as the maker of the world, and the object of prayer, I do not fee how they can exculpate themselves. No doubt, however, a

great part of the animofity of the orthodox against the Arians, arofe from the oppofition they met with from them; there being more men of learning among the Arians than among the unitarians.

It is much to be lamented that there are no remains of any controverfy between the ancient Arians and unitarians, especially of the conference between Photinus and Bafil of Ancyra. This would, no doubt, have thrown much more light than we now have on the fubject of these differences, and on the state of ancient opinions in general.

СНАР

T

CHAPTER II.

Of the Neftorian Controverfy.

HE opinion of Neftorius being nearly allied to that of the ancient unitarians, it may not be improper to give fome account of it, and of the controverfy that was occafioned by it.

The mafter of Neftorius was Theodorus, bishop of Mopfueftia, who is faid to have held the fame opinion before him *. From what Facundus has faid in his juftification, it should seem that he was more properly an unitarian, fuch as Photinus was. But it is probable, that their doctrine was fo much. alike, that few perfons in that age thought there was much difference between them; and Theodorus is faid to have had his inftruction from Diodorus, bishop of Tarfus, while he was a prefbyter at Antioch †.

* Αλλα και Nerops δόγμα, ει και προ Νέτορία υπήρχεν υπερευγοus. Photii. Bib. fect. 39. p. 23.

+ Lardner, Credibility, vol. 9. p. 351.

Upon

Upon the condemnation of Neftorius, his partifans, not being able to avail themfelves of his writings, publifhed thofe of Theodorus, in the Greek, Syrian, Armenian, and Perfian languages; alfo an epiftle of Ibas, bishop of Edeffa, and fome pieces of Theodoret, which they thought favourable to them. These were generally denominated the three chapters; and it was thought neceffary to hold a particular council for the purpose of condemning them *. The fame is obferved by Juftinian himself, in his epistle. The Neftorians ftill preserve the writings of Theodorus with great care, and confider him as a faint of the first rank ‡.

There must have been fomething very popular in the doctrine of Neftorius. Juf

* See the preface to the works of Juftinian, &c. by Bandini.

+ Οι τινες το Νεσοριο ονομα σιωπαν προσποιεμένοι δια των προειρημένων, αυλον Νεσοριον, και την κακοδοξίαν αυτε εισαγαγειν επεχείρον, την ασέβειαν των κεφαλαίων τελων τη καθολικη εκκλησία προσαπλοίες. Vol. 1. p. 6.

Mofheim's Hift. vol. 1. p. 208. Jortin's Remarks, vol. 4. p. 288.

tinian fays, that he drew many into error *. Proclus, in an epistle to the Armenians, A. D. 435, in which he condemns the errors of Neftorius and Theodorus of Mopfueftia, did not, as Cave fays, mention the name of Theodorus, left he should too much offend the Armenians, to whom his memory was dear +.

Socrates fays, that "Neftorius was ac"cused by many as making Christ a mere

66

man, and as introducing the opinion of "Paulus Samofatenfis and Photinus into "the church ." Marius Mercator alfo confidered the herefy of Neftorius as "in

part that of Paulus Samofatenfis, in part "that of Ebion, that of Marcellus of An◄

* Θεόδωρος δε 8 μονον διδασκαλος ην της Νεσοριν δυσσέβειας, αλλά και πολλές δια των ασεβών αυλο συγγραμμαίων ηποίησεν. Εpift.

P. 124.

+ Anno 435, data ad Armenos epiftola, Neftorii et Theodori Mopfuefteni errores damnavit, intacto tamen Theodori nomine, ne Armenos, quibus cara erat iftius memoria, nimis offenderet, Hiftoria Literaria, vol.

P. 423.

† Νεσοριος δε δόξαν παρα τοις πολλοις είχεν, ως ψιλον ανθρωπον λέγων τον κύριον, και ως Παύλε το Σαμωσάλεως καὶ Φωτεινο δόγμα εις την εκκλησίαν αγων. Lib. 7. cap. 32. p. 381.

66 cyra, and Photinus *." And Theodorus de Rhaita fays, that " Theodorus of Mopfueftia held Chrift to be a mere man, "who, by the grace of God, deserved to be "called God t." "The Neftorians," fays Cyril of Alexandria, " called Chrift homo "deiferus, a man bearing a God ‡”— "actuated and impelled by the deity, and "that he worked miracles by a power not "his own §;" and that "the fonship "and divinity of Chrift belonged to the

- a man

logos only ||." He likewife fays, that "Neftorius ascribed the title of fon of God "in one sense to the logos, and in another

* Aut cui eft, vel fuit, vel erit aliquando poffibile, perfcrutari omnia, et omnia commemorare, quibus probetur non novella hunc, fed vetere, partim Pauli Samofateni, partim Ebionis, partim Marcelli Galatæ, et Photini effe eum impietate diftortum. Epift. p. 50.

+ Qui et per gradus promovens, accepta a deo gratia promeruit nominari deus. Bib. Pat. vol. 8. p. 661.

Si quifquam Chriftum deiferum hominem audit dicere, et non magis deum fecundum veritatem, anathe ma efto. Epift. vol. 2. p. 26.

$Ibid.

Ibid. p. 51.

fenfe