ull dogma as given in the 'Athanasian Creed' is not thought to be
earlier than the fifth century; debates as to the 'two natures' in
Christ, and the 'two wills,' and other abstruse points involved in the
dogma, continued for centuries still. At an earlier period discussion
was carried on as to whether the Son were of the 'same substance'
(_homo-ousion_) or 'similar substance' (_homoi-ousion_) with the Father.
The latter view was held by Arius and his party at the Council of
Nicaea, A.D. 325. Athanasius held the former view, which in time, but
only after many years of controversial strife and actual warfare, became
established as orthodox. The Arians regarded the Son, as a subordinate
being, though still divine. Another variety of opinion was put forth by
Sabellius (_c._ 250 A.D.), who took the different Persons to be so many
diverse modes or manifestations of the One God. This Sabellian idea,
though officially condemned, has been often held in later times.
Socinianism, so far as regards the personality and rank of Christ,
differed from Arianism, which maintained his pre-existence, though not
eternal; the Socinian doctrine being that the man Jesus was raised by
God's approving benignity to 'divine' rank, and that he thus became a
fit object of Christian 'worship.' The Humanitarian view, finally,
presented Jesus as a 'mere man,' i.e. a being not essentially different
in his nature from the rest of humankind. Modern Unitarianism, however,
usually avoids this kind of phrase; 'all minds,' said Channing, 'are of
one family.'

THE EARLIER MOVEMENT IN ENGLAND

I. THE UNITARIAN MARTYRS

The rise of any considerable body of opinion opposed to the cardinal
dogma of orthodoxy was preceded in England by a very strongly marked
effort to secure liberty of thought, and a corresponding plea for a
broadly comprehensive religious fellowship. The culmination of this
effort, is reached, for the period first, to be reviewed, in the
writings of _John Locke_ (1632-1704). This celebrated man, by his
powerful arguments for religious toleration and his defence of the
'reasonableness' of the Christian religion, exerted an influence of the
most important kind. But we must reach him by the path of his
predecessors in the same line. The principles of liberty of thought and
the broadest religious fellowship are warmly espoused by Unitarians, and
they look upon all who have advanced these principles as in spirit
related to them, however di