priety of his behaviour conciliated the affections CHA P.
both of the clergy and of the people. The XXI.
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
confolation from the faithful attachment of his
parochial clergy; and the hundred bishops of
Egypt adhered, with unfkaken zeal, to the caufe
of Athanafius. In the modeft equipage, which
pride and policy would affect, he frequently per-
formed 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 100. Nor was it only in
ecclefiaftical affemblies, among men whofe edu-
cation 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.

against

In his youth, the primate of Egypt refifted the Perfecution great Constantine, who had repeatedly fignified Athanafius.

c. 11. and Godefroy, p. 71: but it can scarcely be fuppofed that the
affembly of the bishops of Egypt would folemnly attest a public falfehood.
Athanaf. tom. i. p. 726.

100 See the hiftory of the Fathers of the Defert, publifhed by Rofweide;
and Tillemont, Mem. Ecclef. tom. vii. in the lives of Anthony,
Pachomius, &c. Athanafius himself, who did not difdain to compofe
the life of his friend Anthony, has carefully observed how often the holy monk
deplored and prophefied the mischiefs of the Arian herefy. Athanaf. tom. ii.
p. 492. 498, &c.

A a 4

his

A. D. 330.

CHA P. his will, that Arius fhould be reftored to the CaXXI. tholic communion 101. The emperor refpected, and might forgive, this inflexible refolution; and the faction who confidered Athanafius as their moft formidable enemy, were conftrained to diffemble their hatred, and filently to prepare an indirect and diftant affault. They fcattered 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 fcifmatic followers of Meletius 102. Athanafius had openly difapproved that ignominious peace, and the emperor was difpofed to believe that he had abufed his ecclefiaftical and civil power, to perfecute thofe odious fectaries; that he had facrilegioufly broken a chalice in one of their churches. of Mareotis: that he had whipped or imprifoned fix of their bifhops; and that Arfenius a feventh bishop of the fame party, had been murdered, or at least mutilated, by the cruel hand of the pri

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101 At first Conftantine threatened in fpeaking, but requested in writing, και αγραφως μεν ηπείλει, γραφων δε, ηξις. His letters gradually affumed a menacing tone; but while he required that the entrance of the church fhould be open to all, he avoided the odious name of Arius. Athanafius like a fkilful politician, has accurately marked thefe diftinctions (tom. i. p. 788.), which allowed him fome fcope for excufe and delay.

102 The Meletians in Egypt, like the Donatifts in Africa were produced by an epifcopal quarrel which arofe from the perfecution. I have not leifure to purfue the obfcure controverfy, which feems to have been mifreprefented by the partiality of Athanafius, and the ignorance of Epiphanius. See Mofheim's General Hiftory of the Church, vol. i P. 201.

7

matę.

лоз

mate 103.

XXI.

Thefe charges, which affected his ho- c HA P. nour 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 East were inftructed to judge the caufe 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 implaçable 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 disobedience if he refused to appear in the council of Tyre 194. Before Athanafius at the head of fifty Egyptian A. D. 335. 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 by Eufebius of Cæfarea, with more paffion, and with lefs art, than his learning and experience might promife;

103 The treatment of the fix bishops is fpecified by Sozomen (1. ii. c. 25.); but Athanafius himself, fo copious on the subject of Arfenius and the chalice, leaves this grave accufation without a reply.

104 Athanaf. tom. i. p. 788. Socrates, 1. i. c. 28. Sozomen, 1. ii. c. 25. The emperor, in his epifte of Convocation (Eufeb. in Vit. Conftant. 1. iv. c. 42.), seems to prejudge some members of the clergy, and it was more than probable that the fyned would apply thofe reproaches to Athanafius.

his

XXI.

CHA P. his numerous faction repeated the names of ho micide 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 accused 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 injustice 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 oppofed by the Egyptian bishops, opened new fcenes of violence and perjury 105. 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 106.

1

105 See, in particular, the fecond Apology of Athanafius (tom. i. p. 763-8c8.), and his Epiftles to the Monks (p. 808-866.). They are juftified by original and authentic documents; but they would inspire more confidence, if he appeared lefs innocent, and his enemies less abfurd.

106 Eufebius in Vit. Constantin. 1. iv. ç. 41-47

But

His first

A. D. 336

But the injuftice of these ecclefiaftical judges CHA P. had not been countenanced by the fubmiffion, or XXI. even by the prefence, of Athanafius. He refolved to make a bold and dangerous experiment, exile, whether the throne was innaceffible to the voice of truth; and before the final fentence could be pronounced at Tyre, the intrepid primate threw himself into a bark which was ready to hoist fail for the Imperial city. The request of a formal audience might have been oppofed or eluded; but Athanafius concealed his arrival, watched the moment of Conftantine's return from an adjacent villa, and boldly encountered his angry fovereign as he paffed on horfeback through the principal street of Conftantinople. So ftrange an apparition excited his furprise and indignation; and the guards were ordered to remove the importunate fuitor; but his refentment was fubdued by involuntary refpect; and the haughty spirit of the emperor was awed by the courage and eloquence of a bishop, who implored his juftice and awakened his confcience 107. Conftantine liftened to the complaints of Athanafius with impartial and even gracious attention; the members of the fynod of Tyre were fummoned to justify their proceedings; and the arts of the Eufebian faction would have been confounded, if they had not aggravated the guilt of the primate, by the dexterous fuppofition of an unpardonable offence; a criminal defign to intercept and detain the corn

107 Athanaf. tom. i. p. 804. In a church dedicated to St. Athanafius, this fituation would afford a better subject for a picture, than most of the Stories of miracles and martyrdoms.

fleet