The Triumph Of The New Nicene Or


The Arian controversy was the most important series of events in the

internal history of the Christian Church in the fourth century, without

reference to the truth or error of the positions taken or the rightful

place of dogma within the Church. It roused more difficulties, problems,

and disputes, led to more persecutions, ended in greater party triumphs

than any other ecclesiastical or religious movement. It entered upon its

last important phase about the time of the accession of the Emperor

Julian. From that time the parties began to recognize their real

affiliations and sought a basis of union in a common principle. The effect

was that on the accession of Christian emperors the Church was able to

advance rapidly toward a definitive statement. Of the emperors that

followed Julian, Valentinian I (364-375), who ruled in the West, took a

moderate and tolerant position in the question regarding the existence of

heathenism alongside of the Church and heretical parties within the

Church, though afterward harsher measures were taken by his son and

successor (§ 69). In the East his colleague Valens (364-378) supported the

extreme Arian party and persecuted the other parties, at the same time

tolerating heathenism. This only brought the anti-Arians more closely

together as a new party on the basis of a new interpretation of the Nicene

formula (§ 70, cf. § 66, c). On the death of Valens at Adrianople,

378, an opportunity was given this new party, which it has become

customary to call the New Nicene party, to support Theodosius (379-395) in

his work of putting through the orthodox formula at the Council of

Constantinople, 381 (§ 71).



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