Arius was a man of superior talents and learning. He was extremely skilful in the science of logic, which was a favourite study in that age ; acute and ingenious in managing a controversy ; and remarkable for his powerful and persuasive eloquence. He had a high opinion of his own understanding, and looked down upon his opponents with disdain. His pride, indeed, was in tolerable and ridiculous, as may be seen in the exordium of the Thalia ; but it was natural for him to grow proud, even though his temper had been differently constituted, when he saw the revolution which he had almost singly produced in a great part of the church, and that too in defiance of those who were far above him in rank and dignity. It is asserted by mapy, that in departing from the received opinions of his time, he was actuated by a mere spirit of restlessness and contention ; but the as sertion is not sufficiently supported by facts, and we are disposed to think, that it originates in a mistaken notion which many of the orthodox entertain, that a heretic can not be an honest man. We conceive that the turbulence so generally ascribed to Arius, was little else than zeal for what appeared to his mind to be truth. His zeal, indeed, was ill employed ; it was haughty and intolerant, and it was the source of much disquietude and calami ty; still it was the zeal of one who was bold to think and speak for himself, and who was neither to be brow beaten into silence, nor persecuted into submission. We deplore the error which he laboured so much to defend and propagate ; but we recognise the upright ness of his views, and admire the firmness of his spirit. And, excepting the merits of the point contended for, we can see nothing in his alleged turbulence, which does not exactly resemble the turbulence of Martin Lu ther, to which we are so highly indebted.
Arius has been severely censured for his Cantica and Thalia. The former consisted of songs for the use of travellers, seamen, and those who work at the mill, and they were set to melodious and favourite tunes. The latter was a poem after the manner of one under the same title, that had been composed by Sotades, a hea then poet, whose productions, are said to have been so unchaste in matter, and so effeminate in style, as to be disgraceful to their author. The subject both of the
Cantica and the Thalia was the peculiarities of the Arian creed ; and the design of their publication evidently was to propagate the knowledge and belief of that creed, by means that promised to be most successful, because they were best adapted to the taste, and habits, and capaci ties of the multitude. If Arius advanced any thing for the purpose of holding up to profane ridicule the faith which he had abandoned, or treated with levity a subject which involved the essence and perfections of Deity, his conduct must be reprobated as impious. But we do not understand that this +was the case ; at least it is not the crime with which his enemies have charged him, if we except Mr Hermant, who plainly misunderstands the information communicated by St Athanasius. The fault of Arius, considered as the author of the Cantica and Thalia, seems to have consisted in giving rise to inde cent associations, by copying the manner of an obscene author, and connecting serious sentiments with airs, which had, perhaps, been formerly connected with trifles or impurities. Even of this, however, we are not quali fied to judge accurately ; and it must be allowed, that, in general, there is nothing criminal in putting formularies of belief into verse of different kinds, and setting them to a variety of popular tunes ; for otherwise we shall condemn a practice which has always prevailed in the church, and been approved of by its soundest members. On the supposition that Arius was convinced of the truth of what he taught, he cannot be justly blamed for having given to his followers their catechism and their. creed to sing, instead of their amours. We make these remarks not from any peculiar attachment to Arius, personally considered, and still less' from any predilec tion for his system, which we think quite unscriptural ; but, from a sacred regard to the purity of historical truth, and from a firm conviction that the cause of ge nuine Christianity is never to be supported by the arts of misrepresentation. (r)