"'When he hath a paroxysm of his disease he customarily chanteth strange

things which some esteem to be prophecies; but whether his sayings be

truly prophetic or not I can not inform thee.'

"'Perhaps thou dost remember the words of some of his pretended

prophecies?'

"'Yea, verily! For since he hath been with me he hath hardly ever

chanted anything but a certain song which I have heard him repeat very

often when the disease taketh him.'

"'Repeat thou those words!'

"Then with a certain show of exultation I chanted the same words that

Gaius had uttered, and, when I had finished, Licinius cried out

fiercely, 'Thou dost believe, indeed, that the words of Gaius are a sure

prophecy, and thou dost rejoice at my threatened overthrow!'

"I looked smilingly upon the emperor, but made no answer; and thereupon

he fell into a great rage and said unto me, grimly enough: 'Thou art a

tall man, bishop! Verily, I think thou art fully a head too tall, and

this day I will reduce thee to a more proper stature by cutting off thy

head'; and when he saw that I was unterrified by this threat, he added,

'And the boy's head also!'

"Then gazing fixedly upon him, I did say: 'Surely thou mayst do so, for

thou art a blood-soaked, merciless tyrant enough for any crime. But

this deed would make thee contemptible; for it would prove that thou art

not only a tyrant, but also a fool!'

"Then turning almost livid with suppressed wrath, he cried out, 'What

dost thou mean, thou insolent?'

"'I mean that some years ago when the bold and eloquent preaching of the

brave and righteous presbyter, Arius the Libyan, did operate to save for

thee a large part of thy fleet, thou didst order that he should never be

molested in the public discharge of the duties of his sacred office;

wherefore, even the Christians, who knew thee to be a bloody tyrant, and

a desecrator of the sacrament of marriage by an infamous law, and a

violator of all the sanctities and decencies of life, still did give

thee credit for intelligence. But if now thou shalt murder those who,

even unintentionally, have given thee warning in time to save thy whole

navy, all men will regard thee as an idiot.'

"'How save my whole navy?'

"'By keeping the ships thereof upon thine own side of the Mediterranean;

for the words are, "_when_ the great ships shall cross the middle sea,"

and perhaps it may signify not until _then_?'

"'By Jupiter Stator,' he answered, vehemently, 'I think that thou art

right! And that accursed "when" shall never happen. For this honest

saying of thine, thou mayst go hence free, and take the lad Gaius with

thee!'

"And thereupon I withdrew; but I am certainly advised that his purpose

holds good never to send his fleet across the Mediterranean."

"How dost thou know that?" asked Constantine, eagerly.

"We waited many weeks," replied Eusebius, "to obtain some reliable

indications of his purposes; but the Emperor Licinius is a great

commander, and men drilled in military services talk cautiously even

when drunk, as he frequently is, so that we got nothing. Finally, a

centurion came one night to mine abode, which I had caused to be

publicly known, and with great courtesy informed me that the emperor had

sent him to bring me into his presence. Having dismissed all others, as

if the matter were most secret, he said: 'I know ye Christian bishops

love not me, and that ye offer prayers for Constantine; yet I do not

think that thou wouldst lie to me. I therefore tell thee that, since

thou wert last before me, I sent an embassy secretly unto the oracle at

Delphi, with many costly gifts, asking of the oracle what success I

would have if I should send my navy against the Western Empire; and I

desire thee to read and to construe the answer of the god.' Then he

gave unto me a parchment on which was written, 'When the navy of the

Emperor Licinius shall pass over the sea to war with the Emperor

Constantine, his empire shall be overthrown.' I read the oracle, and

laughed. Then said I unto him: 'Like all of the pretended oracles of the

heathen, it is simply an evasion. Of course, if two great emperors

engage in war, one of them must be overthrown. This oracle saith not

which of them. If the Western Empire be defeated, the priests will say,

"We foretold that." But if the Eastern Empire shall be subverted, they

will just as truly say, "We foretold that."'

