|
ALTHOUGH what I have recorded did not occur to Athanasius and
the church of Alexandria, at the same period of time after the death
of Constans, yet I deemed it right, for the sake of greater
clearness, to relate all these events collectively. The council of
Milan was dissolved without any business having been transacted, and
the emperor condemned to banishment all those who had opposed the
designs of the enemies of Athanasius. As Constantius wished to
establish uniformity of doctrine throughout the Church, and to unite
the priesthood in the maintenance of the same sentiments, he formed a
plan to convene the bishops of every religion to a council, to be held
in the West. He was aware of the difficulty of carrying this scheme
into execution, arising from the vast extent of land and seas which
some of the bishops would have to traverse, yet he did not altogether
despair of success. While this project was occupying his mind, and
before he prepared to make his triumphal entrance into Rome, he sent
for Liberius, the bishop of Rome, and strove to persuade him to
conformity of sentiment with the priests by whom he was attended,
amongst whom was Eudoxius. As Liberius, however, refused
compliance, and protested that he would never yield on this point, the
emperor banished him to Beroea, in Thrace. It is alleged, that
another pretext for the banishment of Liberius was, that he would not
withdraw from communion with Athanasius, but manfully opposed the
emperor, who insisted that Athanasius had injured the Church, had
occasioned the death of the eider of his two brothers, and had sown the
seeds of enmity between Constans and himself. As the emperor revived
all the decrees which had been enacted against Athanasius by various
councils, and particularly by that of Tyre, Liberius told him that
no regard ought to be paid to edicts which were issued from motives of
hatred, of favor, or of fear. He desired that the bishops of every
region should be made to sign the formulary of faith compiled at
Nicaea, and that those bishops who had been exiled on account of their
adherence to it should be recalled. He suggested that after these
matters were righted all the bishops should, at their own expense, and
without being furnished either with public conveyances or money, so as
not to seem burdensome and destructive, proceed to Alexandria, and
make an accurate test of the truth, which could be more easily
instituted at that city than elsewhere, as the injured and those who
had inflicted injury as well as the confuters of the charges dwelt
there. He then exhibited the letter written by Valens and Ursacius
to Julius, his predecessor in the Roman see, in which they solicited
his forgiveness, and acknowledged that the depositions brought against
Athanasius, at the Mareotis, were false; and he besought the
emperor not to condemn Athanasius during his absence, nor to give
credit to enactments which were evidently obtained by the machinations
of his enemies. With respect to the alleged injuries which had been
inflicted on his two brothers, he entreated the emperor not to revenge
himself by the hands of priests who had been set apart by God, not for
the execution of vengeance, but for sanctification, and the
performance of just and benevolent actions.
The emperor perceiving that Liberius was not disposed to comply with
his mandate, commanded that he should be conveyed to Thrace, unless
he would change his mind within two days. "To me, O emperor,"
replied Liberius, "there is no need of deliberation; my resolution
has long been formed and decided, and I am ready to go forth to
exile." It is said, that when he was being conducted to banishment,
the emperor sent him five hundred pieces of gold; he, however,
refused to receive them, and said to the messenger who brought them,
"Go, and tell him who sent this gold to give it to the flatterers and
hypocrites who surround him, for their insatiable cupidity plunges them
into a state of perpetual want which can never be relieved. Christ,
who is in all respects, like unto his Father, supplies us with food
and with all good things."
Liberius having for the above reasons been deposed from the Roman
church, his government was transferred to Felix, a deacon of the
clergy there. It is said that Felix always continued in adherence to
the Nicene faith; and that, with respect to his conduct in religious
matters he was blameless. The only thing alleged against him was,
that, prior to his ordination, he held communion with the heterodox.
When the emperor entered Rome, the people loudly demanded Liberius,
and besought his return; after consulting with the bishops who were
with him, he replied that he would recall Liberius and restore him to
the people, if he would consent to embrace the same sentiments as those
held by the priests of the court.
|
|