d himself in human form;" "one of
the persons of the Ever-Blessed Trinity," who "had no beginning, and
will have no end," _because the majority of the members of this council
said so_. Hereafter--so it was decreed--_all must believe it_; if not,
they must not oppose it, but forever hold their peace.

The Emperor Theodosius declared his resolution of expelling from all the
churches of his dominions, the bishops and their clergy who should
obstinately refuse to believe, _or at least to profess_, the doctrine of
the Council of Nice. His lieutenant, Sapor, was armed with the ample
powers of a general law, a special commission, _and a military force_;
and this ecclesiastical resolution was conducted _with so much
discretion and vigor, that the religion of the Emperor was
established_.[382:2]

Here we have the historical fact, that bishops of the Christian church,
and their clergy, _were forced to profess their belief in the doctrine
of the Trinity_.

We also find that:

"This orthodox Emperor (Theodosius) considered every heretic
(as he called those who did not believe as he and his
ecclesiastics professed) as a rebel against the supreme powers
of heaven and of earth (he being one of the supreme powers of
earth) _and each of the powers_ might exercise their peculiar
jurisdiction _over the soul and body of the guilty_.

"The decrees of the Council of Constantinople had ascertained
the _true_ standard of the faith, _and the ecclesiastics, who
governed the conscience of Theodosius, suggested the most
effectual methods of persecution_. In the space of fifteen
years he promulgated at least fifteen severe edicts against
the heretics, _more especially against those who rejected the
doctrine of the Trinity_."[382:3]

Thus we see one of the many reasons why the "most holy Christian
religion" spread so rapidly.

Arius--who declared that in the nature of things a father must be older
than his son--was excommunicated for his so-called heretical notions
concerning the Trinity. His followers, who were very numerous, were
called Arians. Their writings, if they had been permitted to
exist,[383:1] would undoubtedly contain the lamentable story of the
persecution which affected the church under the reign of the impious
Emperor Theodosius.

FOOTNOTES:

[368:1] The celebrated passage (I. John, v. 7) "For there are three that
bear record in heaven, the Father, the Wo