"'Art thou certain that the language bears one construction as naturally

and grammatically as it does the other?'

"'Assuredly so! The Latin infinitive mood with the accusative case

possesses a wonderful facility for such a construction as may signify

either one thing or the other.'

"Then he gave way to sudden wrath, and cried aloud: 'Curses on the

lying, cheating oracles by which so many mighty men have been lured into

destruction!' And, fixing his eyes upon me, he continued, 'Was there

any such ambiguity in what thy boy Gaius chanted?'

"'Nay, verily,' I answered. 'He said, "A holy emperor shall add the

East unto his Western Empire." Thou canst not add the East unto

anything, although thou mightest add something to the East; but canst

add nothing to the Western Empire, which is not thine own, and thou art

not a "holy emperor!"'

"'It is only a cursed trick of the oracle to lure me on to ruin!' he

exclaimed. 'The Emperor Constantine hath bribed the god to influence me

so that he may invade and overthrow mine empire while my fleet is far

away. I will keep mine own coasts safe with wooden walls henceforth,

and not a ship shall cross the middle sea.'

"Then he said unto me: 'Thou seem'st an honest and fair-minded man, and

henceforth thou may'st practice thy religion publicly in my city of

Nicomedia without fear or molestation. So fare thee well.'

"I think that this completeth my account, except I should add that from

the very beginning of this matter the Emperor Licinius hath zealously

endeavored to keep it all profoundly secret, so that it is known to very

few."

Then said Constantine unto the bishop: "What didst thou mean by saying

to the emperor, 'The Christians who knew thee to be a bloody tyrant, and

the desecrator of the sacrament of marriage by an infamous law'? What

law was that?"

And Eusebius answered: "He hath revived the former law of Maximin, that

'no woman of rank should marry without the emperor's consent,' and for

the same infamous purpose, _ut ipse in omnibus nuptiis proegustator

esset_; and this licentiousness hath done more to set the Church against

the emperor than even the murder of the bishops."

"How strange," said Constantine, "that men should think themselves fit

to govern an empire who can not even govern their own brutal passions!"

Then the great emperor indulged in long-continued laughter, not loud nor

vociferous, but quiet, hearty, joyous, and exultant. But, soon resuming

his usual equanimity, he said unto the bishop: "Thou art the most

welcome messenger that hath ever come unto me since thy brother of

Caesarea did first visit me in Gaul before the overthrow of Maxentius.

Tell me what great favor worthy of Rome's emperor I can do for thee."

Then Eusebius, with glowing countenance, bent low, and seizing the

emperor's hand he kissed it fervently, exclaiming, "Stretch forth thy

mighty hand, Augustus, and free the persecuted churches of the East!"

Constantine was deeply moved, and answered: "It shall be done, bishop!

Trust me, it shall be done! But I have given order for thy fitting

entertainment, and while thou shalt rest and refresh thyself, think of

some personal favor I can do for thee."

Eusebius bowed gravely and withdrew.

The emperor was alone, seated, buried in profoundest meditation. For a

long time he was silent, and then his deep thought found utterance in

murmured words: "A wonderful faith, truly, that can bind the heart and

intellect of even able men like the Eusebii in absolute slavery to an

idea, so that Christ and the Church are first in all their thoughts and

purposes; and ease, comfort, wealth, and power, and even life and death,

are trifling things compared therewith! If any God exists, these

Christians surely have discovered him in Jesus. But I am sufficient for

myself, and need no Deity."

Then he was silent again for some time longer. But suddenly he gave way

to jubilant merriment, murmuring amid his laughter: "It was a superb

farce, that prophecy of Gaius! Better than the _Legio Fulminea_. Better

even than the Labarum! Surely the fine, Grecian hand of my Eusebius

hath only acquired a more delicate touch with his advancing years!" And

the great emperor continued to laugh merrily.

