whose name was then enrolled among the presbytery, and who was intrusted with the exposition of the Holy Scriptures, was induced to oppose Alexander's doctrines,—that the Son is equal with the Father, and of the same substance with God who begat him. Arius inveighed, in direct terms, against the truth, and affirmed that the Son of God is merely a creature, or created being, and that there was a time when he had no existence.
The other opinions which he advanced may be learned from his own writings.[1]
He taught these false doctrines, not only in the church, but also in general meetings and assemblies; and he even went from house to house, endeavoring to draw men over to his sentiments. Alexander, who was strongly attached to the doctrines of the Apostles, at first endeavored, by arguments and remonstrances, to convince him of his error; but when he found that he had had the madness to make a public declaration of his impiety,
- ↑ The Orthodox and the Arians both believed Christ to be God, and so called him; but they differed on two points:—
1st, The Orthodox believed Christ's generation was from eternity, so that he was coeval with the Father; whereas the Arians believed he had a beginning.
2d, The Orthodox believed the Son to be derived of, and from, the Father, being of the same identical essence, and not merely of similar essence. But the Arians held that he was created by the power of God, out of nothing, although they allowed him to have been the first created being in the Universe.—See the Letters of Arius and Alexander of Alexandria, describing their own, and each other's, conflicting opinions.
heard him." He was a man of acknowledged learning, but not of the deepest philosophy.
Arius died suddenly at Constantinople, perhaps by the poison of his enemies, A.D. 336, and his opponents rejoiced at his death.—See Dr. Murdock's note to Mosheim's Institutes, vol. i. p. 297, N. Y. edition, 1852.
According to some historians, the idea of the Triad and Trinity originated with Plato, and was discussed by the Platonists.—See Gibbon's Decline and Fall of Rome, chap. 21.
