τῆς
μοναρχίας
τοῦ θεοῦ. See note on
the title of Cat. VI. Praxeas made use of the term
“Monarchy” to exclude the Son (and the Spirit) from the
Godhead. Tertullian in his treatise against Praxeas maintains the
true doctrine that the Son is no obstacle to the
“Monarchy,” because He is of the substance of the Father,
does nothing without the Father’s will, and has received all
power from the Father, to Whom He will in the end deliver up the
kingdom. In this sense Dionysius, Bishop of Rome, speaks of the
Divine Monarchy as “that most sacred doctrine of the Church of
God.” Compare Athanas. de Decretis, Nic. Syn. c. vi.
§ 3 and Dr. Newman’s note. In Orat. iv.
c. Arian. p 606 (617), Athanasius derives the term
from ἀρχή, in the sense of
“beginning:” οὕτως μία
ἀρχὴ
θεότητος καὶ
οὐ δύο ἀρχαί,
ὅθεν κυρίως
καὶ μοναρχία
ἐστίν. See the full discussion
of Monarchianism in Athanasius, p. xxiii. ff. in this series,
and Newman’s Introduction to Athan. Or. iv.