But neither pain nor pleasure ever interfered with the grand game of

empire; and before midnight orders had been framed and issued by which

the veteran legions of Hispania, Gaul, and Germany were to be gradually

replaced by more recent levies; by which the brave and hardy Goths were

put upon the most rigid military discipline; and by which all the chosen

troops, upon whose skill and valor the unconquerable leader would be

willing to stake the sovereignty of the world, were slowly concentrated

to the eastward of Milan by a quiet, steady, unostentatious military

movement that consumed months in its accomplishment and scarcely excited

the suspicions of even the vigilant and intelligent agents of the

Emperor Licinius.

CHAPTER V.

A BORN ECCLESIASTIC.

In the year A.D. 319, Alexander, the old and pious Bishop of Alexandria,

having become imbued with that Trinitarianism which began to assume a

sort of doctrinal prominence in the Western Church even from the time

when Constantine had defeated Maxentius and had so become Emperor of

Rome, publicly proclaimed this dogma wherever he went. During that

year, upon one of his episcopal visits, he preached in the Baucalis

church a sermon which gave great offense to Arius the Libyan, who was

presbyter thereof, and to many of the vast and opulent congregation.

Upon the following Sabbath the presbyter had delivered an elaborate

discourse, in the course of which he inveighed with great force and

earnestness against some "expounders of new doctrines who had grown too

learned in the philosophy of the world, and too much in love with the

political and legal religion which had been established in place of

Christianity in the Western Empire to remain satisfied with the simple,

unquestionable statement of the Gospels that Jesus Christ was the Son of

God; and had gone about to trouble the faith and harass the consciences

of believers by novel and dangerous speculations concerning the nature

of Deity that were not taught in the Scriptures and were unknown to

three centuries of Christian faith and practice." And, although Arius

mentioned not the venerable bishop by name, no one doubted for whom his

fierce rebuke was intended, and understood perfectly well what doctrinal

deliverances he condemned as "the philosophy of the world," as "the

political and legal religion which had been established in the Western

Empire," and as "not taught in the Scriptures," and as "unknown to three

centuries of Christian faith and practice." To this sermon the bishop

subsequently replied in language of even greater vehemence; and before

very long there was a continuous controversy going on between them, in

which numerous Christians engaged on both sides, until it spread

throughout the churches and grew into heated and sometimes acrimonious

disputations. Nearly all the Romans in Alexandria took part with the

bishop, and urged him earnestly in the prosecution of the controversy,

while the native Christians, for the most part, clave unto Arius; and

the word "foreigner," which before that time was never applied by one

Christian to another (for they were all brethren), quickly crept into

common use.

The superior learning, zeal, and influence of the presbyter greatly

outweighed the personal and episcopal power of the bishop, and a vast

majority of the Alexandrian clergy and laity sustained the views of

Arius as the only true doctrine of the Scriptures, as approved by the

ancient and constant teachings of the Church; and the controversy might

have sunk into oblivion but for the "foreign" element, many of whom

really seemed to make it their chief vocation to proclaim the great

truth of "the Holy Trinity," and to utter eloquent panegyrics upon the

character of Constantine the Emperor of Rome. Under these influences

each party steadily maintained its own opinions, and the matter remained

in this condition until Eusebius of Caesarea, having parted from the

other Eusebius at Nicomedia, had journeyed unto Alexandria to redeem his

promise made to the emperor that the flame of controversy should be kept

burning until a general council could be convoked to determine it.

Eusebius very soon comprehended the situation, and speedily reached the

conclusion that even his superior official station and the support of

the "foreigners" would not enable the bishop long to maintain himself

against the vast power and influence of the presbyter without efficient

aid. That, he thought, could not be effectively rendered except by some

man of rare abilities, who might combine in himself all the

characteristics of a courtier as well as of a priest, for the "foreign

element" was already largely secularized; and he very anxiously looked

about him for some man fit to be intrusted with the task of upholding

the hands of the venerable Alexander.

