what had been determined in the East before. They obferve that the ancient Difcipline of the Church is contrary to this Practice; and that the Judgments given in the Eaft ought to be confirmed in the Weft, as thofe of the West were received in the Eaft: and they prove this Rule by feveral examples. Laftly they add their Confeffion of Faith, without the word Homooufios. This Epif tle is infcribed particularly to Gregory Bishop of Alexandria, to Amphion of Nicomedia, fome others, and to all the Bishops of the world. While these things were tranfacting at Philippopolis, the Western Bishops at Sardica wère not idle on their part. They determined that no alteration fhould be made in the Creed in the Council of Nice. They acquitted Athanafius of all the fentences pronounced against him, and reftored him to the communion of the Church, they excommunicated and depofed, in their turn, eight of the Eaft

ern

ern Bishops, who were moft active in the Council at Philippopolis; and they confirm to Julius, Bishop of Rome, the power of receiving Appeals from all parts of the world. Thefe Contentions amongst the Bishops neceffarily produced many Tumults amongst the People, especially at Alexandria, in one of which many were killed on both fides, and amongst the rest Gregory the Bishop. Conftantius who had conceived a great diflike to Athanafius, and accufed him as the Author of all the Mifchief, was very defirous to have him condemned in the Weft as he had been fo remarkably in the Eaft, and therefore, when he was Mafter of the whole Roman Empire, by, the Death of his Brothers, he affembled a Council, in the Year 353, at Arles in France, of the Western Bifhops only and hither the Pope fent for Legates, Vincentius Bishop of Capua, and another Bishop of Campania, Marcellus; and here, after a long

D 3

a long hearing, all the Bishops, and, amongst the reft, the Popes Legates themselves, fubfcribed the Condemnation of Athanafius, Paulinus of Triers only refufing, who for this reafon was sent into banishment.

I SHOULD tire my Readers' patience were I to recount how the Athanafian Homooufian Doctrine rofe and fell in the feveral fubfequent Councils of Sirmium, Milan, Beziers, Antioch, Ancyra, Ariminum, Seleucia, and Conftantinople; and therefore I leave them unnoticed, for the prefent, that we may haften to the Council of Alexandria held by Athanafius himfelf. After the death of Conftantius the Emperor, and George the Bishop, who was killed in another tumult of the Alexandrians,

Athanafius had taken poffeffion of his old See again. From the year 325, when he argued fo ftrenuously in the Council of Nice. for the Homooufian Doctrine, he had

feen

feen how violently this Doctrine had been oppofed, and that many who wished. him well, ftill difliked the nice diftinction which he had invented of (Mia Ousia) one Effence, and (Tries Hypostaseis) three Substances in the Trinity. He therefore now either thought it prudent, or found himself compelled, to give up at laft, in his own City of Alexandria, his own favourite Notion, or rather his own favourite words, for Notion neither he nor any body elfe could have of his diftinction; and here in this Council, in the year 362, it was determined that they who say there are three Hypoftafes, or Substances in the Trinity, are of the fame opinion with those who say there is but one, because they take the fame word in different fenfes. And now the Latins being likewife afhamed of the words, hitherto commonly used by them to express this Doctrine in their language, una Effentia, & Tres Substantiae, thought fit to change the Stile, and in D 4 imitation

imitation of their friends at Alexandria, to say there was but una Subftantia, one Substance, and Tres Perfonae, Three Perfons in the Deity; and fo the word Effentia loft it's place intirely, and the word Subftantia was put in it's ftead; and the word Perfona introduced in the place of Subftantia; and fo these words have been ufed in the Latin Theology ever fince. But whether they convey any clearer Idea than the former to any other man I know not. Sure I am they are equally obfcure to me.

Indeed

many learned men, who were interested in the point, have employed their utmost fubtilty in giving new meanings to the word Perfon, in order to reconcile the world to it, in a Divine Sense. But all they have faid about it may be reduced to these two meanings, either that it fignifies a diftinct intelligent Being, or fome certain Mode, Quality or manner of Acting in fuch a Being. But either of thefe fignifications applied to the Di