Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/355

 A R I U 5. 3'9 Alexander to admit him n^nin into the church. Arms was now toniim ud in triumph hy Kufebius and his other adhe- jents : but as they approached the threat iquare or C.Vnitan- tinopk-, Arias, ban;/ prclled by a natural iiccclfny, retired to a houfc of convenience ; where he died inftantlyon the '{ )f>t 3 ,, I ,- all his entrails builtmi: out with his liver and fpleen. Trm'i ,,, t ; happened in the year 336. Arius's fedt however did not die Ari-nii'ir. with him, for it was iupported bv leveral bifhops, and others 1 ' 6 ' of great weight in the church. The Arians, by turns, perfe- cuted, and were perfccuted [c]. There are feveral authors who find fault with Arius, for putting his fentiments into verfe, that they might be fung by his dilciples, and they par- ticularly cenfure the matter and form ot his Thalia [D], See ATHANASIUS. [c] The orthodox were the aggref- ibt, for Confrantinc at firlr. infhcied lunifhmcnt en the princ p.il le.iriers of Arianifm, and threatened with death all thofe who fhould luve the writings of Arius in their poiTcifion : ar.d it is allb certain that ConAantius, the fon of Conftantine. and Valens, who were pa- trons of Arianifm, tieiled the orthodox with as much feveriiy as ever Conftan- tine did the Arians. [nj " After Anns," fays Mr. Her- rnjnt, " had apoilatifed from the church, he took it into his head to compofe various longs for feafaring people, travellers, millers, &c. and he a Jib fet to mufic feveral others, futh as he thought micht aiTi-ft his followers according to their different dn'pofitions ; endeavouiing to infufe his impiovis notions into the moft rude and ignorant nv.r.ds, by the fweetnefs of his fon?;. But his " Thalia was by far the moft f.imons of " his compofitions of this kind, the " name and model of which he had bor- " rowed trom an ancient poet named " Sotades. This burlelque poet affeded " fuch a foftnela of (lyle in his fong, " and the cadence was fo effeminate, " that the very pagans treated him " with the utmoft contempt and ri'ii- " cule ; nor is there any exaggeration " of this in St. Atrunafuis's account of ' it, fmce the very loofeft amongd the " poets, and thole who wrote wiih tre " moft libertini'm, even blufned at the " indecency of this infamous poet of " antiquity. It was in imitation of " this author, as we have already ob- " ferved, that Arius give his piece the " name of ThaJij, vh th properly fi - " nifies a teaft and aflembly of young ' people, or a fong marie to be f'ing at " foch fcafts." Hermant's Life of Alhanafius, lib. i. cap. 13. p. 61. ARMINIUS (JAMES), the founder of the feel of Arm!- nians, or Remonitrants [A], born at Oude-water, in Ho!- land. [A] " The Arminians hold," fays Mr. Broughton, " that God creates " men free, and xvill deal v/ith men '.:<m or " d<;mr,aii..n is to impuuo only to " himfclf. In defence of ttis opinion, ' they alleged, in the firft place, the " divine attiih.iii^ : they contendet 1, " th;.t the juftice of God will not rcr- " rr.it him to punifh men for crime' " they cannot avoid ; which mufl be " the cafe Upon tlieCalviniftitheme o: " prcieilination, Secondly, they ar- "' guei