Of course our Eusebius had duly renewed his ancient friendship for

Arius, whom he loved and honored above all living men, and they had many

interesting conversations upon the condition and prospects of the

Church, and upon the present duties of the faithful pastor. Eusebius

skillfully argued in favor of accommodating priestly action to the

exigencies of social and political surroundings. Arius would hear of no

compromise upon any point of either faith or practice. "Pontius

Pilate," he vehemently exclaimed, "was the prince of compromisers when

he washed his hands of 'the innocent blood,' and delivered up our Lord

to be crucified! His successors are in all things worthy of him,

seeking both to win the world by their actions and to save their souls

by the profession of a faith which they do not practice! How fare ye

bishops under the reign of Antichrist--ye that dwell where Satan's seat

is?"

"The Church hath prospered beyond all expectation. The bishops almost

rank with princes; the presbyters are blessed with exceeding comfort and

honor, and throughout the Western Empire the people crowd into the

churches faster than they can be built."

Then the grim old presbyter's hand waved to and fro, and his grand,

shaggy head darted forward upon the long, lean neck, and the sad eyes

gleamed with strange, mesmeric light, and his voice hissed with sibilant

sharpness as he exclaimed: "Yea, my brother! And I have heard that your

prince-bishops own slaves and nourish concubines; and that 'the

brethren' hold estates and offices, and fleece their brethren by the

crime of usury; and that the only difference between Romans who are

Christians and those who are not subsists in the fact that one class of

them patronizes the imperial churches and professes faith in Christ, and

the other does not degrade itself and dishonor religion by any such

shams and farces! Are these things so?"

Eusebius winced at this fierce and bitter thrust, but answered: "Some

abuses have crept in among us, in consequence of our wonderful

prosperity, which were unknown to the severity and simplicity of an

earlier age; but we have many saintly bishops, presbyters, and people;

and the evils of which thou speakest belong not to the Church, but to

the frailty of individuals."

"Thou art verily mistaken, brother! Or what dost thou expect from a

statutory religion, from an established church of which Constantine is

king instead of Christ? I tell thee plainly that a church which

imperial authority hath legalized along with legalized war, slavery, and

mammon-worship, is not only no church of Christ, but is that Antichrist

of which John in the Apocalypse doth speak. And it shall grow

continually worse and worse."

"I doubt not," answered Eusebius, "that it would have been better to

have preserved primitive Christianity; but the emperor is so powerful,

and ecclesiasticism hath become insensibly so firmly established, that

it is impossible now to turn back to the original system, perhaps

dangerous to attempt it."

"Yea, dangerous," said Arius, bitterly. "For already he hath persecuted

the saints, having waged a cruel war against the Goths to overthrow the

church which Ulfilas planted among them, and force them to adopt the

Roman laws and legal religion. I look forward every year to see this

man of sin build a new capital, upon seven hills, above the sea, that

John's description of him may be made complete. Thou must follow thine

own counsel, brother. As for me, in life, in death, I am fixed in

unflinching opposition to any name of blasphemy that may be used to

designate a legal religion that sanctions war, slavery, and

mammon-worship."

Many such conversations occurred between the bishop and Arius; but

Eusebius found that the stern old man was incapable of compromise, and

despised all expediency.

"Yea," he would say, "I have been told that ye Western Christians

already believe that charity consisteth of alms-giving, instead of love

to the brethren! ...

"Ye foolishly dream of converting the world," he cried, "by means of a

church founded upon Roman laws, whose faith is a mere intellectual

assent and conviction! But ye will find that instead of securing

liberty, fraternity, equality, ye have only added the bond of conscience

to bind the burdens more tightly upon the shoulders of mankind, and

furnished the new Pharisees with new power to oppress the poor....

