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THE various calamities which befell Athanasius were primarily
occasioned by Eusebius and Theognis. As they possessed great freedom
of speech and influence with the emperor, they strove for the recall of
Arius, with whom they were on terms of concord and friendship, to
Alexandria, and at the same time the expulsion from the Church of him
who was opposed to them. They accused him before Constantine of being
the author of all the seditions and troubles that agitated the Church,
and of excluding those who were desirous of joining the Church; and
alleged that unanimity would be restored were he alone to be removed.
The accusations against him were substantiated by many bishops and
clergy who were with John, and who sedulously obtained access to the
emperor; they pretended to great orthodoxy, and imputed to Athanasius
and the bishops of his party all the bloodshed, bonds, unjust blows,
wounds, and conflagrations of churches. But when Athanasius
demonstrated to the emperor the illegality of the ordination of John's
adherents, their innovations of the decrees of the Nicaean Council,
and the unsoundness of their faith, and the insults offered to those
who held right opinions about God, Constantine was at a loss to know
whom to believe. Since there were such mutual allegations, and many
accusations were frequently stirred up by each party, and since he was
earnestly anxious to restore the like-mindedness of the people, he
wrote to Athanasius that no one should be shut out. If this should be
betrayed to the last, he would send regardless of consequences, one
who should expel him from the city of Alexandria. If any one should
desire to see this letter of the emperor's, he will here find the
portion of it relating to this affair: "As you are now acquainted
with my will, which is, that to all who desire to enter the Church
you should offer an unhindered entrance. For should I hear that any
who are willing to join the Church, have been debarred or hindered
therefrom by you, I shall send at once an officer who shall remove
you, according to my command, and shall transfer you to some other
place." Athanasius, however, wrote to the emperor and convinced him
that the Arians ought not to be received into communion by the
Catholic Church; and Eusebius perceiving that his schemes could
never be carried into execution while Athanasius strove in opposition,
determined to resort to any means in order to get rid of him. But as
he could not find a sufficient pretext for effecting this design, he
promised the Melitians to interest the emperor and those in power in
their favor, if they would bring an accusation against Athanasius.
Accordingly, came the first indictment that he had imposed upon the
Egyptians a tax on linen tunics, and that such a tribute had been
exacted from the accusers. Apis and Macarius, presbyters of the
Church of Athanasius, who then happened to be at court, clearly
proved the persistent accusation to be false. On being summoned to
answer for the offense, Athanasius was further accused of having
conspired against the emperor, and of having sent, for this purpose,
a casket of gold to one Philumen. The emperor detected the calumny of
his accusers, sent Athanasius home, and wrote to the people of
Alexandria to testify that their bishop possessed great moderation and
a correct faith; that he had gladly met him, and recognized him to be
a man of God; and that, as envy had been the sole cause of his
indictment, he had appeared to better advantage than his accusers; and
having heard that the Arian and Melitian sectarians had excited
dissensions in Egypt, the emperor, in the same epistle, exhorted the
multitude to look to God, to take heed unto his judgments, to be well
disposed toward one another, to prosecute with all their might those
who plotted against their like-mindedness; thus the emperor wrote to
the people, exhorting them all to like-mindedness, and striving to
prevent divisions in the Church.
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