Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-04-06

gories. TO the neglect Of substantial
vcrities nearer at hand. and often
making assertions where he could have
no proofs. He labors to show that
Christ was the God who appeared TO
the patriarchs. but II 50 defective In
his statement OF the trinity. that. after
| the council Of Nice. he would have been
deemed an Arian. His sincerity was
scaled by his blood. though his phiioso-
ply often tyrannized over his faith; and.
N he was not the author, az he
was the first Christian prOmulgator OF
| the dogma " the apOstaey or angels.
| by their falling In love with women,
his dogfnatising was n calamity rather
than a triumph to Christianity"
| Tniian. the disciple and successor OF
Justin. denounced marriage MS sin
/ and prohibited the use OF animal food.
| lie also taught that human souls. or
spirits. are mortal. and that those OF
the wicked die with the body. but are
rcsurrccted again TO receive punish
ment
Thcophllus Of Antioch is worth while
noticing Ms the first who employed n
Greek word which gave rise 10 the
| modern term Trinity He rays that.
The three days which preceded the
creation u llght represented the trim
lty itrladl Of God and His word. and
His wisdom" lie was highly esteemed
for learning ana bcnovolencc. but In his
opposition TO pngnnlsm he appealed TO
the Sibyillnc writings as well ns Greek
poets, In support Of Christianlty-a
truly fatal error.
Athenngorns condemns second mar
rlages ne adultery. on the plea that God
made but one of each sex. In his argu-
mcnt for the resurrection he. too. np-
pealH TO heather philosophy instead OF
to the Word Of God
frenmus II one ~ the most prominent
Of the "fatherr" lie was from child
r.aI r.aN "A hill Ia "a a
had heard Polycarp cSpound the doc.
trinca Of the Gospel. Although he stood
50 near the Apostolic axe. he found II
necessary to devote the greater part OF
all his learning. zeal and energy TO n
rcfuthtlnn ~ the numerous hcrcsicH
that had grown up In the Church. like
the weeds In a neglected field.
DR.. Bennett remarks 81 this cole
bfntcd father; 'ifcnmua lived In the
axe Of hcrcsicn, which were as much
dinusei as suppressed by the course
he and others pursued for they would
have far better served the cause Of
truth BY studying the Scriptures more
carefully. and instrnctlng their own
Hooks. than by giving currency To cN-
travaEanccs that should have been left
TO their own obliyloua fate"
The very champions u truth IN this
age. by their unwiac tactics promui-
gated errors. II It any wonder that
the apoHtasy gradually maturcd7
or Clement Alcxandrinus our critic
says "ASccticism abounds In his
works, works which recommend hus.
notions Of chastity. he ~ frequently
ana indcccntly rccurr 10 sexual ideas.
that To read his volume through IN n
loathsumc task II sometimes he *.
hlbitr to the heather Just views OF the
Christian character. such passages are.
amidst vast mass u heather lore. aH
g pearl Or two IN whole bed o. rhella
HIS morality II like that Of SOclninn
writer's, substitute for the merits OF
Christ. who II introduced 10 rarely that
lie apcrarH ~ a stranger. and 10 cr-
roncouHly that We afc M much sur.
prised ns dclightcd. when we md Him
Invested with the honora which are His
due. For Clement. too. generally dis.
plays knowledge without wisdom. NOR
tlncntion without holiness. and zeal
without truth"
We might continue TO follow the critic
through the entire list of the early
Fathers. only % mud each successive
loader farther away than the prciecea-
rorn from the true path. The writings
OF origcn. Tcrtullian and cyprian are
proofs Of this. Iiut enough has been
quoted 20 show the condition of the agy
Immediately following that OF the
Apostles. Most of the "fnihern" Were
Scriptures. They were imbucd with
pagan philosophy and lived often In ck-
lie and always In danger u persecution.
The various branches of the Church
were frequently left to the care Of IN.
fcrlOr men. sometimes noophytea whose
only qualification was rhetoric which
DID not make up for the lack Of deep
religious thought. The Apostles warm
ing 10 the Ephcrlana that from among
themselves men would arise speaking
rorycrsc things, 10 draw disciples after
them. became literally true. The spirit
OF aniichflnt was early active. and to
this extent. that there In scarcely an
error In doctrine or corruption IN prac-
tlco that II not tracoable to the age OF |
the early fathers OF the church,
II II. OF course not said that all tho
early fathers" were apoHtater. though |
they mutually condemn one another
as hcfcticH, and some OF them to tnir
day are looked upon as Echlsmaiics And
teachers of false doctrines. but their
writings, valuable nA they are la some
respects. plainly show that such were
the disadvantages under which they Ia.
bored. No feeble was the light they had
that they could not save the church
from the error. They themselves com
planned Of the immortality that swept
over the Church an Hood. ''rhc bishop
of bishops has become ia. patron %
adultcrcrn." II the exclamation OF Ter
tulliun, and others rc-echo THIS charge
with terrible variations.
Having seen how the foundations FOR
npohtaay were laid almost contempVr.
nncouH with the rise OF tho church, and
having seen also that after the Apou-
tolic age there was but little power In
the church to stem the tide OF error. We
may proceed 10 consider tho great
council. or conference. held az Mice Ia
the year $50. This marks an epoch In
ecclesiastical history "A milestone ON
the road TO apostahy,
70 understand the situation II IN nee
canary TO remember the condition VI
the llnmnn empire at that time,
About the year ll3 Constantine ruled
IN the west ana l.icinlua IN the east.
conAtantine'a sister conatnniia was
married 10 LlcinluH for political roa-
sons, but this union failed 10 unite the
east and tho west. Constantine COM
mrnced war against his br0ther.in.
law. In order To gain sole control OF
the empire. LlcinluH was defeated and
banlshed and finally aasaaslnated.
Cfiapus cunAtantinr'a son, was also
murdered, and both crimes have been
charged 10 the emperor, who would
sufcr no actual or possible rivals To
live.
A. soon as Constantine became sole
ruler he gave To- the Christians many