"Yea, verily," he said, "ye know that faith in Christ and community of

property constituted the liberty of the gospel wherewith Jesus sought to

make man free! But ye have imported into the very bosom of the Church

all of the tyrannies, injustices, class-distinctions, and wrongs which

constitute mammon-worship and the sorrow of the world; and there is no

difference between your system and the old religions except that ye have

substituted the name of Christ for that of Jupiter and Mars in juggling

with the rights of man."

And when Eusebius endeavored to arouse in the stern old man some

considerations of personal prudence, by intimating the probability that

Constantine might some day rule the East also, the lone and immovable

man sternly answered:

"Yea, he will obtain the East! For he alone of all men hath never

failed in diplomacy; hath never abandoned a purpose; hath never lost a

battle, and never will! He hath sold his soul for earthly glory, and

Satan will pay to him his price."

But although Eusebius loved to commune with the stern old man, whose

stainless integrity of character he could love and honor, but scarcely

imitate, he never forgot the object of his journey to Alexandria, and

was constantly on the lookout for some one to whom he could assign the

task of aiding the ancient Alexander in his controversy with the great

and fearless presbyter. At last he fell in with a youth who was an

archdeacon in the bishop's church, and who, although very young, was

possessed of such remarkable genius and learning, and of such

pre-eminent personal advantages, as at once to attract and astonish him,

and seemed to render him the fittest person to engage. He sedulously

cultivated the young man's friendship, and admired him more and more as

he learned more of his character and abilities. Finally, he cordially

invited the youth to make with him a visit to Constantine, and having

with much difficulty obtained the consent of the aged Alexander, who

loved the bright and accomplished youth with exceeding tenderness, they

twain departed for Milan. When the long and tedious journey had been

safely accomplished, Eusebius promptly waited upon the emperor, who

received him with fraternal cordiality.

"Ah, thou vagabond friend," he cried, "thou runaway bishop, whom I had

almost given up for lost, give some good account of thyself, or thou

shalt never again have leave of absence, even for a day."

"I have indeed delayed my return beyond all expectation," said the

bishop; "but I suppose that my brother of Nicomedia hath imparted all

needful information of thy lost shepherd up to the time at which I set

out for Alexandria."

"Yea, verily," answered Constantine. "And his narrative was most

perspicuous and entertaining, and eloquent enough to draw my veteran

legions from the remotest quarters of the empire; and even now they are

slowly but steadily concentrating eastwardly, and they have a certain

Oriental bearing in their movements which would please thee mightily if

only thou wert soldier enough to perceive it."

Both of the great men indulged in a laugh at this pleasant sally of the

emperor, who continued: "Ah! my beloved bishop, it was indeed most

delicate and superb work! Thou must henceforth insert into all the

copies of the Apocrypha 'The Prophecy of Gaius of Chalcis,' but not

during the lifetime of the Emperor Licinius, else he would decapitate

mankind to reach thy single head!"

And again the emperor laughed like a boy, and the bishop joined in his

merriment.

"How hast thou fared in Egypt, bishop? And what good tidings hast thou

brought me thence?"

"I have explored the position of the controversy between the Bishop

Alexander and Arius as thoroughly as possible. I find that Alexander,

who begins greatly to feel his advanced years, is no match for the

learned, eloquent, and powerful presbyter, and that unless he receive

active, intelligent support, the controversy in Egypt and Syria will

ultimately die out for want of opposition to Arius. The aged bishop

hath been raised too much under the influence of the mighty causes which

molded the character of Arius himself, to be a fit antagonist for him;

and younger blood, warm with the new age of Constantine rather than with

that of primitive Christianity, is imperatively required. Thine agents

at Alexandria have been zealous and faithful, but a remarkable man is

needed at that place; less than genius will accomplish nothing."

"Such men are rare enough," responded the emperor; "but surely thou must

have discovered at least one."

