A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

326 A Source Book for Ancient Church Historywhich before their secession belonged evidently to the churchesof perpetual sanctity.[297]Chapter II. The Arian Controversy Until TheExtinction Of The Dynasty Of ConstantineThe Arian controversy may be divided into four periods or stadia:1. From the outbreak of the Arian controversy to the Councilof Nicæa (318-325). In this stadium the positions of the partiesare defined, and the position of the West, in substantial agreementwith that of Alexander and Athanasius, forced through byConstantine and Hosius at Nicæa (§ 63).2. From the Council of Nicæa to the death of Constantine(325-337). In this stadium, without the setting aside of theformula of Nicæa, an attempt is made to reconcile those who infact dissented. In this period Constantine, now living in the East,inclines toward a position more in harmony with Arianism andmore acceptable in the East than was the doctrine of Athanasius.This is the period of the Eusebian reaction (§ 64).3. From the death of Constantine to the death of Constantius(337-361). In this stadium the anti-Nicæan party is victorious inthe East (§ 65), but as it included all those who for any reasonwere opposed to the definition of Nicæa, it fell apart on attainingthe annulment of the decision of Nicæa. There arose, on the onehand, an extreme Arian party and, on the other, a homoiousianparty which approximated closely to the Athanasian position butfeared the Nicene terminology.4. From the accession of Julian to the council of Constantinople(361-381). Under the pressure brought against Christianityby Julian (§ 68), parties but little removed from each other camecloser together (§ 70). A new generation of theologians took