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AFTER Arius had remained a long time in Alexandria, he
endeavoured riotously to obtrude himself again into the assemblies of
the Church, professing to renounce his impiety, and promising to
receive the confession of faith drawn up by the fathers. But not
succeeding in obtaining the confidence of the divine Alexander, nor of
Athanasius, who followed Alexander alike in the patriarchate and in
piety, he, helped and encouraged by Eusebius, bishop of Nicomedia,
betook himself to Constantinople. The intrigues upon which he then
entered, and their punishment by the righteous Judge are all best
narrated by the excellent Athanasius, in his letter to Apion . I
shall therefore now insert this passage in my work. He writes:
"I was not at Constantinople when he died: but Macarius, the
presbyter, was there, and from him I learnt all the circumstances.
The emperor Constantine was induced by Eusebius and his party to send
for Arius. Upon his arrival, the emperor asked him whether he held
the faith of the Catholic church. Arius then swore that his faith was
orthodox, and presented a written summary of his belief; concealing,
however, the reasons of his ejection from the Church by the bishop
Alexander, and making a dishonest use of the language of Holy
Scripture. When, therefore, he had declared upon oath that he did
not hold the errors for which he had been expelled from the Church by
Alexander, Constantine dismissed him, saying, 'If thy faith is
orthodox, thou hast well sworn; but if thy faith is impious and yet
thou hast sworn, let God from heaven judge thee.' When he quitted
the emperor, the partizans of Eusebius, with their usual violence,
desired to conduct him into the church; but Alexander, of blessed
memory, bishop of Constantinople, refused his permission, alleging
that the inventor of the heresy ought not to be admitted into
communion. Then at last the partizans of Eusebius pronounced the
threat 'As, against your will, we succeeded in prevail ins on the
emperor to send for Arius, so now, even if you forbid it, shall
Arius join in communion with us in this church tomorrow.' It was on
Saturday that they said this. The bishop Alexander, deeply grieved
at what he had heard, went into the church and poured forth his
lamentations, raising his hands in supplication to God, and throwing
himself on his face on the pavement in the sanctuary , prayed.
Macarius went in with him, prayed with him, and heard his prayers.
He asked one of two things. 'If Arius,' said he, 'is to be
joined to the Church tomorrow, let me Thy servant departs and do not
destroy the pious with the impious. if Thou wilt spare Thy Church,
and I know that Thou dost spare her, look upon the words of the
followers of Eusebius, and give not over Thy heritage to destruction
and to shame. Remove Arius, lest if he come into the Church,
heresy seem to come in with him, and impiety be hereafter deemed
piety.' Having thus prayed, the bishop left the church deeply
anxious, and then a horrible and extraordinary catastrophe ensued.
The followers of Eusebius had launched out into threats, while the
bishop had recourse to prayer. Arius, emboldened by the protection of
his party, delivered many trifling and foolish speeches, when he was
suddenly compelled by a call of nature to retire, and immediately, as
it is written, 'falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst ,'
and gave up the ghost, being deprived at once both of communion and of
life. This, then, was the end of Arius . The followers of
Eusebius were covered with shame, and buried him whose belief they
shared. The blessed Alexander completed the celebration, rejoicing
with the Church in piety and orthodoxy, praying with all the brethren
and greatly glorifying God. This was not because he rejoiced at the
death of Arius God forbid; for 'it is appointed unto all men once to
die ,' but because the event plainly transcended any human
condemnation. For the Lord Himself passing judgment upon the menaces
of the followers of Eusebius, and the prayer of Alexander, condemned
the Arian heresy, and shewed that it was unworthy of being received
into the communion of the Church; thus manifesting to all that, even
if it received the countenance and support of the emperor, and of all
men, yet by truth itself it stood condemned."
These were the first fruits, reaped by Arius, of those pernicious
seeds which he had himself sown, and formed the prelude to the
punishments that awaited him hereafter. His impiety was condemned by
his punishment.
I shall now turn my narrative to the piety of the emperor. He
addressed a letter to all the subjects of the Roman empire, exhorting
them to renounce their former errors, and to embrace the doctrines of
our Saviour, and trying to guide them to this truth. He stirred up
the bishops in every city to build churches, and encouraged them not
only by his letter, but also by presenting them with large sums of
money, and defraying all the expenses of building. This his own
letter sets forth, which was after this manner.
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