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On receiving this communication the emperor of the East fell into
perplexity; and immediately sending for the greater part of the
Eastern bishops, he acquainted them with the choice his brother had
submitted to him, and asked what ought to be done. They replied, it
was better to concede the churches to Athanasius, than to undertake a
civil war. Accordingly the emperor, urged by necessity, summoned
Athanasius and his friends to his presence. Meanwhile the emperor of
the West sent Paul to Constantinople, with two bishops and other
honorable attendance, having fortified him with his own letters,
together with those of the Synod. But while Athanasius was still
apprehensive, and hesitated to go to him,-- for he dreaded the
treachery of his calumniators,- the emperor of the East not once
only, but even a second and a third time, invited him to come to him;
this is evident from his letters, which, translated from the Latin
tongue, are as follows:
Epistle of Constantius to Athanasius.
Constantius Victor Augustus to Athanasius the bishop.
Our compassionate clemency cannot permit you to be any longer tossed
and disquieted as it were by the boisterous waves of the sea. Our
unwearied piety has not been unmindful of you driven from your native
home, despoiled of your property, and wandering in pathless
solitudes. And although I have too long deferred acquainting you by
letter with the purpose of my mind, expecting your coming to us of your
own accord to seek a remedy for your troubles; yet since fear perhaps
has hindered the execution of your wishes, we therefore have sent to
your reverence letters full of indulgence, in order that you may
fearlessly hasten to appear in our presence, whereby after experiencing
our benevolence, you may attain your desire, and be re-established in
your proper position. For this reason I have requested my Lord and
brother Constans Victor Augustus to grant you permission to come, to
the end that by the consent of us both you may be restored to your
country, having this assurance of our favor.
Another Epistle to Athanasius.
Constantius Victor Augustus to the bishop Athanasius.
Although we have abundantly intimated in a former letter that you might
confidently come to our court, as we are extremely anxious to reinstate
you in your proper place, yet we have again addressed this letter to
your reverence. We therefore urge you, without any distrust or
apprehension, to take a public vehicle and hasten to us, in order that
you may be able to obtain what you desire.
Another Epistle to Athanasius.
Constantius Victor Augustus to the bishop Athanasius.
While we were residing at Edessa, where your presbyters were
present, it pleased us to send one of them to you, for the purpose of
hastening your arrival at our court, in order that after having been
introduced to our presence, you might forthwith proceed to
Alexandria. But inasmuch as a considerable time has elapsed since you
received our letter, and yet have not come, we now therefore hasten to
remind you to speedily present yourself before us, that so you may be
able to return to your country, and obtain your desire. For the more
ample assurance of our intention, we have despatched to you Achetas
the deacon, from whom you will learn both our mind in regard to you,
and that you will be able to secure what you wish; viz., our
readiness to facilitate the objects you have in view.
When Athanasius had received these letters at Aquileia,-- for
there he abode after his departure from Sardica,--he immediately
hastened to Rome; and having shown these communications to Julius the
bishop, he caused the greatest joy in the Roman Church. For it
seemed as if the emperor of the East also had recognized their faith,
since he had recalled Athanasius. Julius then wrote to the clergy and
laity of Alexandria on behalf of Athanasius as follows:
Epistle of Julius, Bishop of Rome, to those at Alexandria.
Julius, the bishop, to the presbyters, deacons, and people
inhabiting Alexandria, brethren beloved, salutations in the Lord.
I also rejoice with you, beloved brethren, because you at length see
before your eyes the fruit of your faith. For that this is really so,
any one may perceive in reference to my brother and fellow-prelate
Athanasius, whom God has restored to you, both on account of his
purity of life, and in answer to your prayers. From this it is
evident that your supplications to God have unceasingly been offered
pure and abounding with love; for mindful of the divine promises and of
the charity connected with them, which ye learned from the instruction
of my brother, ye knew assuredly, and according to the sound faith
which is in you clearly foresaw that your bishop would not be separated
from you for ever, whom ye had in your devout hearts as though he were
ever present. Wherefore it is unnecessary for me to use many words in
addressing you, for your faith has already anticipated whatever I
could have said; and the common prayer of you all has been fulfilled
according to the grace of Christ. I therefore rejoice with you, and
repeat that ye have preserved your souls invincible in the faith. And
with my brother Athanasius I rejoice equally; because, while
suffering many afflictions, he has never been unmindful of your love
and desire; for although he seemed to be withdrawn from you in, person
for a season, yet was he always present with you in spirit.
