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with reverence, and that they should receive the Christian faith as the only true religion. He restored to the churches and the clergy, to the widows and the virgins, the same privileges that had been granted by Constantius and his sons, and afterwards withdrawn by Julian. He commanded1 Secundus, who was then a prætorian prefect, to constitute it a capital crime to marry or to carry off any of the holy virgins, or even to regard them with unchaste desires. He enacted this law 2 on account of the wickedness which had prevailed during the reign of Julian; for many men had taken wives from among the holy virgins, and, either by force or guile, had completely corrupted them; and thence had proceeded those breaches of morality which always occur when religion is contemned and licentiousness tolerated.

CHAP. IV.-TROUBLES AGAIN ARISE IN THE CHURCHES ; COUNCIL OF ANTIOCH, IN WHICH THE NICENE FAITH IS CONFIRMED; LETTER OF THE COUNCIL TO JOVIAN.

THE rulers of the churches now resumed the agitation of doctrinal questions.3 They had remained quiet during the reign of Julian, when Christianity itself was endangered, and had unanimously offered up their supplications for the favour and protection of God. It is thus that men, when attacked by foreign enemies, remain at peace among themselves; but, when external troubles are removed, then internal dissensions creep in this, however, is not a proper place for the citation of the numerous examples which history affords of this fact.

At this period, Basil, bishop of Ancyra, Silvanus, bishop of Tarsus, Sophronius, bishop of Pompeiopolis, and others of their party who regarded the heresy of the Anomians with the utmost aversion, and received the term "similar as

εvnoε. This was the technical term.

2 This Constitution of Jovian is extant in the Theodosian Code, b. ix. tit. 25, de raptu, vel matrimonio sanctimonialium. It is worded as follows: "Si quis non dicam rapere, sed vel attentare matrimonii jungendi causâ, sacratas virgines vel invitas ausus fuerit, capitali sententiâ ferietur." Sozomen seems to have read intueri for invitas; but Valesius suggests that the correct reading is probably viduas; for widows as well as virgins were found in the cloister.

3 Compare Socrates, Eccl. Hist. iii. 25.

to substance," instead of the term "consubstantial," wrote to the emperor; and, after expressing their thankfulness to God for his accession to the empire, besought him to confirm the decrees issued at Ariminum and Seleucia, and to annul what had been established merely by the zeal and power of certain individuals. They also entreated that, if discussion should still prevail in the churches, the bishops from every region might be convened alone 2 in some place indicated by the emperor, and not be permitted to assemble elsewhere and issue decrees at variance with each other, as had been done during the reign of Constantius. They added, that they had not gone to visit him at his camp, because they were fearful of being burdensome to him; but that, if he desired to see them, they would gladly repair to him, and defray all expenses attendant on the journey themselves.

At this juncture, a council was convened at Antioch in Syria; the form of belief established by the council of Nicæa was confirmed; and it was decided that the Son is incontrovertibly of the same substance as the Father. Meletius, who was then bishop of Antioch, Eusebius, bishop of Samosata, Pelagius, bishop of Laodicea in Syria, Acacius, bishop of Cæsarea in Palestine, Irenius, bishop of Gaza, and Athanasius, bishop of Ancyra, took part in this council. On the termination of the council they acquainted the emperor with the transactions that had taken place, by despatching the following letter

"To the most religious and beloved Lord Jovian Augustus the Conqueror, from the bishops assembled from divers regions, at Antioch.

"We know, O emperor, well-beloved of God, that your piety is fully intent upon maintaining peace and concord in the church; neither are we ignorant that you have embraced the true and orthodox faith, which is the source of all unity. Lest, therefore, we should be reckoned among those who assail these

oxioμaros. We here adopt the reading suggested by Valesius for the original oxnuaros, which hardly makes sense.

* μηδενὸς ἄλλου κοινωνοῦντος. Το the exclusion of the inferior clergy and laity.

3

Tourn, i. e. principally. Or, perhaps, (as Valesius suggests,) we may take the word as literally implying that the emperor endeavoured to reestablish peace in the church, before he took any measures with reference to the pacification of the state.

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doctrines of truth, we declare and testify, that we receive and maintain the form of belief which was anciently set forth by the holy council of Nicæa. Now, although the term 'consubstantial' appears strange to some persons, yet it was safely interpreted by the Fathers, and signifies that the Son was begotten of the substance of the Father, and that he is of like substance with the Father. This term does not convey the idea of unbroken generation; neither does it coincide with the use which the Greeks make of the word 'substance,' but it is calculated to withstand the impious allegation of Arius, that the Son proceeded from what had had no previous existence. The Anomians have still the impudence and rashness to maintain this same audacious dogma; and they thereby most grievously disturb the peace and unanimity of the churches.

