122

Liberius before Constantius.

tius (adds Ammianus) being always hostile to Athanasius, although he knew that the sentence was already pronounced, yet earnestly desired that it should be ratified by the authority, as being preeminent, of the Bishop of the Eternal City. And when he did not obtain his wish, Liberius was with difficulty carried away from Rome at midnight, through fear of the Roman people, by whom he was much beloved."

The dialogue of Liberius with Constantius has been preserved by the Church-historian Theodoret. The substance of his narrative is as follows. Eusebius the Chamberlain, and Epictetus, an Arian Bishop, were present. The Emperor required Liberius to condemn Athanasius. "I cannot condemn him unheard." "He was condemned at the Synod of Tyre." "Yes, in his absence, without proof." "Why do you alone defend a miscreant, and disturb the peace of the Empire?" "Once on a time only three persons were found to disobey a king."

Here the Chamberlain interposed, " Sire, Liberius is comparing your Majesty to Nebuchadnezzar." "No. All that I ask is, that Athanasius may not be condemned without a trial, and that the Nicene Faith may first be subscribed by all his judges, and that then we may proceed to try him." "He has injured all men, and no man more than myself. He stirred up my brother Constans against me. I have long borne him with patience, but now I can bear him no

3 Ammian. Marcellin. xv., "Auctoritate quoque qua potioris æternæ urbis Episcopi firmari." For "potioris " I venture to read "potiore" (quà potiore, i. e. as being pre-eminent), and to translate it so. It might, indeed, agree with "urbis."

Theodoret, ii. 13. Concil. General. ii. 775.

Liberius banished to Thrace- Constantius assails Hosius. 123

longer; and I deem no victory so great-no, not the overthrow of the rebels Magnentius and Silvanus― as that of conquering Athanasius, and ejecting him from his see. Therefore yield, subscribe, and then return in peace to Rome." "The laws of the Church are dearer to me than Rome." If you do not assent to his condemnation in three days, consider what other place you desire to be sent to." "Not three days, nor three months will change my mind. Send me where you please." Two days elapsed, and the Emperor sent for him again, but he was inflexible, and he was banished to Berca in Thrace. The Emperor and Empress offered him money for his journey, which he declined; and in three days he was taken to Bercea, where he remained an exile for two years; and Felix was placed by the Emperor as Bishop of Rome in his stead.5

Constantius next attempted to win over Hosius, Bishop of Corduba. He was the oldest Bishop in Christendom, having been a Bishop for sixty years, and was now more than a hundred years of age; he had been a confessor in heathen persecution; had taken a part in the Council of Eliberis in A.D. 305, of Arles, A.D. 314; had presided at Nicæa, A.D. 325, and at Sardica, A.D. 344. Constantius imagined that if he won over Hosius to his side, all would be gained. He sent for the aged Bishop, and spoke to him gently, and asked him to reject Athanasius, and to communicate with the Arians. Hosius indignantly declined to do so, and was dismissed. After he returned home, he received a menacing letter from the Emperor, to which he sent an answer as follows: "I confessed the faith when I was persecuted for it under your grand5 Athan. ad Mon. § 75. 6 Ibid. § 42. 7 Ibid. § 44.

124

Reply of Hosius to Constantius.

father Maximian; and if I am persecuted again, I am content to bear it, rather than shed innocent blood, and betray the truth. Listen not to Ursacius and Valens; what they desire is not to try Athanasius, but to propagate their own heresy. When I was at the Council of Sardica, to which you and your brother Constans convened us, I challenged Ursacius and Valens to bring proofs against Athanasius. They could not do it. Cease, I pray you, from persecution. Remember that you are a mortal man; fear the day of doom, and keep yourself harmless for that day. Meddle not with Church matters. Send not missives concerning them to us. Rather learn them from us. God has given you the Empire; Church matters are committed to us. As to the subject of your letter, hear my answer. I do not communicate with the Arians. I anathematize their heresy. I will not write against Athanasius, whom we and the Church of Rome, and the whole Synod, have pronounced innocent. Nay, you yourself have acquitted him, and have desired him to return with honour to his country and to his see. What is the cause of this change? Why, have you forgotten your own letters to him? He has the same enemies now as he had then; and if there had been any truth in their charges against him, those enemies would not have fled, when they were called upon by the Synod to prove them. Listen not to such men. Make not yourself an accomplice in their guilt. They wish you to be their servant, that by your means they may propagate their heresy in the Church. It is not the part of a wise man to incur manifest danger, in order to gratify the evil wishes of others. Cease, O Constantius, from doing so, and hearken to me, who

Hosius is banished to Sirmium-Attack on Athanasius. 125

am saying what it is my duty to write, and what it is your duty not to despise."

Hosius received another summons from Constantius. He refused to comply with the Emperor's command to condemn Athanasius, and to communicate with his enemies; he was therefore sent into banishment to Sirmium, where he remained in exile a year. Athanasius himself was next the object of attack, in the following year, A.D. 356.

On the eve of Friday, the 9th of February, he was at a nocturnal vigil in the Church of Theonas, at Alexandria. Syrianus, duke of Egypt, came at night with an armed force of about five thousand men against the Church. Athanasius was sitting on his Episcopal throne; and when he was thus besieged, he gave orders to the deacon and people to sing the 136th Psalm, "O give thanks to the Lord, for He is gracious, and His mercy endureth for ever." The doors of the Church were burst open, swords flashed, arrows flew ; many persons were wounded and slain; the virgins of the Church were seized and shamefully treated. The Bishop remained sitting in his throne, and exhorted the people to pray. They implored him to retire. He declined to do so till all who were able had left the Church. At length some of the Clergy and Monks drew him from his seat; and although the Church was guarded by the soldiery, he in a marvellous manner escaped unhurt through the crowd.

Other outrages were perpetrated by the troops of Syrianus, and sacrilegious abominations desecrated the Churches. The Christians of Alexandria addressed

9 Athan. Apol. ad Const. § 25; de Fugâ, § 24; ad Mon. § 81. 9 Athan. ad Mon. §§ 55, 57, 59.

126

Athanasius retires into the desert.

a remonstrance to Constantius.1 The Emperor did not censure what was done, but sent officers to the city with orders to pursue Athanasius, and to bring him to trial and execution.

2

He had now withdrawn into the desert, where he spent six years in retirement and wanderings. He kept up a communication with his people by letters from time to time. "Our Churches," he wrote, "have been taken from us, and given to the Arians; they have our places, and we have been banished from them. But we have the Faith; they cannot rob us of that. Which is the better of the two, the place or the faith? Who therefore has lost most, or gained most? he who has the place and lost the faith, or he who has lost the place and has the faith? Every place is good where the faith is. Wherever holy men dwell, the place is holy."

In the mean time, George, a Cappadocian, of low birth and vicious life, was sent as Bishop, A.D. 356, with a military force to take possession of the see of Athanasius. The scenes of violence already described were renewed. The persecution extended beyond Alexandria. Ninety Bishops of Egypt were in communion with Athanasius; these were required to communicate with his enemies, on pain of being ejected from their sees. More than thirty of them were expelled; illiterate and immoral men were placed in their sees,1 having received ordination from the Meletian schismatics.

At this time Athanasius addressed his Apology to the Emperor Constantius, in which he refutes the 1 Athan. ad Mon. § 48, § 57.

2 Frag. Epist., Montfaucon, p. lxv.

3 Athan. ad Episc. Egypt. § 7; de Fugâ. Sozomen, iv. 10. Theodoret, ii. II. Ammian. Marcellin. xxii. II.

* Athan. de Fugâ, § 7; ad Mon. §§ 27, 73, 78.