iving and true
God,' but that 'in the Unity of this Godhead there are three Persons, of
one substance, power, and eternity--the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost.' This view is called by its advocates _Catholicism_, for they
hold that it is, and ever has been, the doctrine of the Universal Church
of Christ; but, inasmuch as the admission of such a name would be
tantamount to giving up the whole point in question, it is refused by
its opponents, who give it the name of _Athanasianism_.

In England, the Trinitarian question began to be agitated in the later
half of the seventeenth century. Possibly the interest in the subject
may have been stimulated by the migration into England of many
anti-Trinitarians from Poland, who had been banished from the country by
an Order of Council in 1660. At any rate, the date synchronises with the
re-opening of the question in this country. It is probable, however,
that under any circumstances the discussion would have arisen.

Before the publication of Bishop Bull's first great work in 1685, no
controversial treatise on either side of the question--none, at least,
of any importance--was published in this country, though there had of
course been individual anti-Trinitarians in England long before that
time.

A few words on the 'Defensio Fidei Nicaenae' will be a fitting
introduction to the account of the controversy which belongs properly
to the eighteenth century. Bishop Bull's defence was written in Latin,
and was therefore not intended for the unlearned. It was exclusively
confined to this one question: What were the views of the ante-Nicene
Fathers on the subject of the Trinity, and especially on the relation of
the Second to the First Person? But though the work was addressed only
to a very limited number of readers, and dealt only with one, and that a
very limited, view of the question, the importance of thoroughly
discussing this particular view can scarcely be exaggerated for the
following reason. When, the attention of any one familiar with the
precise definitions of the Catholic Church which were necessitated by
the speculations of Arians and other heretics is called for the first
time to the writings of the ante-Nicene Fathers, he may be staggered by
the absence of equal definiteness and precision in them. Bishop Bull
boldly met the difficulties which might thus occur. He minutely examined
the various expressions which could be wrested into an anti-Trinitarian
sense, showi