Moreover, I am convinced, beloved, that every trial which he has
endured has not been inglorious; since both your faith and his has thus
been tested and made manifest to all. But had not so many troubles
happened to him, who would have believed, either that you had so great
esteem and love for this eminent prelate, or that he was endowed with
such distinguished virtues, on account of which also he will by no
means be defrauded of his hope in the heavens? He has accordingly
obtained a testimony of confession in every way glorious both in the
present age and in that which is to come. For having suffered so many
and diversified trials both by land and by sea, he has trampled on
every machination of the Arian heresy; and though often exposed to
danger in consequence of envy, he despised death, being protected by
Almighty God, and our Lord Jesus Christ, ever trusting that he
should not only escape the plots [of his adversaries], but also be
restored for your consolation, and bring back to you at the same time
greater trophies from your own conscience. By which means he has been
made known even to the ends of the whole earth as glorious, his worth
having been approved by the purity of his life, the firmness of his
purpose, and his steadfastness in the heavenly doctrine, all being
attested by your unchanging esteem and love. He therefore returns to
you, more illustrious now than when he departed from you. For if the
fire tries the precious metals (I speak of gold and silver) for
purification, what can be said of so excellent a man proportionate to
his worth, who after having overcome the fire of so many calamities and
dangers, is now restored to you, being declared innocent not only by
us, but also by the whole Synod? Receive therefore with godly honor
and joy, beloved brethren, your bishop Athanasius, together with
those who have been his companions in tribulation. And rejoice in
having attained the object of your prayers, you who have supplied with
meat and drink, by your supporting letters, your pastor hungering and
thirsting, so to speak, for your spiritual welfare. And in fact ye
were a comfort to him while he was sojourning in a strange land; and ye
cherished him in your most faithful affections when he was plotted
against and persecuted. As for me, it makes me happy even to picture
to myself in imagination the delight of each one of you at his return,
the pious greetings of the populace, the glorious festivity of those
assembled to meet him, and indeed what the entire aspect of that day
will be when my brother shall be brought back to you again; when past
troubles will be at an end, and his prized and longed-for return will
unite all hearts in the warmest expression of joy. This feeling will
in a very high degree extend to us, who regard it as a token of divine
favor that we should have been privileged to become acquainted with so
eminent a person. It becomes us therefore to close this epistle with
prayer. May God Almighty and his Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ afford you this grace continually, thus rewarding the admirable
faith which ye have manifested in reference to your bishop by an
illustrious testimony: that the things most excellent which 'Eye has
not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man;
even the things which God has prepared for them that love him,' may
await you and yours in the world to come, through our Lord Jesus
Christ, through whom be glory to God Almighty for ever and ever,
Amen. I pray that ye may be strengthened, beloved brethren.
Athanasius, relying on these letters, arrived at the East. The
Emperor Constantius did not at that time receive him with hostility of
feeling; nevertheless at the instigation of the Arians he endeavored
to circumvent him, and addressed him in these words: 'You have been
reinstated in your see in accordance with the decree of the Synod, and
with our consent. But inasmuch as some of the people of Alexandria
refuse to hold communion with you, permit them to have one church in
the city.' To this demand Athanasius promptly replied: 'You have
the power, my sovereign, both to order, and to carry into effect,
whatever you may please. I also, therefore, would beg you to grant
me a favor.' The emperor having readily promised to acquiesce,
Athanasius immediately added, that he desired the same thing might be
conceded to him, which the emperor had sought from him, viz.: that
in every city one church should be assigned to those who might refuse to
hold communion with the Arians. The Arians perceiving the purpose of
Athanasius to be inimical to their interests, said that this affair
might be postponed to another time: but they suffered the emperor to
act as he pleased. He therefore restored to Athanasius, Paul, and
Marcellus their respective sees; as also to Asclepas, bishop of
Gaza, and Lucius of Adrianople. For these, too, had been
received by the Council of Sardica: Asclepas, because he showed
records from which it appeared that Eusebius Pamphilus, in
conjunction with several others, after having investigated his case,
had restored him to his former rank; and Lucius, because his accusers
had fled. Hereupon the emperor's edicts were despatched to their
respective cities, enjoining the inhabitants to receive them readily.
