The close Intimacy between Hypatia and Orestes the Governor of Alexandria, very displeasing to Cyril the Bishop.

At the Time that Hypatia thus reigned the brightest Ornament of Alexandria, Orestes was Governor of the same Place for the Emperor Theodosius, and Cyril Bishop or Patriarch. As Orestes was a Person educated suitable to his Rank, he could not but take Notice of those Perfections in Hypatia, which all the World admired; and, as he was a wise Governor, he would not be so far wanting to his Charge, as not to ask her Advice in Matters difficult or dangerous, when every Body else consulted her as an Oracle. This created of Course an Intimacy between them that was highly displeasing to Cyril, who mortally hated Orestes. But because this Emulation proved fatal to Hypatia, I shall take the Subject a little higher. ’Tis observed by Socrates, Nicephorus, and others, that Cyril (who was elevated to the See by Sedition and Force against one Timothy an Archdeacon of no extraordinary Reputation), intermeddled more in temporal or civil Matters, than his Predecessors took upon them to do, and that the Example was greedily followed by his Successors; who not keeping within the Bounds of their Priestly Ordination, took upon them an arbitrary kind of Principality, and the absolute Disposal of Affairs. The first Act of Authority that Cyril exercised was, to shut up the Churches of the Novatians, from which Step he proceeded to seize upon their sacred Vessels and Church-Ornaments, till at length he robbed their Bishop Theopemptus of all he had. Yet these Novatians profess’d the same Doctrine to a Tittle that he did, and differed only in some Points of Discipline. But they must be mere Novices in Ecclesiastical History, who know not that Discipline has been ever reckoned of greater Consequence than Doctrine; if one may judge by the Commotions that have happened in Churches, or the Durations of their Schisms. The Reason is obvious. For if a Man believes otherwise than his Teacher, and yet prudentially conforms to the publick Ritual and Discipline, or perhaps eagerly stickles for it, as thinking it the most conducing to Order, be his Speculations what you will, still he preserves the Unity of the Church; or, in other Words, he obeys his Spiritual Governors, and teaches others by his Example to do the like; whereas if his belief be ever so right, or at least ever so agreeable to that prescribed in the Society whereof he is a Member; yet if he boggles at any Part of the publick Ritual and Discipline, he then promotes a Spiritual Rebellion, and rends the Unity of the Church; that is, he weakens the Government of the Clergy. These were the Maxims of those Times, and hence it sprung, that Schism is counted so damnable a Sin in their Writings, a Sin more dreadful than any other, that it may the better serve for a Scare-crow.