The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-24

but il seemed quite time that these principles
of faith should be accurately defined Here
sizes of the widest extravaganza we're widely
popular. The Gnostics or the superior
minds, had covered the plain outline of the
Scriptures with Platonic commentaries; the
theory of cons and of an eternal wisdom seemed
about to supplant the teachings of Paul.
Among the widest of the early sectaries were
the Ophites or -worshippers, who adored
the eternal wisdom as incarnate in the form
of O snake; and who, at the celebration Of the
sacred table, suffered serpent to crawl over
the elements, and to be devoutly kissed by
the superstitious Christians. The Sethites
adored Seth as the Messiah; the Cainites
celebrated Judas Iscariot as the prince of the
Apostles; Names introduced from the fire.
worship of the Persians theory of the con-
hict of light and darkness, in which Christ
contended as the Lord of Light against the
demons of the night; and Montanus boldly
declared that he was superior in morality to
Christ the Messiah and his Apostles, and was
vigorously sustained by the austere Ter
tullian Yet these vain fancies might have
been suffered to die in neglect; it was still
more vital controversy that called forth the
assembly at Nice This was no less than the
nature of the Deity. What did the Scriptures
tell us of that Divine Being who was the au-
thor of Christianity, and on whom for endless
ages the destiny of the Church was to rest?
The Christian world was divided
into two fercely contending parties.
On one side stood Rome, Alexan-
dria, and the Vest on the other
Arius. many of the Eastern bishops, and per-
haps Constantine himself. 1t is plain, there
fore, that the Emperor was sincere in his pro-
fession of humility and submission, since he
suffered the council to determine the contro-
versy uninfuenced by superior power.
A striking simplicity marked the proceed
ings of the first council. Hosius, Bishop of
Cordova, presided, the only representative of
Spain, Gaul, and Britain. A prelate opened
the meeting with a short address, hymn was
sung, then Constantine delivered his we'll
timed speech on harmony, and the general
debate began. 1t was conducted always with
vigor, sometimes with rude asperity; but
when the war of recrimination rose too high,
the Emperor, who seems to have attended the
sittings regularly, would interpose and calm
the strife by soothing words.
The question of clerical marriages was dis
cussed, and it was determined, by the argu-
ments of Paphnutius, the Egyptian ascetic,
that the lower orders should be allowed to
marry. The jurisdiction of the bishops was
defined; all were allowed to be equal; but
Rome, Antioch, and Alexandria, the chief
cities of the empire before Constantinople
was built, held each certain supremacy.
The primacy of St. Peter was never men
toned; the worship of Mary, Queen of Heaven,
was yet unknown; but the earlier form of the
Nicene creed was determined, and Arius was
condemned. Twenty canons were passed
upon by the council, many of which were
soon neglected and forgotten; and when, after
sitting for two months, the assembly sepa-
rated, every one felt that the genius and elo-
quence ON Athanasius had controlled both
Emperor and Church.
Before parting from his Christian brothers
his beloved, as he was accustomed to call
them--Constantine entertained the council at
a splendid banquet, and spread before them
the richest wines and the rarest viands of the
East. The unlettered soldier probably shone
better in his costly entertainment than in de-
bate, where his Indifferent Latin and broken
Greek must have awakened a smile on the
| grave faces of his learned brothers. Here he
| could fiatter and caress with easy familiarity
| he was pleasant companion and q winning
| host; but we are not told whether he was able
| to persuade James of Nisibis to taste his rare
| dainties, or to entice the anchorites of Egypt
| to his costly wine. The bishops and their
| followers left Mecca charmed with the courtesy
and iberaity of their master He had paid
| all their expenses, and maintained them with
| elegance at Nic@a, had condescended to call
| them brothers, and had sent them home by
| the public conyeyances to spread everywhere
the glad news than an era Of peace and union
awaited the triumphant Church.
| Happy QeluS1On but IL was fudGly QlSSl-
! pated. From Constantine himself came the
fatal blow that filled all Christendom with a
perpetual unrest. 1t was the Emperor who
corrupted the Church he had seemed to save
Soon after the council that dark shadow fell
upon Constantines life which was noticed by
| pagan and Christian observers, and he was
pointed out by men as parricide whose
sin was inexpiable. The pagan Zosi-
mus represents him as asking the priests
| of the ancient faith whether his offense
could ever be atoned for by their lustrations
and to have been told that for him there
was no hope; but that the Christians allured
him to their communion by a promise OF
| ample forgiveness. Yet from this period the
mind of the great Emperor grew clouded, and
the fearful shock of his lost happiness seems
to have deadened his once vigorous faculties
| He became a tyrant, made and unmade
bishops at will, and persecuted all those who
| had opposed the doctrines of Arius The
Church became State establishment, and
| all the ills that flow from that unnatural union
| fell upon the hapless Christians. Pride, lux
ury, and license distinguished the naughty
| bishops, who ruled like princes over their
vast domains, and who initiated the Emperor
in prosecuting, with relentless vigor, all who
| differed from them in faith. Bishop excom-
| municated bishop, and fatal anathemas, too
dreadful to fall from the lips of feeble and
dying men, were the common weapon of reli-
gious controversy. They pretended to the
right of consigning to eternal woe the souls
| of the hapless dissidents. They brought
bloodshed and murder into the controversies
of the Church. Journalism succeeded liv-
ing faith, and Religion fed from her high
4 r