"I was much troubled to find a fit agent for such a work, and finally

would not decide to fix upon the man of mine own choice without first

having given thee an opportunity to see and determine for thyself; and,

therefore, I brought him hither with me."

"Who is the man?"

"He is a youth, but little more than twenty years of age, but, like many

of the nameless orphans whom the Church hath raised, he is very

thoroughly educated, especially in the Scriptures. He hath natural

genius for the ministry and for politics. When he was a child, the

Bishop Alexander saw him one day baptizing other children in the bay in

sport; but the old bishop was so charmed with the solemn grace and

dignity with which the child performed the sacred rite, that he declared

the ceremony valid and took the children into his own church, and hath

raised and educated this boy with loving care and patience. He is now

an archdeacon of the bishop's congregation. Thou must not despise his

youth, for in Alexandria, which is perhaps the most intellectual city of

the world, it is commonly believed that this youth is the most eloquent,

the most intelligent, and the most beautiful of the sons of men. But I

would have thee judge for thyself. If he please thee, I advise that

thou keep with thee the most wise and learned Hosius, and through him

instruct the young archdeacon thoroughly. I decline to meddle any

further in the business, for I am both the friend of Arius and a stout

believer in his doctrine, and when the time comes will be upon his

side."

"What is the name of this youthful paragon," said Constantine, "who hath

so mightily bewitched thee?"

"At Alexandria they commonly call him the Christian Apollo; but his name

is Athanasius."

"Wilt thou bring him unto me?"

The bishop quietly withdrew, and soon returned and introduced to the

emperor a youth as perfect as an artist's dream of beauty. He was one

of the most perfect specimens of Egyptian manhood. Small of stature,

seeming to one of the emperor's magnificent proportions to be almost a

dwarf, the expression of his face was of angelic beauty. There was a

hardly perceptible stoop in his figure which gave him an appearance of

native humility; a hooked nose, clearly chiseled; a small, rosy mouth; a

short, silky beard spreading away into luxuriant whiskers; light, soft

auburn hair; large, bright, serene eyes of womanly tenderness and

purity; and limbs and features delicately but exquisitely fashioned--all

combined to confer an irresistible charm upon his person and manners.

Eusebius at once withdrew, leaving Constantine alone with the bright and

beautiful boy. The splendid youth, with a movement free alike from

shame and from audacity, but full of matchless ease and grace, darted

forward, sank lightly down upon one knee, grasped one of the emperor's

hands and kissed it--an act of homage never exacted, and seldom looked

for, from any Christian--and lifting his soft, luminous eyes toward the

emperor's face, said in tones as liquid and mellow as perfect

flute-notes: "I thank thee, Augustus, that thy kindness satisfieth one

great longing of my heart; for I have desired above all things to look

upon thy face."

The emperor was charmed with the youth's exquisite manner and wonderful

beauty, and gently raising him replied: "I give thee back thy thanks,

lad, for surely thou art far better worth the seeing than am I. But why

didst thou kneel to me? Most Christians make it a matter of conscience

to kneel to none but God only, and I have respected their scruples."

"I crave pardon if mine obeisance hath been offensive unto thee," the

mellifluous voice replied; "for I did but offer to thee the homage which

my heart hath taught me to be due from raw but hopeful youth to mature

and glorious manhood; from one of the very humblest of the people unto

the wisest and greatest ruler of mankind; from a young but sincere and

earnest Christian to the magnificent protector of the Church!"

Constantine laid his hand caressingly upon the young man's glorious

head, and, laughing lightly, answered: "If thy tongue so drippeth honey,

lad, the bees will settle in thy mouth and some time, may be, sting

thee. Art thou so pleasant to all sorts of men?"

"Why not?" responded the melodious voice. "I could love all that are

good, pity all that are evil, forgive their injuries, despise their

hate, and die, I think, to do them service if that could benefit

mankind."

"Boy," said Constantine, gravely but pleasantly, "thou hast uttered the

profoundest secret of all true statesmanship! Who taught thee that?"

