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WHEN Constans was apprised of what had been enacted at Sardica,
he wrote to his brother to request him to restore the followers of
Athanasius and Paul to their own churches. As Constantius seemed to
hesitate, he wrote again, and threatened him with war, unless he
would consent to receive the bishops. Constantius, after conferring
on the subject with the bishops of the East, judged that it would be
foolish to excite on this account the horrors of civil war. He
therefore recalled Athanasius from Italy, and sent public carriages
to convey him on his return homewards, and wrote several letters
requesting his speedy return. Athanasius, who was then residing at
Aquilea, on receiving the letters of Constantius, repaired to Rome
to take leave of Julius and his friends. Julius parted from him with
great demonstrations of friendship, and gave him a letter addressed to
the clergy and people of Alexandria, in which he spoke of him as a
wonderful man, deserving of renown by the numerous trials he had
undergone, and congratulated the church of Alexandria on the return of
so good a priest, and exhorted them to follow his doctrines.
He then proceeded to Antioch in Syria, where the emperor was then
residing. Leontius presided over the churches of that region; for
after the flight of Eustathius, those who held heretical sentiments
had seized the see of Antioch. The first bishop they appointed was
Euphronius; to him succeeded Placetus; and afterwards Stephen.
This latter was deposed as being unworthy of the dignity, and
Leontius obtained the bishopric. Athanasius avoided him as a
heretic, and communed with those who were called Eustathians, who
assembled in a private house. Since he found that Constantius was
well disposed, and agreeable, and it looked as if the emperor would
restore his own church to him, Constantius, at the instigation of the
leaden of the opposing heresy, replied as follows "I am ready to
perform all that I promised when I recalled you; but it is just that
you should in return grant me a favor, and that is, that you yield one
of the numerous churches which are under your sway to those who are
averse to holding communion with you." Athanasius replied: "O
emperor, it is exceedingly just and necessary to obey your commands,
and I will not gainsay, but as in the city of Antioch there are many
who eschew communion between the heterodox and ourselves, I seek a
like favor that one church may be conceded to us, and that we may
assemble there in safety." As the request of Athanasius appeared
reasonable to the emperor, the heterodox deemed it more politic to keep
quiet; for they reflected that their peculiar opinions could never gain
any ground in Alexandria, on account of Athanasius, who was able
both to retain those who held the same sentiments as himself, and lead
those of contrary opinions; and that, moreover if they gave up one of
the churches of Antioch, the Eustathians, who were very numerous,
would assemble together, and then probably attempt innovations, since
it would be possible for them without risk to retain those whom they
held. Besides, the heterodox perceived that, although the government
of the churches was in their hands, all the clergy and people did not
conform to their doctrines. When they sang hymns to God, they were,
according to custom, divided into choirs, and, at the end of the
odes, each one declared what were his own peculiar sentiments. Some
offered praise to "the Father and the Son," regarding them as
co-equal in glory; others glorified "The Father by the Son," to
denote by the insertion of the preposition that they considered the Son
to be inferior to the Father. While these occurrences took place,
Leontius, the bishop of the opposite faction, who then presided over
the see of Antioch, did not dare to prohibit the singing of hymns to
God which were in accordance with the tradition of the Nicaean
Synod, for he feared to excite an insurrection of the people. It is
related, however, that he once raised his hand to his head, the hairs
of which were quite white, and said, "When this snow is dissolved,
there will be plenty of mud." By this he intended to signify that,
after his death, the different modes of singing hymns would give rise
to great seditions, and that his successors would not show the same
consideration to the people which he had manifested.
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