a divine of the fourth century, the head and founder of the Arians, a sect which denied the eternal divinity and substantiality of the Word. He was born in Libya, near Egypt. Eusebius, bishop of Nicomedia, a great favourite of Constantine, sister of the emperor Constantine, and wife of Licinius, became a zealous promoter of Ariusism. He took Arius under his protection, and introduced him to Constantia; so that the sect increased, and several bishops embraced it openly. There arose, however, such disputes in the cities, that the emperor, in order to remedy these disorders, was obliged to assemble the council of Nice, where, in the year 325, the doctrine of Arius was condemned. Arius was banished by the emperor, all his books were ordered to be burnt, and capital punishment was denounced against whoever dared to keep them. After five years banishment, he was recalled to Constantinople, where he presented the emperor with a confession of his faith, drawn up so artfully, that it fully satisfied him. Notwithstanding which, Athanasius, now advanced to the see of Alexandria, refused to admit him and his followers to communion. This enraged them, that by their interest at court, they procured that prelate to be deposed and banished. But the church of Alexandria still refusing to admit Arius into their communion, the emperor sent for him to Constantinople; where, upon delivering in a fresh confession of his faith in terms less offensive, the emperor commanded Alexander, the bishop of that church, to receive him the next day into his communion: but that very evening Arius died. The manner of his death was very extraordinary: as his friends were conducting him in triumph to the great church of Constantinople, Arius, pressed by a natural necessity, stepped aside to ease himself; But the hereby did not die with the herefarch; his party continued still in great credit at court. Athanasius, indeed, was soon recalled from banishment, and as soon removed again; the Arians being countenanced by the government, and making and deposing bishops as it best served their purposes. In short, this sect continued with great lustre above 300 years: it was the reigning religion of Spain for above two centuries: it was on the throne both in the east and west; it prevailed in Italy, France, Pannonia, and Africa; and was not extinguished till about the end of the 8th century.

This hereby was again set on foot in the west by Servetus, who, in 1531, wrote a little treatise against the mystery of the Trinity. After his death Arianism got footing in Geneva; from whence it removed into Poland; but at length degenerated, in a great measure, into Socinianism. Erasmus seems to have aimed at reviving Arianism, in his Commentaries on the New Testament; and the learned Grotius seems to lean a little that way.

With regard to the state of Arianism in England, it may be sufficient to observe, that from the numerous publications of that sect which are daily making their appearance, it seems to be rather a growing, than exploded, doctrine there.