"I think my teacher hath been Jesus Christ. But I knew not that this

sentiment was statesmanship, for I have learned it as religion."

"Only a few of the most gifted of mankind," replied Constantine, "have

been wise enough to perceive that true religion and true statesmanship

are twins that can never be torn apart without fatal injuries to both of

them."

"And, therefore," said Athanasius, "it follows that the wisest emperor

must also be the best; and hence the people of the Western Empire should

count themselves the most fortunate of mankind."

"If thou dost so believe concerning the Empire of the West," said

Constantine, "perhaps thou wouldst not decline to enter the service of

its emperor in thine own country. Art thou bound by ties of love or of

allegiance to the great Emperor Licinius?"

"Nay," replied Athanasius, "I am bound by no human allegiance other than

to obey all laws in force in the government under which I live that

conflict not with conscience. Nor have I been taught to regard one

earthly sovereign as better than another, except as the policy of the

human ruler may affect the Church favorably or unfavorably. Nor could

any temporal advantages induce me to abandon the ministry of the Church

in which I hold the humble place of an archdeacon, for I would choose

even a menial service in the temple of God rather than the most exalted

position outside of it."

"Then," said Constantine, briefly, "thou dost decline to enter into my

service?"

"Nay," answered Athanasius. "Thou hast thyself declared that true

religion and true statesmanship coincide throughout; and I have been

taught to regard thee as both the greatest ruler of mankind and as the

strong, unwavering defender of the faith; so that in place of declining

any services thou mayst require at my hands, I am ready to give my life

for thee; only I can not abandon the ministry, to which conscience,

inclination, and training have consecrated me; and verily a Christian

emperor hath need of faithful ministers as much as of faithful

generals."

The eyes of Constantine sparkled with pleasure as he answered: "Thou

meanest, then, that thou wouldst labor as zealously for the glory of

mine empire within the pale of the Church as my civil officers do in the

affairs of government, or as my generals do in the military campaigns?"

"Yea, verily!" said Athanasius; "and if it were not presumptuous in a

boy to express an opinion in the presence of one so wise and great, I

would not hesitate to declare that the victories which thou shalt gain

in aiding the Church shall be less costly, less bloody, and more

permanent, than any which thine invincible arms can ever gain by the

sword; for thou shalt win not only provinces, but hearts!"

"Boy," cried Constantine, "thy cunning speech unveileth the secret dream

of every ruler that nature hath fitted for dominion. For he that

swayeth the scepter of empire only to acquire larger means for the

gratification of his own lust for wealth, ostentation, luxury, and

pride, is but a tyrant, however wise and strong he may be. The born

ruler lives for his people, and, as thou hast said, can not satisfy his

grand ambition unless he shall conquer hearts as well as provinces."

"Thy thought is worthy of thy greatness," replied Athanasius, "and

showeth me that the welfare of the Church and of the emperor must be

identical in every true and proper government, so that priest and

soldier both may labor for its glory."

"Wilt thou define, as thou dost understand it, a true and proper

government?"

"A true and proper government, as I conceive it to be, is the just and

wise administration of all civil, military, and ecclesiastical authority

by one supreme ruler."

The splendid face of Constantine grew bright with pleasure as he heard

this concise and luminous reply; but desiring still further to draw out

the young man's views, to which his use of the word "ecclesiastical"

(entirely new to the emperor) gave a particular value, he answered as

follows: "And which dost thou think to be of supreme authority, the

civil, military, or ecclesiastical power?"

"Neither of them separately," replied Athanasius. "But only the ruler,

that standeth in the place of God, should be supreme. It would be gross

tyranny for the military authority to dominate the civil administration;

it would be gross impertinence for the ecclesiastical authority to

direct the armies of the empire; it would be confusion for either of

them to interfere with the domain of another. Each should operate in

its appropriate sphere, and the ruler whom God hath given should direct

the movements of them all. For he standeth in the place of God."