At Ancyra indeed, when Basil was ejected, and Marcellus was
introduced in his stead, there was a considerable tumult made, which
afforded his enemies an occasion of calumniating him: but the people of
Gaza willingly received Asclepas. Macedonius at Constantinople,
for a short time gave place to Paul, convening assemblies by himself
separately, in a separate church in that city. Moreover the emperor
wrote on behalf of Athanasius to the bishops, clergy, and laity, in
regard to receiving him cheerfully: and at the same time he ordered by
other letters, that whatever had been enacted against him in the
judicial courts should be abrogated. The communications respecting
both these matters were as follows:
The Epistle of Constantius in Behalf of Athanasius.
Victor Constantius Maximus Augustus, to the bishops and presbyters
of the Catholic Church.
The most reverend bishop Athanasius has not been forsaken by the grace
of God. But although he was for a short time subjected to trial
according to men, yet has he obtained from an omniscient Providence
the exoneration which was due to him; having been restored by the will
of God, and our decision, both to his country and to the church over
which by divine permission he presided. It was therefore suitable that
what is in accordance with this should be duly attended to by our
clemency: so that all things which have been heretofore determined
against those who held communion with him should now be rescinded; that
all suspicion against him should henceforward cease; and that the
immunity which those clergymen who are with him formerly enjoyed,
should be, as it is meet, confirmed to them. Moreover, we thought
it just to add this to our grace toward him, that the whole
ecclesiastical body should understand that protection is extended to all
who have adhered to him, whether bishops or other clergymen: and union
with him shall be a sufficient evidence of each person's right
intention. Wherefore we have ordered, according to the similitude of
the previous providence, that as many as have the wisdom to enroll
themselves with the sounder judgment and party and to choose his
communion, shall enjoy that indulgence which we have now granted in
accordance with the will of God.
Another Epistle sent to the Alexandrians.
Victor Constantius Maximus Augustus, to the people of the Catholic
Church at Alexandria.
Setting before us as an aim your good order in all respects, and
knowing that you have long since been bereft of episcopal oversight, we
thought it just to send back to you again Athanasius your bishop, a
man known to all by the rectitude and sanctity of his life and manners.
Having received him with your usual and becoming courtesy, and
constituted him the assistant of your prayers to God, exert yourselves
to maintain at all times, according to the ecclesiastical canon,
harmony and peace, which will be alike honorable to yourselves, and
grateful to us. For it is unreasonable that any dissension or faction
should be excited among you, hostile to the prosperity of our times;
and we trust that such a misfortune will be wholly removed from you.
We exhort you, therefore, to assiduously persevere in your accustomed
devotions, by his assistance, as we before said: so that when this
resolution of yours shall become generally known, entering into the
prayers of all, even the pagans, who are still enslaved in the
ignorance of idolatrous worship, may hasten to seek the knowledge of
our sacred religion, most beloved Alexandrians. Again, therefore,
we exhort you to give heed to these things: heartily welcome your
bishop, as one appointed you by the will of God and our decree; and
esteem him worthy of being embraced with all the affections of your
souls. For this becomes you, and is consistent with our clemency.
But in l order to check all tendency to seditions and tumult in persons
of a factious disposition, orders have been issued to our judges to
give up to the severity of the laws all whom they may discover to be
seditious. Having regard, therefore, to our determination and
God's, as well as to the anxiety we feel to secure harmony among
you, and remembering also the punishment that will be inflicted on the
disorderly, make it your especial care to act agreeably to the
sanctions of our sacred religion, with all reverence honoring your
bishop; that so in conjunction with him you may present your
supplications to the God and Father of the universe, both for
yourselves, and for the orderly government of the whole human race.
An Epistle respecting the Rescinding of the Enactments against
Athanasius.
Victor Constantius Augustus to Nestorius, and in the same terms to
the governors of Augustamnica, Thebais, and Libya.
If it be found that at any time previously any enactment has been
passed prejudicial and derogatory to those who hold communion with
Athanasius the bishop, our pleasure is that it should now be wholly
abrogated; and that his clergy should again enjoy the same immunity
which was granted to them formerly. We enjoin strict obedience to this
command, to the intent that since the bishop Athanasius has been
restored to his church, all who hold communion with him may possess the
same privileges as they had before, and such as other ecclesiastics now
enjoy: that so their affairs being happily arranged, they also may
share in the general prosperity.
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