22. The crowning feat of this faction was
the council which sat first at Seleucia, the city of the holy and
illustrious virgin Thekla, and afterwards at this mighty city, thus
connecting their names, no longer with noble associations, but with
these of deepest disgrace; whether we must call that council, which
subverted and disturbed everything, a tower of Chalane, Gen. xi. 4. which deservedly confounded the
tongues—would that theirs had been confounded for their harmony
in evil!—or a Sanhedrim of Caiaphas S. John xi. 47 et seq.
where Christ was condemned, or some other like name. The ancient
and pious doctrine which defended the Trinity was abolished, by setting
up a χάρακα lit. “a
pale”—one of the many which formed the palisade.
Perhaps there is play on the word χαρακτηρα
“a letter” in reference to the insertion of the
letter iota in the Nicene formula—which then became Homoiousion,
i.e., “Like in substance.” This action on the part of
the Semi-Arians (who formed the majority of the Council of Seleucia
a.d. 359), was the first step to the Homoion
of the Acacian party, who prevailed at the council of Constantinople,
a.d. 360, and professed great devotion to the
use of Scriptural terms. palisade and battering down the
Consubstantial: opening the door to impiety by means of what is
written, using as their pretext, their reverence for Scripture and for
the use of approved terms, but really introducing unscriptural
Arianism. For the phrase “like, according to the
Scriptures,” was a bait to the simple, concealing the hook of
impiety, a figure seeming to look in the direction of all who passed
by, a boot fitting either foot, a winnowing with every wind, Eccles. v. 9. gaining authority from the newly written
villany and device against the truth. For they were wise to do
evil, but to do good they had no knowledge. Jer. iv. 22.