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After the overthrow of the wicked and impious tyrants, Maxentius,
Maximinus, and Licinius, the surge which those destroyers, like
hurricanes, had roused was hushed to sleep; the whirlwinds were
checked, and the Church henceforward began to enjoy a settled calm.
This was established for her by Constantine, a prince deserving of
all praise, whose calling, like that of the divine Apostle, was not
of men, nor by man, but from heaven. He enacted laws prohibiting
sacrifices to idols, and commanding churches to be erected. He
appointed Christians to be governors of the provinces, ordering honour
to be shown to the priests, and threatening with death those who dared
to insult them. By some the churches which had been destroyed were
rebuilt; others erected new ones still more spacious and magnificent.
Hence, for us, all was joy and gladness, while our enemies were
overwhelmed with gloom and despair. The temples of the idols were
closed; but frequent assemblies were held, and festivals celebrated,
in the churches, But the devil, full of all envy and wickedness, the
destroyer of mankind, unable to bear the sight of the Church sailing
on with favourable winds, stirred up plans of evil counsel, eager to
sink the vessel steered by the Creator and Lord of the Universe.
When he began to perceive that the error of the Greeks had been made
manifest, that the various tricks of the demons had been detected, and
that the greater number of men worshipped the Creator, instead of
adoring, as heretofore, the creature, he did not dare to declare open
war against our God and Saviour; but having found some who, though
dignified with the name of Christians, were yet slaves to ambition and
vainglory, he made them fit instruments for the execution of his
designs, and by their means drew others back into their old error, not
indeed by the former method of setting up the worship of the creature,
but by bringing it about that the Creator and Maker of all should be
reduced to a level with the creature. I shall now proceed to relate
where and by what means he sowed these tares.
Alexandria is an immense and populous city, charged with the
leadership not only of Egypt, but also of the adjacent countries, the
Thebaid and Libya. After Peter, the victorious champion of the
faith, had, during the sway of the aforesaid impious tyrants,
obtained the crown of martyrdom, the Church in Alexandria was ruled
for a short time by Achillas. He was succeeded by Alexander, who
proved himself a noble defender of the doctrines of the gospel. At
that time, Arius, who had been enrolled in the list of the
presbytery, and entrusted with the exposition of the Holy
Scriptures, fell a prey to the assaults of jealousy, when he saw that
the helm of the high priesihood was committed to Alexander. Stung by
this passion, he sought opportunities for dispute and contention;
and, although he perceived that Alexander's irreproachable conduct
forbade his bringing any charges against him, envy would not allow him
to rest. In him the enemy of the truth found an instrument whereby to
stir and agitate the angry waters of the Church, and persuaded him to
oppose the apostolical doctrine of Alexander. While the Patriarch,
in obedience to the Holy Scriptures, taught that the Son is of equal
dignity with the Father, and of the same substance with God who begat
Him, Arius, in direct opposition to the truth, affirmed that the
Son of God is merely a creature or created being, adding the famous
dictum, "There once was a time when He was not ;" with other
opinions which may be learned from his own writings. He taught these
false doctrines perseveringly, not only in the church, but also in
general meetings and assemblies; and he even went from house to house,
endeavouring to make men the slaves of his error. Alexander, who was
strongly attached to the doctrines of the Apostles, at first tried by
exhortations and counsels to convince him of his error; but when he saw
him playing the madman and making public declaration of his impiety, he
deposed him from the order of the presbytery, for be heard the law of
God loudly declaring, "If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out,
and cast it from thee."
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