"We subjoin to this letter a copy of the formulary of faith adopted by the bishops assembled at Nicæa, which we also receive and cherish."

Such were the decisions formed by the bishops convened at Antioch; and they appended to their letter a copy of the Nicene formulary of faith.

CHAP. V.-THE GREAT ATHANASIUS OBTAINS THE FAVOUR OF THE EMPEROR, AND IS RE-APPOINTED OVER THE CHURCHES OF EGYPT. VISION OF THE GREAT ANTONY.

At this period, Athanasius, bishop 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 considered expedient. Others, however, say that the emperor sent for him, in order to consult him concerning the affairs relative to religion and the true faith. When the business of the church had been transacted, Athanasius began to think of returning. Euzoius, bishop of the Arian heresy in Antioch, endeavoured to instal Probatius,1 a eunuch who held the same sentiments as himself, in the bishopric of Alexandria. The

Athanasius does not say that Euzoius studied to get Probatius made bishop of Alexandria on the flight of Athanasius, but only that the Arian party, under cover of the emperor's name, used every effort to get Athanasius expelled, and another bishop substituted in his room; and that they were most anxious to bring about the election of Lucius.

whole party of Euzoius conspired with him to effect this design; and Lucius, a citizen of Alexandria, who had been ordained priest by George, endeavoured 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. Lucius likewise besought Jovian to appoint another bishop over the church of Alexandria. The emperor saw through the artifice, attached no credit to the calumny, and dismissed Lucius with suitable admonitions: he also commanded Probatius, and the other eunuchs belonging to his palace, whom he regarded as the originators of this contention, to act more advisedly for the future.2 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 the purity of his life, his intellectual endowments, and his great eloquence. Thus, after having been exposed to great opposition, was the Nicene faith fully re-established; but further opposition awaited it within a very short period. For 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 till the reign of Valens. It is said that, before the Arians took possession of the churches during the reign of Constantius, Antony had a dream, in which he saw mules encompassing the altar, and trampling it beneath their feet. On awakening, he predicted that the church would be troubled by the introduction of false and impure 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.

The accusations made by Lucius against Athanasius are extant in the 2nd vol. of that Father's collected works, as Valesius remarks.

2 owopoviσoñvai. Valesius, however, renders the term castigari, and such is its technical signification in the best writers. See Thucyd. vi. 78. Eurip. Antiop. 8. It is curious that the word "chastise" in English has the same double meaning.

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CHAP. VI.-DEATH OF JOVIAN, ACCESSION OF VALENTINIAN, AND ASSOCIATION OF HIS BROTHER VALENS IN THE GOVERNMENT.

AFTER Jovian had reigned about eight months, he died suddenly at Dadastanis, a town of Bithynia, while on his road to Constantinople. Some say that his death was occasioned by eating too plentiful a supper: others attribute it to the dampness of the chamber in which he slept; for it was of very recent construction, and quantities of coals had been burnt in it during the winter for the purpose of drying the walls. On the arrival of the troops at Nicea in Bithynia, they proclaimed Valentinian emperor. He was a good man, and capable of holding the reins of the empire. He had not long returned from banishment: for it is said that Julian, immediately on his accession to the empire, erased the name of Valentinian from the Jovian legions, as they were called, and condemned him to perpetual banishment, under the pretext that he had failed in his duty of leading out the soldiers under his command against the enemy. The true reason of his condemnation, however, was the following. When Julian was in Gaul, he went one day to a temple to offer incense. Valentinian accompanied him, according to an ancient Roman law, which still prevails, and which enacted that the Jovians and the Herculeans (that is to say, the legions of soldiers who have received this appellation in honour of Jupiter and of Hercules) should always attend the emperor as his body guard. When they were about to enter the temple, the priest, in accordance with the Pagan custom,' sprinkled water upon them with the branch of a tree. A drop fell upon the robe of Valentinian, who was a Christian: his indignation arose, and he rebuked the priest with great rudeness; it is even said that he tore off, in the presence of the emperor, the portion of the garment on which the water had fallen, and flung it from him. From that moment Julian entertained inimical feelings against him, and soon after banished him to Melitine in Armenia, under the plea of misconduct in military affairs: for he would not have religion regarded as the cause of the 1 vóμy Enviк. Comp. Herod. i. 51. Eschines, 4. 2, and 79. 2. Aristoph. Lysistr. 1130.