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AT this period, Athanasius, who governed the see of Alexandria,
and some of his friends, deemed it requisite, as the emperor was a
Christian, to repair to his court. Accordingly Athanasius went to
Antioch, and laid such matters before the emperor as he deemed
expedient. Others, however, say that the emperor sent for him in
order to consult him concerning the affairs relative to religion and the
right tenet. When the business of the Church had as far as possible
been transacted, Athanasius began to think of returning.
Euzoius, bishop of the Arian heresy in Antioch, endeavored to
install Probatius, a eunuch who held the same sentiments as himself,
in Alexandria. The whole party of Euzoius conspired with him to
effect this design; and Lucius, a citizen of Alexandria, who had
been ordained presbyter by George, endeavored to prejudice the emperor
against Athanasius, by representing that he had been accused of divers
crimes and had been condemned to perpetual banishment by preceding
emperors, as the author of the dissensions and troubles of the Church
concerning the Divine Being. Lucius likewise besought Jovian to
appoint another bishop over the church of Alexandria. The emperor,
since he knew the plots which had happened against Athanasius,
attached no credit to the calumny, and with threatening, commanded
Lucius to retire quietly; he also ordered Probatius and the other
eunuchs belonging to his palace, whom he regarded as the originators of
these troubles, to act more advisedly. From that period Jovian
manifested the greatest friendship towards Athanasius, and sent him
back to Egypt, with directions to govern the churches and people of
that country as he might think fit. It is also said that he passed
commendations on the virtue of the bishop, on his life, his
intellectual endowments, and his eloquence.
Thus, after having been exposed to opposition for a long while, as
has been narrated in the former books, was the Nicene faith fully
reestablished under the present government; but further embarrassment
awaited it within a very short period. For, as it appeared
afterwards, the whole of the prediction of Antony the Monk was not
fulfilled by the occurrences which befell the Church during the reign
of Constantius; part thereof was not accomplished until the reign of
Valens. It is said that before the Arians got control of the
churches during the reign of Constantius, Antony had a dream in which
he saw mules kicking the altar with their hoofs and overturning the holy
table. On awakening, he immediately predicted that the Church would
be troubled by the introduction of spurious and mixed doctrines, and by
the rebellion of the heterodox. The truth of this prediction was
evidenced by the events which occurred before and after the period now
under review.
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