The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-12-04
The First Ecumenieal Council.
BY EUGENE LAWRENCE.

At the splendid city of Nicaa, in Bithy-
mia, in the year 325, assembled the first of
those great Gcumenical Councils whose
DEGREES have SO often controlled the destiny
OF Christianity and mankind. 1t was an
occasion of triumph and fond congratula-
ton, for the Christian church had lust
risen up from period of unexampled hui
initiation and suffering to rule over the Ro-
man world. For nearly three centuries
since tho death of their Divine Head his
pious disciples had toiled in purity and
love, prosecuted or scorned by the dominant
pagans, for tho conversion of the human
race and the humble but persistent mis-
sioners had sealed with innumerable mar
tyrdoms and ceaseless woes the final tri-
umph Of their faith. Yet never in all it's
history had the Christian church seemed
SO near its perfect extinction as in the uni
versal persecution of Diocletian and his
Caesars, when the pagan rulers could boast
with an appearance of truth that they had
extirpated the hated sect with fire and
sword. In the year 304, except in Gaul,
every Christian temple lay in ruins, and
the terrified worshipers no longer ven
tured to meet in their sacred assemblies
the holy books had been burned, the church
members had persisted in fearful fortunes,
or fled for safety to the savage wilderness
man dared openly to call himself Chris
tian.
Gradually, with the slow prevalence of
Constantine the Great, as his victorious le-
gions passed steadily onward from Gual to
Italy, and from Italy to Syria, the manned
and bleeding victims of persecution came
out from their hiding places, and bishops
and people, purified by suffering celebrated
once more their holy rites in renewed sim
plicity and faith. Yet it was not until the
year preceding the first Ecumenical Coun-
Gil that the Eastern Christians had ceased
to be roasted over slow fires, lacerated with
iron hooks, or mutilated with fatal tortures;
and Lactantius, a contemporary, could
point to the ruins of city in Phrygia whose
whole population had been burned to ashes
because they refused to sacrifice to Jupiter
and Juno. And how by strange and sud
den revolution the martyr bishops and pres
byters had been summoned from their dis
tant retreats in the monasteries of the
Thebaid or the sands of Arabia, from Africa
or Gaul, to cross the dangerous seas, tho
Indictment mountains, and to meet in gen.
eral synod at Mecca, to legislate for the
Christian world.
The bishops, in number three hundred
and eighteen, together with many priests
and other officials, assembled promptly at
the call of the Emperor, and in June, 325,
met in basilica or public hall in the centre
of the city. Few particulars are preserved
of the proceedings of the great council,
and we are forced to gather from the illu-
sions of the historians general conception
of its character. Yet we know that it was
the purcst, the wisest, well as the first
of all the sacred synods that its members
tested in aifliction and humblcd by persecu-
ton, preserved much of the grace and gen.
tlcness of the Apostolic age that no fierce
anathemas, like those that fell from tho
lips of the papal bishops of Trent or Con-
stance, deliled those of Hosius or Euscbius;
that the pagan doctrine Of persecution had
not yet been introduced, together with the
pagan ritual, into the Christian church;
that no vain superstitions were inculcated,
and no cruel deeds enioined; that no Huss
or Jerome of Prague died at the stake to
crafty the hate of dominant sect, and
that no Luther or Calvin was shut out by
tho dread of a similar fate from sharing in
council of the Christian world The pro-
ceedings went on with dignity and moder-
alton, and men of various shades of opin-
ion, but of equal purity of life, were heard
with attention and respect the rules of
the Roman Senate were probably initiated
in the Christian Assembly; the Emperor
opened the council in a speech intoxicating
moderation and an era of bcnevolencc and
love seemed about to open upon the trium-
plant church.
A striking simplicity marked tho pro-
ceedings of the council. Hosius, bishop of
Cordova, presided, the only representative
of Spain, Gual, and Britain. A prelate
opened the meeting with short address,
hymn was sung, then Constantine delivered
his well-timed speech on harmony, and the
general debate began. 1t was conducted
always with vigor, sometimes with rude
asperity; but when the war of recrimina-
ton rose too high, the Emperor, who seems
to have attended the sittnGs regularly,
would interpose and calm the strife by
soothing words. The question of clerical
marriages was discussed, and it was detor-
mined, by the arguments of Paphnutius,
the Egyptian ascetic, that the lower orders
should be allowed to marry. The jurisdic-
ton of the bishops was defined all were
allowed to be equal but Rome, Antioch,
and Alexandria, the chief cities of the en-
pire before Constantinople was built, held
each a certain supremacy. The primacy
of st. Peter was never mentioned the
worship of Mary, Queen of Heaven, was
yet unknown but the earlier form of the
Nicene Greed 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 as
sembly separated, every one felt that the
genius and eloquenee of Athanasius had
controlled both Emperor and Church.
Harper's Magazine.