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<DIV1 TYPE="work">
<DIV2 TYPE="book" N="1">
<DIV3 TYPE="chapter" N="3">
<PB REF="1" N="215">
<HEAD>CHAP. III.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chap. 5 in the Greek</NOTE> The contention between
<HI>Arius</HI> and
<HI>Alexander</HI> Bishop of Alexandria, and how that
<HI>Alexander</HI> deprived
<HI>Arius</HI> with his complices of the Ministery.</HEAD>
<P>AFter
<HI>Peter</HI> Bishop of
<HI>Alexandria,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">
<HI>Peter.</HI></NOTE> which suffered Martyrdome under
<HI>Diocletian, A|chillas</HI> succeeded in the Bishoprick.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">
<HI>Achillas.</HI></NOTE> After
<HI>Achillas, Alexander</HI> in the time of the a|fore-said peace was chosen Bishop:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">
<HI>Alexander.</HI></NOTE> who leading a quiet and peaceable life brought the Church unto an unity, and on a certain time in presence of the Priests which were under him, and the rest of the Clergy, he intreateth somewhat more curiously of the holy Trinity, and the Unity to be in the Trinity.
<HI>Arius</HI> then being one of the Priests placed in order un|der him, a man very skilfull in the subtilties of sophistical Logick, suspecting the Bishop to have brought into the CHurch the erroneous doctrine of
<HI>Sabellius</HI> the
<HI>Affrick,</HI> and being kindled with the desire of ocntention, set himself opposite against the opinion of
<HI>Sabellius</HI> the
<HI>Affrick,</HI> and as it seemed directly against the allegations of the Bishop, saing:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">
<HI>Arius</HI> contra|rieth his Bishop and ordinary. The original of
<HI>Arius</HI> heresy.</NOTE> If the Father begot the Son, then had the Son which was begotten a beginning of essence: here|by it is manifest that there was a time when the Son was not, and the consequent to follow necessarily that he had this essence of nothing.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chap 6 in the Grek</NOTE>When he had with his strange kinde of do|ctrine concluded and laid down this position, he provoked many to reason hereof, so that of a small sparkle a great fire was kindled. For this noisome pestilence beginning from the Churches of
<HI>Alexandria</HI>spread it self throughout all
<HI>AEgypt, Lybia,</HI> and the upper
<HI>Thebais,</HI> yea passed moreover through the rest of the Provinces and Cities. Many other also embra|ced the pestilent opinion of
<HI>Arius.</HI> of which number chiefly
<HI>Eusebius</HI> (not he of
<HI>Caesarea</HI>) but another which aforetime was Bishop of the Church of
<HI>Berytus,</HI> but then craftly crept in to be Bishopof
<HI>Nicomedia</HI> a City of
<HI>Bithynia,</HI> clave fast unto him.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Two
<HI>Eusebius,</HI> the first was writer of the former Histo|ry: the second Bishop of Nicomedia, and an Arian.</NOTE> Which things when
<HI>A|lexander</HI> had both heard and seen done with his eyes, was very much moved thereat, and summoning together a Councel of many Bishops, he depriveth
<HI>Arius</HI> and such as favoured his opinion of the Priestly order: and wrote unto the several Bishops throughout the cities in this manner.
<LETTER>
<HEAD>The Epistle of
<HI>Alexander</HI> Bishop of Alexandria.</HEAD>
<P>To the Welbeloved and most reverend brethren, fellow Ministers with us throughout the Churches wheresoever. Insomuch as we are commanded by holy Scripture to retain the bond of unity and peace, it is requisite that we write and signifie one to ano|ther the things that severaly happen among us, to the end that if one suffer or one rejoyce, we all may suffer tegether or rejoyce together. Now in our Church there are risen certain men which transgresse the laws: which impugne Christ: which lead men into Apostasie: whom a many may rightly suppose and justly terme the forerunners of antichrist. I was disposed truly to be silent, and not to blaze at all so hainous an offence, if peradventure by any means possibly this blemish might have been wiped away from among them which alone fell from the Church, least that stray|ing abroad into strange places, it might infect with the filth thereof the ears of simple and silly souls. But in as much as
<HI>Eusebius</HI> now Bishop of Nicomedia, supposing the whole state of the Church to be under his jurisdiction, and seeing with himself that he is to be charged of none for leaving the Church of Berytus, and for that he greedily gaped after the Church of Nicomedia, and in that he is become the patron and ring leader of these Apostata's, going about to publish letters into all Provinces, highly extolling them, that he may plunge certain of the ignorant sort into an extream pestilent heresie, altogether contrary to Christ himself: I thinke it necessary (seeing the like is written in some part of the law) no longer to be silent, but to declare un|to you all the whole matter, whereby ye may not only know them which fell from the truth, but also their detestable doctrine, and the circumstance of their heresie, and also if peradven|ture
<HI>Eusebius</HI> doe write unto you that you give no ear unto him. For he having concealed for a season his old festered corruption of minde, and now disposed to renew the same, feigneth to further his cause by his Epistles, but in very deed he sheweth plainly that these his practices be directed to the furtherance of his own cause. Such as fell from the Church were these:
<HI>Arius,</HI> ...
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