DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9552#0209
SECOND APPEAL TO THE CHRISTIAN PUBLIC. 179
buted to their immediate motives, ascertained from cir-
cumstantial evidence ; and these acts are consequently-
held to entitle their respective agents to praise or re-
proach.—But as the motives of actions and the secrets of
the human heart are in truth known to God alone, it
is indeed beyond my power to establish in a satisfactory
manner, that the majority of the primitive Arians
and Trinitarians were excited by their mistaken
religious zeal to slay each other, and not by a desire of
power and worldly advancement. I would appeal, how-
ever, to the Editor himself, whether it would not be
indeed very illiberal to suppose, that almost all the
Christain world should for a period of two hundred years
have been weak or wicked enough to engage wilfully 111
causing the blood of each other to be shed under the
cloak of religion, and merely for worldly motives. But
as this must be a matter of opinion, I beg to shew that
which has been entertained on the subject by one of the
highest authorities, against the Trinitarians, who have
written on the history of Christianity. I allude to
Dr. Mosheim, whose words I here give, and I entreat my
readers to draw their own inferences from them :
Voume I. P. 419 : " After the death of Constantine
the Great, one of his sons, Constantines, who in the divi-
sion of the empire became ruler of the East, was warmly
attached to the Arian party, whose principles^?ere also
zealously adopted by the Empress, and indeed by the
whole court. On the other hand, Constantine and Con-
stans, Emperors of the West, maintained the decrees of the
Council ol Nice throughout all the provinces where their
jurisdiction extended. — Hence arose endless animosities
and seditions, treacherous plots, and open acts of in-
buted to their immediate motives, ascertained from cir-
cumstantial evidence ; and these acts are consequently-
held to entitle their respective agents to praise or re-
proach.—But as the motives of actions and the secrets of
the human heart are in truth known to God alone, it
is indeed beyond my power to establish in a satisfactory
manner, that the majority of the primitive Arians
and Trinitarians were excited by their mistaken
religious zeal to slay each other, and not by a desire of
power and worldly advancement. I would appeal, how-
ever, to the Editor himself, whether it would not be
indeed very illiberal to suppose, that almost all the
Christain world should for a period of two hundred years
have been weak or wicked enough to engage wilfully 111
causing the blood of each other to be shed under the
cloak of religion, and merely for worldly motives. But
as this must be a matter of opinion, I beg to shew that
which has been entertained on the subject by one of the
highest authorities, against the Trinitarians, who have
written on the history of Christianity. I allude to
Dr. Mosheim, whose words I here give, and I entreat my
readers to draw their own inferences from them :
Voume I. P. 419 : " After the death of Constantine
the Great, one of his sons, Constantines, who in the divi-
sion of the empire became ruler of the East, was warmly
attached to the Arian party, whose principles^?ere also
zealously adopted by the Empress, and indeed by the
whole court. On the other hand, Constantine and Con-
stans, Emperors of the West, maintained the decrees of the
Council ol Nice throughout all the provinces where their
jurisdiction extended. — Hence arose endless animosities
and seditions, treacherous plots, and open acts of in-