tullian, I cannot help inferring, that the doctrine of Chrift being any thing more than a man, who was crucified and rofe from the dead (the whole doctrine of the incarnation of the eternal logos, that was in God, and that was God) was confidered as a more abftrufe and refined doctrine, with which there was no occafion to trouble the common people; and it is evident that this clafs of chriftians was much staggered by it, and of fended when they did hear of it. This could never have been the cafe if it had been fuppofed to be the doctrine of the apostles, and to have been delivered by them as the most effential article of chriftian faith, in which light it is now reprefented. Such terms as fcandalizare, expavefcere, &c. ufed by Tertullian, and Tapaσrer by Origen, can only apply to the cafe of fome novel and alarming doctrine, fomething that men had not been accuftomed to. In the language of Origen, it had been the corporeal gofpel only, and not this fpiritual and myfterious one that they had been taught.

I am, &c..

LETTER

LETTER

IX.

Of the light in which the Unitarians were confidered in later ages, and of the state of the common people at all times.

REV. SIR,

IT appears from what has been advanced in the preceding letters, that, whatever might be the opinion of the more learned chriftians, and of course that of the writers, the bulk of the common people were not brought to a belief, or rather a profeffion, of the doctrine of the trinity till a pretty late period; and that if they did not of themfelves leave the communion of the orthodox, and raised no disturbance in the church, they were connived at. In fact, they were confidered by the more learned as fimple ignorant people, who knew no better, and who acquiefced in the doctrine of the fimple bumanity of Chrift, becaufe they were incapable of comprehending that of his divinity, and the fublime doctrine of three perfons in one God. This must have been the cafe with the wo, the many, or multitude, of Athanafius.

This writer, confidering the violence of his cha racter, fpeaks of the unitarians with a good deal of tenderness on account of the difficulty of under

I

flanding

ftanding the doctrine of the trinity. In my former letters, I quoted a paffage from him, in which he reprefents them as the oor, the many, and perfons of a low understanding, but by no means as perfons out of the church. Contrafting them with the Gnoftics and the Arians, he fays, "fome perfons "confidering what is human in Chrift, feeing him "thirfting, labouring and fuffering, and degrading "him to a mere man, fin indeed greatly; but they may readily obtain forgiveness, if they repent,

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alledging the weakness of the flesh; and they "have the apoftle himself adminiftering pardon to "them, and as it were holding out his hand to "them, while he fays, Truly, great is the mystery of "godliness, God was manifeft in the flesh *."

According to him many perfons within the pale. of the church muft either have been unitarians, or have believed the doctrine of the trinity without understanding it, which in fact is no belief at all. Being confulted what was to be done with refpect to the fpread of the doctrine of Paulus Samofatenfis; after acknowledging that perfons of low understandings were chiefly infected with it, and quoting what

* Οταν τινες, εἰς τα ανθρώπινα βλέποντες, έδωσε τον κύριον διψωνία, η κοπιωνία, η παιχονία, καὶ μόνον φλυαρήσωσιν ως και ανθρωπο το σωτήρι, αμαρτάνεσι μεν μεγαλως. δυναμ ται δε όμως ταχέως μεταγινώσκοντες λαμβαίειν συγγνώμην, έχοντες προφασιν την το σωματος απένειαν : έχεσι γαρ κ αποςόλον συγγνωμην αυτοίς νέμοντα, και οιονεί χειρα αυτοίς εν τω λεγειν εκτείνοντα, οτι η ομολογεμένως μεγα επί το της ευσέβειας μυςήριον, θεα εφανερώθη ἐν σαρκι. In illud Evangelii Quicunque dixerit, &c. Opera, vol. I. p. 975.

Paul fays of the great mystery of godliness, God manífeft in the flesh, he fays, "thofe who underftand "the fubject accurately are few, but all pious per"fons may hold the faith delivered to them." But what kind of holding muft it be, when they had no perfect understanding of what they held.

Gregory Nazianzen alfo reprefents the common. people as excufeable for their errors, and safe from not being difpofed to fcrutinize into things.

I have also obferved many inftances in writers fo late as Chryfoftom, who notwithstanding the prevalence of a different mode of treating unitarians, ufe the term beretics in its ancient and proper fenfe, for the Gnoftics only. Here I fhall content myfelf with one from Athanafius. He fays, "The here"tics make to themfelves another maker of the "univerfe, befides the Father of our Lord Jefus

Chrift" Indeed Athanafius confidered the proper unitarians in a more favourable light than he did either the Gnoftics, or the Arians. See Opera, vol. I. p. 975. 977, 978.

* Ότι την μεν ακρίβειαν αυτής επιζητειν ολίγων εσι, την δε πιςι κατέχειν απαντων των προς τον θεον ευπειθων. De Incarnatione contra P. Samefat. Opera, vol. I. p. 592.

* Τοις μεν γαρ το λαό τάχα αν και συγγινώσκοιμεν τότε παχεσίν, ως σώζει πολλάκις το αβασανισον. Oratio xxi.

* Οι δε από των αιρέσεων αλλον εαυτοις αναπλάσοντα δημίεργον των πα των παρά τον πατέρα το κύριο ημών Ιησε Xps. De Incarnatione. Opera, vol. I. p. 55.

tc

Cyril of Jerufalem complains of heretics, both Unitarians and Arians, in the bofom of the church. "Now," fays he, "there is an apoftacy; for men have departed from the faith, "fome confounding the Son with the Father, "others daring to fay that Chrift was created out "of nothing. Formerly heretics were open, "but now the church is full of concealed here"tics*" The more zealous of the orthodox bishops might do fomething more than complain, but in general it may be prefumed that they did not trouble themselves about the matter.

Complaints of the fpread of herefy, both that of the unitarians, and that of the Arians, in Afia Minor, in the time of Bafil, by himself, and his cotemporaries, are without end. Thofe opinions prevailed more especially among the common people, though many of the clergy were alfo infected; and what is remarkable, the malcontents complained loudly of his innovations, both with refpect to ancient doctrines, and ancient practices. For fome time Bafil, called the great, was obliged to give way to the ftorm, and retire from his diocese, though this, it feems, was a dangerous ftep; for, according to him, unremitted vigilance

* Νυν δε εςιν αποςασια: απέςησαν γαρ οι ανθρωποι της ορθής πίςεως, και οι μεν υιοπατορίαν καταγγέλλεσιν, οι δε τον Χρισον εξ εκ οντων εις το είναι παρενεχθε τα λεγεῖν τολμωσιν, και πρότερον μεν ήσαν φανέροι αιρετικοί, νυν δε πεπληρωται η εκκλησια κεκρυμμένων αιρετικων. Cyrilli. Catech. xv. p. 209. See alfo p. 5.

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