Chapter Lxvii
CONSTANTINE.
[II. 65.
——_—_—_—_————— ee _—I—,.0 oOrwrer—e— sr eC
CHAPTER LXVIII.
CHAPTER LXV.
Being grieved by the Dissension, he counsels His Continual Anxiety for Peace.
Peace.
"My design then was, first, to bring the diverse judgments formed by all nations respect- "But, O glorious Providence of God! how ing the Deity to a condition, as it were, of|deep a wound did not my ears only, but my settled uniformity ; and, secondly, to restore to health the system of the world, then suffering under the malignant power of a grievous distemper.
Keeping these objects in view, I sought to accomplish the one by the secret eye of thought, while the other I tried to rectify by the power of military authority.
For I was aware that, if I should succeed in establishing, according to my hopes, a common harmony of sentiment among all the servants of God, the general course of affairs would also experience a change correspondent to the pious desires of them all. very heart receive in the report that divisions existed among yourselves more grievous still than those which continued in that country !? so that you, through whose aid I had hoped to procure a remedy for the errors of others, are in a state which needs healing even more than theirs.
And yet, having made a careful enquiry into the origin and foundation of these differences, I find the cause to be of a truly insignificant character, and quite unworthy of such fierce contention.
Feeling myself, therefore, compelled to address you in this letter, and to appeal at the same time to your unanimity? and sagacity, I call on Divine Providence to assist me in the task, while I interrupt your dissension in the character of a minister of peace.
And with reason: for if I might expect, with the help of a higher Power, to be able without difficulty, by a judicious appeal to the pious feelings of those who heard me, to recall them to a better spirit, even though the occasion of the disagreement were a greater one, how can
I refrain from promising myself a far easier and more speedy adjustment of this difference, when the cause which hinders general harmony of sentiment is intrinsically trifling and of little moment ?
CHAPTER LXVI.
That he also adjusted the Controversies which had arisen in Africa.
" FINDING, then, that the whole of Africa was pervaded by an intolerable spirit of mad folly, through the influence of those who with heedless frivolity had presumed to rend the religion of the people into diverse sects ; I was anxious to check this disorder, and could discover no other remedy equal to the occasion, except in sending some of yourselves to aid in restoring mutual harmony among the disputants, after I had removed that common enemy' of mankind who had interposed his lawless sentence for the prohibition of your holy synods.
CHAPTER LXIX.
Origin of the Controversy between Alexander and Arius, and that these Questions ought not to have been discussed.
CHAPTER LXVII.
'"'T UNDERSTAND, then, that the origin of the present controversy is this.
When you, Alexander, demanded of the presbyters what opinion they severally maintained respecting a certain passage in the Divine law,! or rather, I should say, that you asked them something connected with an unprofitable question, then you,
Arius, inconsiderately insisted on? what ought never to have been conceived at all, or if: conceived, should have been buried in profound silence.
Hence it was that a dissension arose between you, fellowship was withdrawn,? and That Religion began in the East.
"For since the power of Divine light, and the law of sacred worship, which, proceeding in the first instance, through the favor of God, from the bosom, as it were, of the East, have illumined the world, by their sacred radiance,
I naturally believed that you would be the first to promote the salvation of other nations, and resolved with all energy of thought and diligence of enquiry to seek your aid.
As soon, therefore, as I had secured my decisive victory and unquestionable triumph over my enemies, my first enquiry was concerning that object which I felt to be of paramount interest and importance.
1 ag oat alluding to the schism of the Donatists. — Bag.]| 2 Or " mutual."
1 [The word véuos seems to be commonly used by Eusebius as a general term for Divine revelation; as we emp oy the word " Scripture." — Bag, ] ? The plain English "stuck to" represents the idea of Heinichen
(antmo infixisses infixumgue teneres) followed by Molz (mit unkluger Hartnickighett festhieltest). Bag. had " gave utterance to," and with this Vales., 1709, and Str. correspond.
1 [Licinius, whose prohibition of synods is referred to in Bk. 1, ch, 51.
The disputes here mentioned are those between the Catholic Christians and the Donatists, a very violent sect which sprung up in Africa after the persecution by Diocletian,
— Bag.] 5 Bag., 'The meeting of the synod was prohibited."
