The decrees of this Council were published in a Synodal Epistle, addressed to the Church of Alexandria, and to the beloved brethren in Egypt, Libya, and Pentapolis; and Constantine himself addressed letters to the Church of Alexandria, and to all Churches, exhorting them to receive the decrees of the Council, and imposing civil penalties upon the supporters of Arius.

The authentic remains of this Council are, the Synodal Epistle, the Creed, and twenty Canons. Palmer, Treatise on the Church, vol. ii., p. 173.

THE SYNODAL EPISTLE.

To the holy and great, by the grace of God, the Church of Alexandria, and to the beloved brethren who are in Egypt, and Libya, and Pentapolis, the Bishops assembled at Nicæa, and composing the great and holy Synod; Health in the Lord.

Forasmuch as this great and holy Synod has been assembled at Nicæa, the grace of God, and our most religious sovereign Constantine (1) bringing us together from different provinces and cities, it has appeared necessary that letters should be sent to you from the whole holy Synod, that you might know what things have been debated and inquired into, and also what has been decreed and established.

First then, the matters relating to the impiety and transgression of Arius (2) and his followers have been inquired into by all in the presence of our most religious sovereign Constantine; and it has been unanimously decreed, that his impious opinion should be anathematized, as well as the blasphemous words which he used, blaspheming the Son of God, saying that he had his origin

from things which did not exist, and that he had no existence before he was begotten, and that there was a time when he did not exist, and that the Son of God is capable by his free will of vice and virtue, and is created and made. All these tenets the holy Synod has anathematized, not enduring so much as to listen to such impious sentiments, and such madness and blasphemous sayings. As regards, however, the charges against him, and what has been the result of them, if you have not already fully heard, you shall have a particular account, that we may not appear to press hardly upon a man who has only received a suitable recompense for his sins. His impiety, however, has prevailed so far as to ruin also Theonas of Marmorica, and Secundus of Ptolemais, for they have received the same sentence.

The grace of God having thus delivered Egypt from this evil doctrine, and impiety, and blasphemy, and from the persons who have dared to make disorder and division amongst a people heretofore at peace, the matters relating to the insolence of Meletius (3) and of those who have been ordained by him, remained to be settled; and we now inform you, beloved brethren, of what has been decreed respecting him by the Synod. The holy Synod then, being disposed to deal gently with Meletius (for according to strict justice he was deserving of no indulgence), has decreed, that he shall remain in his own city, and shall have no authority either to select persons for any ecclesiastical office, or to ordain any one, nor shall appear in any place or city for such a purpose, but shall only enjoy his bare title of honor. That, however, those who have been appointed by him shall, after having been confirmed by a more holy ordination, be admitted to communion upon these terms; viz. that they shall have both the dignity and the right of officiating, but

shall be altogether inferior to those ministers who are enrolled in any parish (4) or Church, and who have been ordained by our most honorable colleague Alexander. That accordingly they shall have no authority to choose such persons as please them, or to suggest their names, or to do anything at all, without the consent of the Bishops of the Catholic and Apostolic Church who are under Alexander; but that the authority to select and nominate persons who are worthy of the Ministry, and in short to do all things agreeable to the ecclesiastical laws and customs, shall belong to those Ministers who by the grace of God and through your prayers have been discovered in no schism, but have continued without spot in the Catholic and Apostolic Church. If, however, it should happen that any of the Ministers who already belong to the Church should die, then those who have been lately re-ceived into it shall succeed to the dignity of the deceased, provided they appear worthy, and the people choose them, and the Bishop of the Catholic Church of Alexandria agrees to and confirms the nomination. Thus much has been conceded to the followers of Meletius; but as regards Meletius himself, this license has not been extended to him, on account of his former disorderly conduct, and his rash and headstrong disposition; but it has been decreed that he shall have no power or authority at all, he being a man who is capable of committing again the same disorders.

These are the particulars which relate especially to Egypt, and to the most holy Church of Alexandria; but if any other matters have been established by canon or decree, in the presence of our most honorable Lord, and colleague, and brother Alexander, he will when he comes detail them more accurately to you, he having been both Lord, and partaker of those things which have been transacted.

We, however, declare to you the glad tidings of our agreement respecting our most holy feast of Easter (5); that by your prayers, this particular also has been rightly settled, so that all the brethren of the East, who formerly kept the feast with the Jews, and did not agree with the Romans, and with you, and with all those who have from the beginning kept it with us, shall from henceforth keep it with us.

Rejoicing therefore for these reformations, and for the common peace and agreement, and for the cutting off of every heresy, receive ye with greater honor, and more abundant love, our colleague, and your Bishop, Alexander, who gladdened us by his presence, and who has undergone so much labor at such an advanced age for the purpose of settling your affairs in peace. Pray also for all of us, that the things which have been decreed may prosper, and be rendered firm by the Almighty God, and our Lord Jesus Christ, having been done as we believe according to the good pleasure of God the Father, in the Holy Ghost, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

NOTES.

1. Our most religious Sovereign.] The writers of the Romish Communion pretend, that it was by the authority of Sylvester, Bishop of Rome, that Constantine assembled this Council, and that Hosius, Bishop of Corduba, and the Roman Presbyters Vitus and Vincentius, presided in it as representatives of the Bishop of Rome. There is nothing, however, in any of the records of the Council, or in any of the ecclesiastical historians, to countenance the assertion, that Hosius was in any way a representative of the Bishop of Rome; or that the Presbyters Vitus and Vincentius, who were his representatives, acted in any way as Presidents of the Council. It is moreover evident, as Bishop Andrews (in his

Sermon on Numbers x. 1, 2, "Of the right and power of calling assemblies") and many others of our Divines have observed, that not only this, but all the Ecumenical Councils were assembled by the authority of the Emperor for the time being, the Popes in no instance doing more than exerting themselves to persuade the Emperors to issue their summons for that purpose. This is clearly to be seen in the Acts of the various Councils; and as regards particularly that of Chalcedon, it may be remarked, that Leo failed in his attempt to induce Theodosius to assemble the Council, though he prevailed upon Marcian the successor of Theodosius to do so.

2. Arius.] "Arius was a Presbyter of the Church of Alexandria, and a man of a subtle turn, and remarkable for his eloquence. He maintained various erroneous opinions in religion; but that for which he is most notorious was the assertion of the inferiority of the Son, in nature as well as dignity to the Father, and the denial of his divinity. These opinions spread rapidly throughout Egypt and the neighboring provinces, and found many supporters ; in consequence of which Alexander, the Bishop of Alexandria, summoned two Councils at Alexandria, A. D. 315 and 319, in which the tenets of Arius were condemned, and he himself excommunicated. Arius upon this retired to Palestine, where he found many abettors, and amongst them Eusebius, Bishop of Nicomedia, a man of great influence and authority in the Church. The troubles and commotions consequent upon these events increased so much, and caused such great confusion in the Church, that Constantine at length assembled the Council of Nice to put an end to the controversy. Arius, being condemned by this Council, was banished to Illyricum; but some years afterwards one of his followers found means to persuade Constantine that his condemnation was unjust; in consequence of which the Emperor recalled him from banishment, A. D. 330, repealed the laws which had been enacted against him, and permitted his chief protector Eusebius, Bishop of Nicomedia, and his faction, to vex and oppress the maintainers of the Nicene Council in various ways. Athanasius, who had succeeded Alexander in the See of Alexandria, was one of those who suffered most from these vexations. Having resolutely refused to restore Arius to his former rank and office in the Church of Alexandria, he was deposed by the Coun