This circumstance, so fortunate in a temporal sense, proved highly destructive to its spiritual repose. No longer assaulted, it became the parent of schism; and one Eustathius, an obscure priest, has given his name to history, by the success that attended his efforts to create an excitement and faction in the church. The convention of a Council at Gangra might condemn and excommunicate, but could not suppress this faction, which poured forth legions of missionaries, and for a long time disturbed the repose of the Eastern prelates. The doctrines of Eustathius were neither heretical, nor his conduct in introducing them truly reprehensible, although from their nature highly offensive to the spiritual dignitaries, who, to judge from their habits of life, found more solace in wine and female intercourse than in religious exercises, and who were more solicitous to acquire wealth and preferments to enrich their physical heirs, than solicitous about the welfare of their spiritual progeny. Producing the example and judgment of Paul, Eustathius boldly condemned the marriages of the priests, under any circumstances, as productive of evil; but denounced second and third marriages as abominable, and worthy of excommunication. The use of wine,—in short, all sensual delights,—he prohibited, as equally reprehensible in those who were set as exemplars and rulers of the flock of Christ. Eustathius was succeeded by Erius, a priest, and semi-Arian, who not only protested against the multiplied marriages of the priests, but declared that the bishops were not distinguished from the presbyters by any divine right, and that, according to the Holy Scriptures, their authority and offices were identical. This tenet, of which the immediate consequences would have been to reduce within certain limits the power of the prelates, raised a storm of opposition from that quarter, although it was highly agreeable to many good Christians, to whom their tyranny and arrogance had become insupportable. Erius also condemned fasts, stated feasts, prayers for the dead, and the celebration of Easter; but he urged a purer morality and a stricter observance of the Sabbath. He had many followers, whose numbers were greatly augmented by one Paul of Samosota, from whom they were called Paulicians. Notwithstanding the opposition of the prelates, who invoked the secular arm to prevent the defection of their spiritual subjects, the tenets of this sect struck deep root in Armenia and many of the eastern provinces, and finally the great body of Christians in the former country, withdrew from the Episcopal communion, and publicly espoused the sentiments of the Paulicians. These were accused of breaking loose from the brotherhood of the Christian world, and they were denounced by the bishops as the most odious of mankind. Whatever might have been the denunciations of their adversaries, posterity, after a candid examination of their tenets, must concede that they were principally