106 THE DECLINE AND FALL God with a perfect man, of the second j)erson of the trhiity with a reasonable soul and human flesh. In the beginning of the fifth century, the iiiiilt/ of the (wo natures was the prevailing doctrine of the church. On all sides it was confessed that the mode of their co-existence could neither be represented by our ideas nor expressed by our language. Yet a secret and incur- able discord was cherished between those who were most ap- prehensive of confounding, and those who were most fearful of separating, tlie divinity and the humanity of Christ. Im- pelled by religious frenzy, they fled with adverse haste from the error which they mutually deemed most destructive of truth and salvation. On either hand the}' were anxious to guard, they were jealous to defend, the union and the distinction of the two natures, and to invent such forms of speech, such symbols of doctrine, as were least susceptible of doubt or ambiguity. The poverty of ideas and language tempted them to ransack art and nature for every possible comparison, and each comparison mis- led their fancy in the explanation of an incomparable mystery. In the polemic microscope an atom is enlarged to a monster, and each ))arty was skilfid to exaggerate the absurd or impious conclusions that might be extorted from the principles of their adversaries. To escape from each other, they wandered through many a dark and devious thicket, till they were astonished by the horrid phantoms of Cerinthus and Apollinaris, who guarded the opposite issues of the theological labyrinth. As soon as they beheld the twilight of sense and heresy, they started, measured back their steps, and were again involved in the gloom of impenetrable orthodoxy. To purge themselves from the guilt or reproach of damnable error, they disavoAved their consequences, explained their principles, excused their indis- cretions, and unanimously pronounced the sounds of concord and faith. Yet a latent and almost invisible spark still lurked among the embers of controversy : by the breath of prejudice and passion, it was quickly kindled to a mighty flame, and the verbal disputes i-' of the Oriental sects have shaken the pillars of the church and state. 1^ I appeal to the confession of two Oriental prelates, Gregory Abulpharagius the Jacobite primate of the East, and Elias the Nestorian metropolitan of Damas- cus (see Asseman. Bibliothec. Oriental, torn. ii. p. 291, torn. iii. p. 514, itc. ), that the Jkfelchites, Jacobites, Nestorians, &c. agree in the doctrine, and differ only in the expression. Our most learned and rational divines — Basnage, Le Clare, Beausobre, La Croze, Mosheim, Jablonski — are inclined to favour this charitable judgment ; but the zeal of Petavius is loud and angry, and the moderation of Dupin is conveyed in a whisper.
