13. The beginning of this madness was Arius
(whose name is derived from frenzy Frenzy.
Cf. Orat. ii. 37; xxxiv. 8.), who paid the
penalty of his unbridled tongue by his death in a profane
spot, A profane spot,
lit. “profane places”—plural as contrasted with the
ἐν τόπῳ
ἁγίῳ, Lev. vi. 16. etc., etc.: in
which the priests must eat of the sacrifices. The meaning of the
phrase is “Arius died excommunicated”—indeed on the
eve of the day on which the Emperor Constantine had ordered him to be
restored to communion. brought about by prayer not by disease, when
he like Judas Like
Judas. Cf. Epiph. Hær. 68. 7; Socr. i. 38.
Theodoret i. 4. burst
asunder Acts i. 18. for his similar
treachery to the
Word. Then others, catching the infection, organized an art of
impiety, and, confining Deity to the Unbegotten, expelled from Deity
not only the Begotten, but also the Proceeding one, and honoured the
Trinity with communion in name In name, etc.,
i.e., They used the name Trinity, although it was rendered meaningless
by their false doctrine as to the inequality of the Three Blessed
Persons. alone, or even
refused to retain this for it. Not so that blessed one, Who was
indeed a man of God and a mighty trumpet of truth: but being
aware that to contract To contract,
etc. On this whole passage cf. Orat. ii. 36, 37, notes. the Three Persons
to a numerical Unity is heretical, and the innovation of Sabellius, who
first devised a contraction of Deity; and that to sever the Three
Persons by a distinction of nature, is an unnatural mutilation of
Deity; he both happily preserved the Unity, which belongs to the
Godhead, and religiously taught the Trinity, which refers Which refers,
etc., or “which consists in personal relations.” Cf.
on ἰδιότῆς. Orat. xliii.
30. note. to Personality, neither confounding the
Three Persons in the Unity, nor dividing the Substance among the Three
Persons, but abiding within the bounds of piety, by avoiding excessive
inclination or opposition to either side.