UL. 71]
THE LIFE OF CONSTANTINE.
eee the holy people, rent into diverse parties, no longer preserved the unity of the one body.
Now, therefore, do ye both exhibit an equal degree of forbearance,' and receive the advice which your fellow-servant righteously gives.
What then is this advice?
It was wrong in the first instance to propose such questions as these, or to reply to them when propounded.
For those points of discussion which are enjoined by the authority of no law, but rather suggested by the contentious spirit which is fostered by misused leisure, even though they may be intended merely as an intellectual exercise, ought certainly to be confined to the region of our own thoughts, and not hastily produced in the popular assemblies, nor unadvisedly intrusted to the general ear.
For how very few are there able either accurately to comprehend, or adequately to explain subjects so sublime and abstruse in their nature?
Or, granting that one were fully competent for this, how many people will he convince?
Or, who, again, in dealing with questions of such subtle nicety as these, can secure himself against a dangerous declension from the truth?
It is incumbent therefore on us in these cases to be sparing of our words, lest, in case we ourselves are unable, through the feebleness of our natural faculties, to give a clear explanation of the subject before us, or, on the other hand, in case the slowness of our hearers' understandings disables them from arriving at an accurate apprehension of what we say, from one or other of these causes the people be reduced to the alternative either of blasphemy or schism.
CHAPTER LXXI.
There should be no Contention in Matters which are in themselves of Little Moment.
"For as long as you continue to contend about these small and very insignificant questions, it is not fitting that so large a portion of God's people should be under the direction of your judgment, since you are thus divided between yourselves.
I believe it indeed to be not merely unbecoming, but positively evil, that such should be the case.
But I will refresh your minds by a little illustration, as follows.
You know that philosophers, though they all adhere to one system, are yet frequently at issue on certain points, and differ, perhaps, in their degree of knowledge: yet they are recalled to harmony of sentiment by the uniting power of their common doctrines. this be true, is it not far more reasonable est you, who are the ministers of the Supreme God, should be of one mind respecting the profession of the same religion?
But let us still more thoughtfully and with closer attention examine what I have said, and see whether it be right that, on the ground of some trifling and foolish verbal difference between ourselves, brethren should assume towards each other the attitude of enemies, and the august meeting of the Synod be rent by profane disunion, because of you who wrangle together on points so trivial and altogether unessential?
'This is vulgar, and rather characteristic of childish ignorance, than consistent with the wisdom of priests and men of sense.
Let us withdraw ourselves with a good will from these temptations of the devil.
Our great God and common Saviour of all has granted the same light to us all.
Permit me, who am his servant, to bring my task to a successful issue, under the direction of his Providence, that I may be enabled, through my exhortations, and diligence, and earnest admonition, to recall his people to communion and fellowship.
For since you have, as I said, but one faith, and one sentiment respecting our religion, and since the Divine commandment in all its parts enjoins on us all the duty of maintaining a spirit of concord, let not the circumstance which has led to a slight difference between you, since it does not affect the validity of the whole, cause any division or schism among you.
And this I say without in any way desiring to force you to entire unity of judgment in regard to this truly idle question,
CHAPTER LXX.
An Exhortation to Unanimity.
"Ler therefore both the unguarded question and the inconsiderate answer receive your mutual forgiveness For the cause of your difference has not been any of the leading doctrines or precepts of the Divine law, nor has any new heresy respecting the worship of God arisen among you.
You are in truth of one and the same judgment :? you may therefore well join in communior. and fellowship.
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4 On "forgiveness."
1 Rendered "' forbearance'? above.
2 ha: emperor seems at this time to have had a very imperfect knowledge of the errors of the Arian heresy.
After the Council of Nice, at which he heard them fully explained, he wrote of them in terms of decisive condemnation in his letter to the Alexandrian church.
Vide Socrates'
Eccles.
Hist., Bk.
1, ch. 9.— Bag:] Neither at this time nor at any time does Constantine seem to have entered very fully into an appreciation of doctrinal niceties.
Later he was more than tolerant of semi-Arianism, He seems to have depended a good deal on the " explanations" of others, and to have been led in a somewhat devious path in trying to follow all. whatever its real nature may be.
For the dignity of your synod may be preserved, and the communion of your whole body maintained unbroken, however wide a difference may exist among you as to unimportant matters.
For we are not all of us like-minded on every subject,