An Inconvenient Conciliar Truth - Part 04

An Inconvenient Conciliar Truth - Part 04

Some folks seem to find relying on councils a comfort. For these folks, there are some inconvenient facts that they must face. This post is the fourth in what, Lord willing, will be a multi-part series.

Council of Ariminum (359) - Large Errant Council

The Council Ariminum was held in Italy and attended by hundreds of bishops. A typical estimate is around four hundred bishops, though I've seen an estimate as high as 600 (Goode) and 800 (Jewel). It is now generally accepted (though doubtless some dispute the details) that this enormous council (larger in terms of the number of bishops than the earlier council of Nicea) was persuaded to assent to Arian errors - errors condemned by Nicea.

This council even resulted in causing division in Rome (into which a party favoring a man named Felix, and another favoring Liberius were drawn). There is an argument to be made (and it is provided by Gibson et al. in "A Preservation against Popery") that Liberius even approved (initially) of the deicision of Arminium (though, of course, this is now denied - and - at any rate - Liberius eventually acquiesced to Nicea).

But all these issues are an aside. The point is that there is no safety in the fact that any council was large. The council of Ariminum was quite large, and yet was led astray.

-TurretinFan

P.S. There is no connection between Ariminum and Arminianism, as far as I know.