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"ARIUS, the author of the heresy and the associate of Eusebius,
having been summoned before the most blessed Constantine Augustus, at
the solicitation of the partisans of Eusebius, was desired to give in
writing an exposition of his faith. He drew up this document with
great artfulness, and like the devil, concealed his Impious
assertions beneath the simple words of Scripture. The most blessed
Constantine said to him, 'If you have no other points in mind than
these, render testimony to the truth; for if you perjure yourself,
the Lord will punish you'; and the wretched man swore that he neither
held nor conceived any sentiments except those now specified in the
document, even if he had ever affirmed otherwise; soon after he went
out, and judgment was visited upon him; for he bent forwards and burst
in the middle, With all men the common end of life is death. We must
not blame a man, even if he be an enemy, merely because he died, for
it is uncertain whether we shall live to the evening. But the end of
Arius was so singular that it seems worthy of some remark. The
partisans of Eusebius threatened to reinstate him in the church, and
Alexander, bishop of Constantinople, opposed their intention;
Arius placed his confidence in the power and menaces of Eusebius; for
it was the Sabbath, and he expected the next day to be readmitted.
The dispute ran high; the partisans of Eusebius were loud in their
menaces, while Alexander had recourse to prayer. The Lord was the
judge, and declared himself against the unjust. A little before
sunset Arius was compelled by a want of nature to enter the place
appointed for such emergencies, and here he lost at once both
restoration to communion and his life. The most blessed Constantine
was amazed when he heard of this occurrence, and regarded it as the
proof of perjury. It then became evident to every one that the menaces
of Eusebius were absolutely futile, and that the expectations of
Arius were vain. It also became manifest that the Arian madness
could not be fellowshipped by the Saviour both here and in the church
of the Firstborn. Is it not then astonishing that some are still
found who seek to exculpate him whom the Lord condemned, and to defend
that heresy which the Lord proved to be unworthy of fellowship, by not
permitting its author to enter the church? We have been duly informed
that this was the mode of the death of Arius." It is said that for a
long period subsequently no one would make use of the seat on which he
died. Those who were compelled by necessities of nature, as is wont
to be the case in a crowd, to visit the public place, when they
entered, spoke to one another to avoid the seat, and the place was
shunned afterwards, because Arius had there received the punishment of
his impiety. At a later time a certain rich and powerful man, who had
embraced the Arian tenets, bought the place of the public, and built
a house on the spot, in order that the occurrence might fall into
oblivion, and that there might be no perpetual memorial of the death of
Arius.
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