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XXIII.

nasius,

A. D. 362,

Feb. 21.

After the tumult of Alexandria had subsided, CHAP. Athanasius, amidst the public acclamations, seated himself on the throne from whence his unworthy Restoration competitor had been precipitated and as the zeal of the archbishop was tempered with discretion, the exercise of his authority tended not to inflame, but to reconcile, the minds of the people. His pastoral labours were not confined to the narrow limits of Egypt. The state of the Christian world was present to his active and capacious mind; and the age, the merit, the reputation of Athanasius, enabled him to assume, in a moment of danger, the office of Ecclesiastical Dictator. Three years were not yet elapsed since the majority of the bishops of, the West had ignorantly, or reluctantly, subscribed the confession of Rimini. They repented, they believed, but they dreaded the unseasonable rigour of their orthodox brethren: and if their pride was stronger than their faith, they might throw themselves into the arms of the Arians, to escape the indignity of a public penance, which must degrade them to the condition of obscure laymen. At the same time, the domestic differences concerning the union and distinction of the divine persons, were agitated with some heat among the Catholic doctors; and the progress of this metaphysical controversy seemed to threaten

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See Athanas. ad Rufin. tom. ii. p. 40, 41.; and Greg, Nazianzen, Orat. iii. p. 395, 396, who justly states the tem perate zeal of the primate, as much more meritorious than his prayers, his fasts, his persecutions, &c.

XXIII.

CHAP. threaten a public and lasting division of the Greek and Latin churches. By the wisdom of a select synod, to which the name and presence of Athanasius gave the authority of a general council, the bishops, who had unwarily deviated into error, were admitted to the communion of the church, on the easy condition of subscribing the Nicene Creed; without any formal acknowledgment of their past fault, or any minute definition of their scholastic opinions. The advice of the primate of Egypt had already prepared the clergy of Gaul and Spain, of Italy and Greece, for the reception of this salutary measure; and, notwithstanding the opposition of some ardent spirits *, the fear of the common enemy promoted the peace and harmony of the Christians †.

Tre is persecuted and expelled by Julian,

The skill and diligence of the primate of Egypt had improved the season of tranquillity, before it was interrupted by the hostile edicts of the A. D. 362, emperor. Julian, who despised the Christians,

Oct. 23.

honoured

* I have not leisure to follow the blind obstinacy of Luci fer of Cagliari. See his adventures in Tillemont (Mém. Eccles. tom. vii. p. 900—916.); and observe how the colour of the narrative insensibly changes, as the confessor becomes a Schismatic.

+ Assensus est huic sententiæ Occidens, et, per tam necessarium concilium, Satan faucibus mundus ereptus. The lively and artful Dialogue of Jerom against the Luciferians (tom. ii. p. 135-155.) exhibits an original picture of the ecclesiastical policy of the times.

Tillemont, who supposes that George was massacred in August, crowds the actions of Athanasius into a narrow space (Mem. Eccles. tom. viii. p. 360.). An original fragment, published by the Marquis Maffei, from the old Chapter libra ry of Verona (Osservazioni Litterarie, tom. iii. p. 60-92.), affords many important dates, which are authenticated by the computation of Egyptian months.

XXIII.

honoured Athanasius with his sincere and pecu- CHAP. liar hatred. For his sake alone, he introduced an arbitrary distinction, repugnant, at least to the spirit, of his former declarations. He maintained, that the Galileans, whom he had recalled from exile, were not restored, by that general indulgence, to the possession of their respective churches and he expressed his astonishment, that a criminal, who had been repeatedly condemned by the judgment of the emperors, should dare to insult the majesty of the laws, and insolently usurp the archiepiscopal throne of Alexandria, without expecting the orders of his so-' vereign. As a punishment for the imaginary offence, he again banished Athanasius from the city: and he was pleased to suppose, that this act of justice would be highly agreeable to his pious subjects. The pressing solicitations of the people soon convinced him, that the majority of the Alexandrians were Christians; and that the greatest part of the Christians were firmly attached to the cause of their oppressed primate. But the knowledge of their sentiments, instead of persuading him to recall his decree, provoked him to extend to all Egypt the term of the exile of Athanasius. The zeal of the multitude rendered Julian still more inexorable: he was alarmed by the danger of leaving at the head of a tumultuous city, a daring and popular leader; and the language of his resentment discovers the opinion which he entertained of the courage and abilities of Athanasius. The execution of the sentence was still delayed,

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XXIII.

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CHAP. delayed, by the caution or negligence of Ecdicius, præfect of Egypt, who was at length awakened from his lethargy by a severe reprimand. Though you neglect," says Julian, "to write to me on any other subject, at least it is your duty to in"form me of your conduct towards Athanasius, "the enemy of the gods. of the gods. My intentions have "been long since communicated to you.

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swear by the great Serapis, that unless, on "the calends of December, Athanasius has de"parted from Alexandria, nay from Egypt, the "officers of your government shall pay a fine of "one hundred pounds of gold. You know my temper: I am slow to condemn, but I am still "slower to forgive." This epistle was enforced by a short postscript, written with the emperor's own hand. "The contempt that is shewn for "all the gods fills me with grief and indignation. "There is nothing that I should see, nothing "that I should hear, with more pleasure, than the "expulsion of Athanasius from all Egypt. The "abominable wretch! Under my reign, the bap"tism of several Grecian ladies of the highest "rank has been the effect of his persecutions *." The death of Athanasius was not expressly commanded; but the præfect of Egypt understood, that it was safer for him to exceed, than to neglect, the orders of an irritated master. The archbishop prudently retired to the monasteries of the Desert :

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eluded,

* Τον μιαρον, ος ετολμησεν Ελληνίδας, επ' εμε, γυναικας των επι σημων βαπτισαι διωκεσθαι. I have preserved the ambiguous sense of the last word, the ambiguity of a tyrant who wished to find, or to create, guilt,

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XXIII.

eluded, with his usual dexterity, the snares of the CHAP. enemy; and lived to triumph over the ashes of a prince, who, in words of formidable import, had declared his wish that the whole venom of the Galilæan school were contained in the single person of Athanasius *.

I have endeavoured faithfully to represent the artful system by which Julian proposed to obtain the effects, without incurring the guilt, or reproach, of persecution. But if the deadly spirit of fanaticism perverted the heart and understanding of a virtuous prince, it must, at the same time, be confessed, that the real sufferings of the Christians were inflamed and magnified by human passions and religious enthusiasm. The meekness and resignation which had distinguished the primitive disciples of the gospel, was the object of the applause, rather than of the imitation, of their successors. The Christians, who had now possessed above forty years the civil and ecclesiastical government of the empire, had contracted the insolent vices of prosperity †, and the habit of believing that the saints alone were entitled to reign over the earth. As soon as the enmity

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*The three epistles of Julian, which explain his intentions and conduct with regard to Athanasius, should be disposed in the following chronological order, xxvi. x. vi. See likewise Greg. Nazianzen, xxi. p. 393. Sozomen, I. v. c. 15. Socrates, 1. iii. c. 14. Theodoret, 1. iii. c. 9., and Tillemont, Mém. Eccles. tem. viii. p. 361-368, who has used some materials prepared by the Bollandists.

See the fair confession of Gregory (Orat. iii. p. 61, 62.)

Zeal and of the

imprudence

Christians.

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