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party vegarJcd liim as a fuint ; and the otlier reprcfciited 

 liim as a wicked dillurber of tlie peace of tha church. 

 Ciiiiftans, however, was intent upon rtilorinsj him, and per- 

 enintorii)' demanded it of hia brollier Conftaiitius, threateu- 

 iifj him with war in cafe of non-comphance. Cowllantius 

 fubmitted, and foHcited the return of the exiled prelate to 

 take polfeiiion of the Alexandrian fee, wliich was now be- 

 come vacant by the death of Greajory. The bifliop's zeal 

 for the Catholic duclrine of the trinity was not in the Itad 

 abated by all the revcrfes of his condition ; foi- in his pro- 

 gref; through the various cities that lay in his way to Alex- 

 andria, he admoniflied the people to avoid the Arianf, and 

 to admit into their communion none but thofe who adopted 

 in their creed the word " confublhuitial." In the year 350, 

 he arrived at Alexandria, and was welcomed by his old 

 friends and adherents with every exprefilon of joy ; and 

 from this time he enjoyed a fliort interval of repofe. The 

 death of the emperor Conftans, and of pope Jidius, to 

 whom he was chiefly indebted for his relloration, threat- 

 ened him with new dangers. Conllantius was liis deter- 

 mined enemy, and he fummoned a general council at Arks, 

 in the year 353 4 and i)i this council the Arian party pre- 

 vailed, and all the bifliops pvefent, with one exception, 

 frilled the condemnntion of Athanaiius. As Liberies, the 

 futxeflor of pope Julius, was difratisficd with the proceed- 

 ings of this council, another was held at Milan in the year 

 355. Here the emperor exercifcd his utmoll influence, and 

 at length a majority of 300 bilhops concurred in the con- 

 demnation of Athanafuis, and thofe who refnfed v/ere ex- 

 iled by the authority of the emperor. The fentence of 

 thefe councils, however, was cautioiidy executed by Con- 

 ftantius. The prelate was perfuaded voluntarily to abdicate 

 his fee J but he remained inflexible, notwithllanding all the 

 mcafures that were ufed for this purpofe. During this luf- 

 pence, a body of foldi'jrs appeared in the midll of Alex- 

 andria, and at midnight they invefl;ed the church in which 

 the bifliop and his attendants were performing their devo- 

 tions preparatory for the commimion. In this moment of 

 confufion and terror, the prelate remained firm and intrepid, 

 calmly expefting death, and animati:!g the piety of his 

 flock by ordering a pfalm of praife to be fung. At length 

 the congregation difperfed, and the bifliop was conveyed 

 through the tumultuous crowd to a place of fafety. The 

 fee of Alexandria was bellowed by the emperor upon 

 G'^orge of Cappadocia, a ftrenuous fupporter of the Arian 

 caufe ; and Athanafius was profcribed, with the promife 

 of a large reward to any one who Ihould produce him dead 

 or alive. The pcrfecutcd prelate difappeared, and re- 

 mained for fix years in impenetrable obfeurity. The place of 

 his retreat was the defert of Thehais ; and among monks 

 or hermits anxious to preferve him from the fearch of his 

 enemies, he found an unmoleftcd afylum. From thisreclufc 

 abide he is faid to have fometimes extended his cxcurfions in 

 difguife to vlfit his confidential friends at Alexandria. Hence 

 he alfo addrefied his enemies with inveftives, and his friends 

 with confolatory admonitions by his writings. The accef- 

 fion of Julian, who fucceeded CoiiHantius in 36 1, and the 

 death of George, bifliop of Alexandria, who was in the 

 fame year killed in a tumult, opened the way for a third 

 return of Athanafius to the fee of Alexandria. With un- 

 abated zeal for the Catholic faith, and particularly for the 

 doClrinc of the trinity, he fummoned a council at Alex- 

 andria, at which it was decermincd, that Arian bifliops, who 

 recanted their err rs, and figncd the Nicene creed, might 

 he admitted to the communion of the church, and reflored 

 to their fees. However, Athanafin^'g repofe and influence 

 were of ftiort duntiuti. The tmpeior Julian regarded him 



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with peculiar avcrfion ; and in order to avoid the threat- 

 ened tokens of his dii'pkafure, the prelate was obliged 

 ag-ain to feek an afylum in the monalleries of the dei'ert. 

