absconded, I cannot think that his Antagonist _Felix_, who was still alive, and had done nothing we know of to disoblige the Emperor, and the _Arian_ Party, by whom he had been formerly raised to that See, would have neglected so favourable an Opportunity of recovering his antient Dignity. If what _Theodoret_ says be true, _Gregory Nazianzen_ is highly to blame for not excepting _Liberius_; when he writ, that the Bishops either all complied, or were driven into Exile, excepting a few, who were too insignificant to be taken notice of by the Emperor, or his Ministers[934]. [Sidenote: Arianism _universally obtains_.] Be that as it will, it is certain, that at this time the _Arian_ Doctrine universally obtained; that the Face of the Church appeared quite deformed and disfigured[935], that the whole World saw itself, with Astonishment, all on a sudden become _Arian_[936]; that the Boat of St. _Peter_, to use St. _Jerom_’s Expression, tossed by furious Winds, by violent Storms, was upon the Point of sinking, and no Hopes of Safety seemed to be left[937]. ----- Footnote N18: This Confession is called sometimes the _Confession of_ Nice _in_ Thrace, and sometimes the _Confession of_ Rimini; but it differed from both. By the Confession of _Nice_, the Son was acknowleged to be like to the Father, without the Addition of the Words _in all Things_, which were an essential Part of the last Confession of _Sirmium_. In that of _Rimini_ the Son was said _not to be a Creature like other Creatures_, and there were no such Words in the Confession of _Sirmium_. But by all Three the Word _Consubstantial_ was rejected, and no other would satisfy the Orthodox, acknowleging the Son to be _of the same Substance with the Father_. Both the _Arians_ and _Semi-Arians_ allowed the Son to be like to the Father: but that Likeness was by them very differently understood and interpreted. The _Arians_ held him to be _like_ rather by Grace than by Nature, and as like as a Creature could be to the Creator[N18.1]. The _Semi-Arians_ confessed him to be like in _Nature_, in _Existence_, in _Essence_, in _Substance_, and in _every thing else_. But the Orthodox maintained him to be of the _same Substance_ with the Father, and consequently of the _same Existence_, _Essence_, &c. and, to express this _Sameness_ or _Identity_, they chose the Word _Consubstantial_. Footnote N18.1: Ruff. l. 1. c. 25. -----