СНАР. XXI. rank are fometimes fuperfeded; and within five months after his return from Nice, the deacon Athanafius was feated on the archiepifcopal throne of Egypt. He filled that eminent station above A. D. forty-tix years, and his long adminiftration was 326-373. spent in a perpetual combat against the powers of Arianifm. Five times was Athanafius expelled from his throne; twenty years he paffed as an exile or a fugitive; and almost every province of the Roman empire was fucceffively witnefs to his merit, and his fufferings in the cause of the Homooufion, which he confidered as the fole pleasure and business, as the duty, and as the glory, of his life. Amidst the ftorms of perfecution, the archbishop of Alexandria was patient of labour, jealous of fame, careless of safety; and although his mind was tainted by the contagion of fanaticifm, Athanafius difplayed a fuperiority of character and abilities, which would have qualified him, far better than the degenerate fons of Conftantine, for the government of a great monarchy. His learning was much lefs profound and extenfive than that of Eufebius of Cæfarea, and his rude eloquence could not be compared with the polished oratory of Gregory or Bafil; but whenever the primate of Egypt was called upon to juftify his fentiments or his conduct, his unpremeditated ftyle, either of speaking or writing, was clear, forcible, and perfuafive. He has always been revered in the orthodox fchool, as one of the most accurate masters of the Chriftian theology; and СНАР. XXI. he was supposed to poffefs two profane sciences, lefs adapted to the epifcopal character; the knowledge of jurifprudence", and that of divination". Some fortunate conjectures of future events, which impartial reasoners might ascribe to the experience and judgment of Athanafius, were attributed by his friends to heavenly inspiration, and imputed by his enemies to infernal magic. But as Athanafius was continually engaged with the prejudices and passions of every order of men from the monk to the emperor, the knowledge of human nature was his fift and most important fcience. He preferved a diftinct and unbroken view of a scene which was inceffantly shifting; and never failed to improve thofe decifive moments which are irrecoverably past before they are perceived by a common eye. The archbishop of Alexandria was capable of diftinguishing how far he might boldly command, and where he must dextrously infinuate; how long he might contend with power, and when he muft withdraw from perfecution; and while he directed the thunders of the church against herefy and rebellion, he could affume, in the bosom of his own party, the flexible and indulgent temper of a prudent leader. The election of Athanafius has not escaped the reproach of irregularity and precipitation "; but the propriety of his behaviour conciliated the affections both of the clergy and of the people. The Alexandrians were impatient to rife in arms for the defence of an eloquent and liberal paftor. In his distress he always derived fupport, or at least XXI, confolation, from the faithful attachment of his CHAP. parochial clergy; and the hundred bishops of Egypt adhered, with unshaken zeal, to the caufe of Athanafius. In the modeft equipage, which pride and policy would affect, he frequently performed the epifcopal vifitation of his provinces, from the mouth of the Nile to the confines of Ethiopia familiarly converfing with the meaneft of the populace, and humbly faluting the faints and hermits of the defert 1. Nor was it only in ecclefiaftical affemblies, among men whose education and manners were fimilar to his own, that Athanafius difplayed the afcendancy of his genius. He appeared with eafy and respectful firmness in the courts of princes; and in the various turns of his profperous and adverse fortune, he never loft the confidence of his friends, or the esteem of his enemies. 100 against Athanafius, In his youth, the primate of Egypt refifted the Perfecution great Conftantine, who had repeatedly fignified his will, that Arius should be restored to the Ca- A. D. 330. tholic communion". The emperor refpected, and might forgive, this inflexible refolution; and the faction who confidered Athanafius as their moft formidable enemy, were conftrained to dif femble their hatred, and filently to prepare an indirect and diftant affault. They scattered rumours and fufpicions, reprefented the archbishop as a proud and oppreffive tyrant, and boldly accused him of violating the treaty which had been ratified in the Nicene council, with the fchifmatic followers of Meletius". Athanafius had openly disap XXI. 103 CHAP. proved that ignominious peace, and the emperor was difpofed to believe, that he had abufed his ecclefiaftical and civil power, to perfecute those odious fectaries; that he had facrilegiously broken a chalice in one of their churches of Maræotis: that he had whipped or imprifoned fix of their bishops; and that Arfenius, a feventh bishop of the fame party, had been murdered, or at least mutilated, by the cruel hand of the primate "*'. Thefe charges, which affected his honour and his life, were referred by Conftantine to his brother Dalmatius the Cenfor, who refided at Antioch; the fynods of Cæfarea and Tyre were fucceffively convened; and the bishops of the Eaft were inftructed to judge the cause of Athanafius, before they proceeded to confecrate the new church of the Refurrection at Jerufalem. The primate might be confcious of his innocence; but he was fenfible, that the fame implacable fpirit which had dictated the accufation, would direct the proceeding, and pronounce the fentence. He prudently declined the tribunal of his enemies, defpifed the fummons of the fynod of Cæfarea; and, after a long and artful delay, fubmitted to the peremptory commands of the emperor, who threatened to punish his criminal difobedience if he refufed to appear in A. D. 335. the council of Tyre 1. Before Athanafius, at the head of fifty Egyptian prelates, failed from Alexandria, he had wifely fecured the alliance of the Meletians; and Arfenius himself, his imaginary victim, and his fecret friend, was privately concealed in his train. The fynod of Tyre was conducted 104 by Eufebius of Cæfarea, with more paffion, and with lefs art, than his learning, and experience might promife; his numerous faction repeated the names of homicide and tyrant; and their clamours were encouraged by the feeming patience of Athanafius; who expected the decifive moment to produce Arfenius alive and unhurt in the midst of the affembly. The nature of the other charges did not admit of fuch clear and fatisfactory replies; yet the archbishop was able to prove, that, in the village, where he was accufed of breaking a confecrated chalice, neither church nor altar nor chalice could really exift. The Arians, who had fecretly determined the guilt and condemnation of their enemy, attempted, however, to disguise their injuftice by the imitation of judicial forms: the fynod appointed an epifcopal commiffion of fix delegates to collect evidence on the fpot; and this measure, which was vigorously opposed by the Egyptian bishops, opened new fcenes of violence and perjury. After the return of the deputies from Alexandria, the majority of the council pronounced the final fentence of degradation and exile against the primate of Egypt. The decree, expreffed in the fierceft language of malice and revenge, was communicated to the emperor and the catholic church; and the bishops immediately refumed a mild and devout afpect, fuch as became their holy pilgrimage to the Sepulchre of Chrift 10 But the injuftice of thefe ecclefiaftical judges СНАР. XXI. His fir exile, |