 Whilft with this view he was failing up th.e Nile, his enemies 

 followed him ; but as foon as the prelate v.-as informed that 

 they had orders to apprehend him, and knowing that he 

 mull foon be overtaken, he inlliudted the mariners to turn 

 about the boat and meet his pinTucrs. Having no fufpi- 

 cion that Atlinnafuis was on board, they protecuted their 

 voyage, and the prelate efcap.d to Alexandria, and con- 

 ceaLd himfelf till the death of Julian in the year 363- 

 Upon the aecefiion of J.>vian, Ain.iiuilius once more re- 

 fumed his epifcopal fuudion, and under the patronage of 

 the emperor, the Nicene crctd became the general formu- 

 lary of the churches. After the fliort reign of Jovian, Va- 

 Icns fucceeded to the eaftern divifion ot tlie empire ; and as 

 he had adopted Arian principles, he iffued edicts for ba- 

 nifliing the bilhops who had regained their fees under Jo- 

 vian ; and Athanafius was again in the number of thofe 

 who were profcribed. The ellorts of his friends at Alex- 

 andria were exerted in his .favour ; but whilll they were 

 preparing to defend him bv force, he thought it moll prudent 

 to retire ; and on this occafio'.i, which has been denominated 

 his fifth exile, he concealed himlclf for four mouths iu the 

 monument belonging to his family. The emperor relin- 

 quiflied the contell ; and the venerable prelate clofcd his 

 days in tranquillity in the 46tli, or as foine fay in the 4Stli 

 year of his jirelacy, and in the year of Clirilt 373. 



It is not eafy to form a jull eftimate of the talents, learn- 

 ing, and charailer of Athanafius, amidll the adulation of 

 his friends, and the reproaches of his enemies. " The im- 

 mortal name of Athanafius," fays Mr. Gibbon, " will ne- 

 ver be feparated from the Catliolic doclrine of the trinity, 

 to whofc defence he confccrated every moment and every 

 facidty of his being." — " Amidil the llormsof pcrfecutioii, 

 he was patient of labour, jealous of fame, carelefs of fafetv ; 

 and though his mind was tainted by the contagion of fana- 

 ticifm, Athanafius difplaycd a fuperiority of charafter and 

 abilities which would have qualified him, far better than the 

 degenerate fons of Conflantine, for the government of a 

 great monarchy. His learning was much lefs profound anil 

 extenfive than that of Eufebius of C-jefarea, and his rude 

 eloquence could not be compared with the polillitd oratoi-y 

 of Gregory or Bafil ; but whenever the primate of Egyjjt 

 was calhd upon to juftify his fentiments or his conduct, his 

 unpremeditated ftyle, cither of fpeaking or of writing, was 

 clear, forcible, and pcrfuafive. He has always been received 

 in the orthodox fchool as one of the moll accurate mafters 

 of the Chriflian theology ; and lie was I'uppofed to poflefs 

 two profane fciences lefs adapted to the epifcopal charatter, 

 the k:;owledge of jurifprudence, and that of divination. 

 Some fortunate conjetlnres of future events, which impar- 

 tial reafoners might afcribe to the experience and judgment 

 of Athanafius. were attributed by his friends to heavenly 

 inTpiration, and imputed by his enemies to infernal magic. 

 But as Athanafius was continually engaged with the preju- 

 dices and paffMns of evei7 order of men from the monk to 

 the emperor, the knowledge of human nature was his firll 

 and mod important fcierce." — " Athanafius was capable of 

 dillingiiifhing how far he might boldly command, and where 

 he mull dexteroufiy infinuate, how long he might contend 

 with power, and when he mull withdraw from perfccntion ; 

 and while he direfled the thunders of the church a^ainll 

 herefy and rebellion, he could aflume, in the bofom ot his 

 owu party, the flexible and indulgent temper of a prudent 

 leader. The eleftion of Athanafius has not efaped the re- 

 proach of irregularity and precipitation ; but the propriety 



of 

 3 



