Monarchae was the title occasionally bestowed in the Christian churches, especially in those of the East, instead of the more familiar metropolitan (q. v.). In the 6th canon of the Council of Sardica, which was held in 344, we find metropolitans distinguished by the title jyrinceps jjrovincice (J^npxoQ rijg iirapxiac) ; but else- where, in references of those days, they are entitled monarchce. See Riddle, Christian Antiquities, p. 224.
Monarchia is the term by which is designated the leading or opening statement in the orderly enunciation of the doctrine of the Trinity (q. v.), i. e. the doctrine that there is one and only one 'Apxn, principle or foun- tain of Divinity, God the Father, the first person in the Trinity, who only is Avro^eoc, " God of and from him- self" (Pearson [Expos, of the Creed (1741, fol.), p. 39] is very particular on the form of this statement, and takes exception to Bull, who uses the word •' from" — " of and from himself," which Pearson considers a contradiction). The doctrine of the Trinity assumes that the Son and the Holy Ghost derive their divinity from the Father-
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as tlip nno 'Apx'/' The scriptural and only true idea I of God involves in its development the idea of the tri- uiiity ; and the doctrine of the Monarchia may be ap- proached either from the side of the unity of God or , from the side of the trinity of persons. Coming to it on the side of the unity, there is presented to the mind, j first, the existence of God, then the unity of God, then the undcrived nature — that is, his self-existence. Com- ing to the doctrine on the side of the trinity of persons, Scripture reveals God the Son, who is Gftif tie Qtov by an eternal generation ; and God the Holy Ghost, who is Ofof t/c Btui) by an eternal procession. This refers us to the first person of the Trinit}-, as him from whom 1 the second and tliird persons derive their divinity. The | doctrine of the Monarchia, flowing as it does directly from the unity of God, in its expression guards that ! unity; while at the same time it renders it possible that the Son is (Jod, and the Holy Ghost God, by a dcriva- ! tion of Godhead ; the full doctrine of the Godhead of the second and third persons being maintained by the fur- ther doctrine of the perichoresis. It is to be remarked that as apx'l lias the meaning of " beginning" with ref- erence to time, as well as the meaning of " principle" ■with reference to origin, so with regard to the former , meaning the Son and the Holy Spirit are dvapxoi as well as the Father. Ahia, cause, is also used in the enunciation of this doctrine : the Father himself, airia, is avcdriot;; the Son and the Holy Spirit are ahiaroc and aiTiaru:: Scripture and the Church avoid the ap- pearance of tritheism by tracing back (if we may so say) the infinite perfection of the Son and Spirit to him whose Son and Spirit they are. They are, so to express it, but the new manifestation and repetition of the Fa- ther ; there being no room for numeration or compari- son between them, nor any resting-place for the contem- plating mind, till thej- are referred to liim in whom they centre. On the other hand, in naming the Father, we imply the Son and Spirit, whether they be named or not. This is the key to much of the language of holy Scripture which is otherwise difficult to understand, as, e. g. 1 John V, 20 ; 1 Cor. xii, 4-G ; John xiv, 16-18 (Newman's A rians, p. 192). Viewing this doctrine on the side of the. second and third persons of the Trinity, it becomes the doctrine of their subordination to the Father. In nature, in perfection of substance, equal to the Father; in authority, in origin, the Son and Hol\' Spirit are subordinate. Bull expresses it thus : " Pater igitur minor est Filius kcit alriav. yEqualis vero est I'atri Filius KaTu ipvaiv. Deus ac Dominus est Filius a;quc ac Pater ; et in hoc solo discrepat a Patre Filius, quod Deus et Dominus sit a Patre Deo ac Domino ; hoc est, Deus licet de Deo sit, de vero tamen Deo Deus verus est, ut definivit synodus ipsi Nicajna" (Bull's Worlcs, Burton's ed., vi, 707). The like things may be said of the Holy Spirit. This subordination, and the ministra- tions of the Son and of the Holy Spirit in executing the counsels of the individual society of the Godhead, is styled the economy of the Holy Trinity. — Blunt, Diet, of Doct. and Hist. T/ieol. p. 4S(). See Puockssion.
Moiiarcliians is a name given to those Christians of th(? early Churcli who denied the distinction of per- S0II.1 in the divine nature. They insisted on the divine unity, which they thougiit was infringed by the com- mon and orthodox doctrine of tlie Trinity. "Jlonar- chiam tenemus"wa8 tlieir fre()nent assertion when com- paring themselves with the orlliodox fathers, whom they accordingly charged with Tritheism. Yet it is apparent that the Monarchians did not properly use the term i^MV(tft\ia — at least not in the catholic sense, as maintaining that there is only one apxi), source or fountain of Deity, the Father, which sense implies the existence of the Begotten Son and Proceeding Spirit as distinct Persons ; nor in the sense of unity, for unity can only be asserted when there is plurality (in which lies the misuse of the term by the Unitarians) ; nor, again, in the sense of God's sole government, which atlirms nothing concerning the existence or non-existence of a