ASY, f. \_athanafa, Lat. of ocQcevaatu^ Gr. of 
apriv. and Sarar©-, death. ] Immortality. 
ATHANA'Tf, in Perlian antiquity, a body of cavalry, 
confuting of 10,000 men, always complete. They were 
called aihanflti (a word originally Greek, and fignifying 
‘ immortal’), becaui'e, when one of them happened to die, 
another was immediately appointed to l'ucceed him. 
ATHA'NOR, f [from Gr. or, as others 
think, from von Heb. an oven.] A kind of furnace, which 
has long fmee fallen into difnfe. The very long and du¬ 
rable operations of the ancient chemifts rendered it a de- 
ftrabie requilite, that their fires fhould be conftantly fup- 
plied with fuel in proportion to the confumption. The 
at'hanor furnace was peculiarly adapted to this purpofe. 
Befides the ufual parts, it was provided with a hollow tow¬ 
er, into which charcoal was put. The upper part of the 
tower, when filled, was clofely fhut by a well-fitted cover; 
and the lower part communicated with the fire-place of 
the furnace. In confequence of this difpofition, the char¬ 
coal fublided into the fire-place gradually, as the con- 
lumption made room for it; but, that which was contain¬ 
ed in the tower was defended from combuftion by the ex- 
clulion of a proper fupply of vital air. 
ATHAPES'COW, a lake of North America, 100 
miles long, and from ten to thirty wide. Lat. 59.0. N. 
Ion. 110. o. W. Greenwich. 
A'THARA,yi [from corn.] A panada or pap for 
children, made of bruifed corn. 
ATHA'RER, in aftrology, a term ufed when the Moon, 
is in the fame degree and minute with the fun. 
A'THAROTH, or A'troth, the ancient name of fe¬ 
veral towns. Two appear to have been in Samaria, in the 
tribe of Ephraim ; the one four miles to the north of Se- 
bafte, or the city of Samaria; the other in the confines pf 
Benjamin and Ephraim. This is the Atroth-Addar men¬ 
tioned Joflma xvi. 5. from which to Upper Bethoron ex¬ 
tends the greateft breadth of the tribe of Ephraim. 
ATH'BAY, a town of Ireland, in the county of Meath, 
a borough which returns two members to the Irilh parlia¬ 
ment : twenty-nine miles north-weft of Dublin. 
ATHE'E, a town of France, in the department of the 
Mayenne, and chief place of a canton, in the diftriCt of 
Craon : three miles north of Craon. 
A'THEISM,y. [from atheijl. It is only of two fylla- 
bles in poetry.] The difbelief of a,God.—It is the com¬ 
mon intereft of mankind, to punilh all thofe who would 
feduce men to atheifm. Tillotfon. 
A'THE[ST,y without God. J One that denies 
the exillence of a God.—No atheijl, as Inch, can be a true 
friend, an affedlionate relation, or a loyal fubjedl. Bentley. 
Atheijl, ufe thine eyes, 
And, having view’d the order of the Ikies, 
Think, if thou canft, that matter, blindly hurl’d 
Without a guide, Ihould frame this vvond’rous world. Creech. 
Atheifm, as abfurd and unreafonable as it is, has had 
its martyrs. Lucilio Vanini, an Italian, native of Naples, 
publicly taught atheifm in France, about the beginning of 
the 17 tli century; and, being convidted of it at Touloufe, 
was condemned to death. Being prelfed to make a pub¬ 
lic acknowledgement of his crime, and to afk pardon of 
God, the king, and juftice, he anfwered, He did not be¬ 
lieve there was a God ; that he never offended the king; 
and, as for juftice, he wifhed it to the devil, He confef- 
fed that he was one of twelve, who parted in company 
from Naples to fpread their dodtrine in all parts of Eu¬ 
rope. His tongue was firft cut out, and then his body 
burnt, April 9, 1619. 
Atheist, adj. Atheiftical; denying God : 
Nor flood unmindful Abdiel to annoy 
The atheijl crew. Milton. 
ATHEIS'TIC, 
