The period of intellectual vassalage now commenced ; and trick and finesse were soon discovered, by avaricious and ambitious priests, to be far more profita ble than the truth as it is taught by Jesus.
It was about this time that the Council of Nice assembled, "by the grace of God, and favour of Constantine, the prince beloved of God," to crush by numbers, clamour, and authority, what proved too stubborn or too firm to yield to their ar guments. By the arbitrary decision of three hundred and thirteen out of three hundred and eighteen bishops, it was proved, that the Son is consubstantial and of the same substance with the Father ; and moreover, that whosoever should dare to assert that this expression is un scriptural, he should, without further ceremony, be deemed a heretic, be cut off from communion with the church in this world, and without doubt should perish everlastingly in the world to come ! After they had thus decided, and had ba nished Arius, and his followers, who de termined to abide by the language of Scripture, these domineering priests sent letters of self-commendation to their friends in Egypt, Lybia, and Pentapolis. Having rewarded the priests, and recom mended to them peace and harmony, Con stantine dismissed the council, and wrote to several churches, recommending and enjoining universal conformity to the coun cil's decrees, both in doctrines and cere monies ; using this, among other argu ments, that what they had decreed was the will of God, and that the argument of so great a number of bishops could be by no other than the immediate inspiration of the Holy Ghost. That the Nicene doc tors were inspired, whoever considers the nature and extent of their anathemas and depositions, together with the sub sequent persecutions, of which this coun cil was the foundation, can have no doubt; whether their inspiration was by the Holy Ghost, is another question.
The scriptural christians, being now the weaker party, not relishing neither the decrees of the Nicene fathers, nor the letters of Constantine, most unhappy consequences very soon took place. The orthodox emperor, finding his admoni tions disregarded, resolved, in the mad ness of his zeal, to try the efficacy of more forcible motives ; and accordingly issued sundry edicts against all who should dare to oppose his will, or slight the decrees of the Council of Nice ; at the same time ordering that the books of their opponents should be burnt ; and if any kept them in their possession, or en deavoured to counteract his edict, they should, on conviction thereof, suffer death .
Thus the authors of the Nicene Creed first brought in the punishment of heresy with death, and persuaded the emperor to destroy those whom he could not easily convert. The scriptures were now no longer the rule of faith and man ners; but orthodoxy and heterodoxy were decided by vote, and agreed upon, not by the number and weight of argu ments, but by the number and power of emperors, priests, and councils.
The next council that was held, was composed of bishops possessing opinions somewhat different from those of their predecessors, because Constantine II. happened to be favourable to the Arians. The side of orthodoxy was now changed ; but fulminations and damnations still ad hered to the decrees of the council, against all those who should dare to op pose them. This alternate shifting of hands continued through the whole of this century. It was in this century also that painted crosses and the making of pilgrimages became fashionable.
The fifth century gave birth to an established union of the temporal and spiritual jurisdiction of the popes ; though as yet no one had the hardihood to 'declare himself either infallible or supreme. The prohibiting priests to marry, baptizing with godfathers and godmothers, the sign of the cross in baptism, and some other less important matters, were introduced in this century.
The bulk of ecclesiastical historians fix the year 606 for the title of universal bishop, being conferred on the Pontiff of Rome. This dignity had been assumed by the bishop of Constantinople in the preceding century, but was now con firmed to Boniface III. ; who, being elected Pope, prevailed on the Emperor Phocas to take the title of universal bishop from the Bishop of Constantino ple, and grant it to him, and his suc cessors, by his absolute decree ; which passed for that purpose.
Now it was that popery became estab lished and general ; from this period therefore we may date the appellation of Roman Catholic. Without, however, minutely detailing the origin of those various doctrines and ceremonies by which the church of Rome has long been distinguished, we will proceed to give a succinct account of the belief and prac tice of this very large and reupectable portion of the christian world. We can not perhaps do this better than by laying before the reader .1 Summary of the "Marine, Discipline, and Ceremonies of the Church of Rome as contained in Pope Pius IV.'s Creed.
"Art. I. Ibelieve in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. The one true and living God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
" II. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, light of light, very God of very God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.
" III. Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.
" IV. And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate ; he suffered and was buried. • " V. And the third day rose again, ac cording to the scriptures.
" VI. He ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of the Father.
" VII. And is to come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, of whose kingdom there shall be no end.