148 THE DECLINE AND FALL by the same common principles of nature and religion ; but a very material circumstance may be discovered, which tended to distinguish the degrees of their theological faith. Both parties in the schools, as well as in the temples, acknowledged and worshipped the divine majesty of Christ ; and, as we are always prone to impute our own sentiments and passions to the Deity, it would be deemed more prudent and respectful to exaggerate, than to circumscribe, the adorable perfections of the Son of God. The disciple of Athanasius exulted in the proud confidence that he had entitled himself to the divine favour ; while the follower of Arius must have been tormented by the secret apprehension that he was guilty, perhaps, of an unpardonable offence, by the scanty praise, and parsimonious honours, which he bestowed on the Judge of the World. The opinions of Arianism might satisfy a cold and speculative mind ; but the doctrine of the Nicene Creed, most powerfully recom- mended by the merits of faith and devotion, was much better adapted to become popular and successful in a believing age. The council The hope that truth and wisdom would be found in the tinopie.^A.D. assemblies of the orthodox clergy induced the emperor to tui'jnfys] * convene, at Constantinople, a synod of one hundred and fifty bishops, who proceeded, without much difficulty or delay, to complete the theological system which had been established in the council of Nice. The vehement disputes of the fourth century had been chiefly employed on the nature of the Son of God ; and the various opinions, which were embraced concern- ing the Second, were extended and transferred, by a natural analogy, to the Third, person of the Trinity.^- Yet it was found, or it was thought, necessary, by the victorious adversaries of Arianism, to explain the ambiguous language of some respect- able doctors ; to confirm the faith of the Catholics ; and to condemn an unpopular and inconsistent sect of Macedonians, who freely admitted that the Son was consubstantial to the Father, while they were fearful of seeming to acknowledge the existence of Three Gods. A final and unanimous sentence was pronounced to ratify the equal Deity of the Holy Ghost ; the mysterious doctrine has been received by all the nations and 42 Le Clerc has given a curious extract (Bibliotheque Universelle. torn, xviii. p. 91-105) of the theological sermons which Gregory Nazianzen pronounced at Constantinople against the Arians, Eunomians, Iacedonians, &c. He tells the Macedonians, who deified the Father and the Son, without the Holy Ghost, that they might as well be styled Tritheists as Ditheists. Gregor}' himself was almost a Tritheist ; and his monarchy of heaven resembles a well-regiilated aristocracy.