"Yet," muttered Constantine to himself, "the heretic Arius saith that it

is a blasphemy for any man to seek to stand in that high place, which

belongeth unto Christ alone!" But unto Athanasius he presently made

answer: "Thou hast wisdom far beyond thine age; but in regard to these

things thou dost not agree well with the opinions of the most wise and

learned presbyter, Arius the Libyan!"

Athanasius remained silent for some moments, looking up into the face of

the tall emperor, who was watching his beautiful countenance with

interest and curiosity, and a strange, almost indefinable expression

lighted his sparkling features. The red lips parted and very slightly

curled, but not with scorn or dislike. He had the very same expression,

perhaps, that the face of some beautiful young girl might wear if a

grandmother, whom she loved and revered, should begin to lecture her

upon the observance of some propriety which the world had outgrown since

the ancient dame had been a maiden of her own age. At last he said:

"Nay, verily. The presbyter Arius surpasseth all living men in personal

holiness; but his holiness is stern, ascetic, forbidding. He surpasseth

all men in learning; but his learning laboreth to blight and destroy all

the rare flowers of sentiment wherewith art, science, and philosophy

seek to adorn and beautify the faith. He is the most earnestly

Christian of all men; but his religion is hard, exacting, exclusive, and

refuseth to blend with the performance of the duties of faith the light

and human tenderness that endeareth piety unto the hearts of common men.

He saith that the kingdom of heaven is the only government that our Lord

established upon earth; that the Christian hath need of no other; and

that to own allegiance to an earthly sovereign, or blend his laws with

our religion, is to betray the Christ. He belongeth to a past age and

to a vanishing system, and while he is one of the ablest, purest, most

admirable Christians in the world, he is not, and never will be, an

ecclesiastic. He hath been reared up in an age of miracles and

martyrdoms, and can not comprehend the world as it is, nor the Church as

it must be and is fast becoming."

Constantine regarded the gifted youth with wonder and delight, and

listened with joy and amazement while the fresh and silvery tongue

struck out, in forms of speech as clear and beautiful as the last coins

issued from the royal mint, thoughts which he had himself long cherished

and acted upon, but had never been able to conceive so perspicuously as

the young archdeacon uttered them. The emperor then said, "Thou

adoptest the opinions of the most learned and pious Bishop Alexander

rather than those of the primitive, inflexible, and turbulent presbyter,

dost thou not?"

"Only to a limited extent," answered the musical voice of Athanasius.

"For our venerable bishop himself is ancient, and agreeth in many things

with the presbyter. Truly, the great advantage that Arius hath over him

consisteth in the fact that they have attended the same councils and

witnessed the same events together, and the presbyter doth continually

affirm this thing or that, and sayeth unto the bishop: 'Thou, also, wast

then present; is it true, or not, as I have stated it?' And the bishop

answereth, 'That thing I deny not, for it is true.' And then, as the

report of the thunder followeth the lightning's flash, the fierce

presbyter's conclusion striketh and overwhelmeth him. Thou canst

scarcely understand how all this may be, unless thou hast seen men and

women burned at the stake thyself, and hast heard their testimony,

sifting through the flames, that they obeyed Jesus Christ, the only

rightful King, whence they were called _martyrs_, that is, _witnesses_;

but both Alexander and Arius have beheld such things, and the influence

thereof abideth with them forever."

Then answered Constantine: "I thank God this day that I have seen no

such events, and that no man under mine own government, or under that of

my father, the most holy Emperor Constantius, hath ever seen them. But

whence, then, hast thou learned thy views of the relation that ought to

subsist between the Church and the emperor?"

"Chiefly from mine own thoughts, which many circumstances have provoked

to activity, especially the efforts I have made to aid our venerable

bishop. Long ago, in one of our social gatherings, when Arius did press

the bishop fiercely upon the point that Christians must have naught to

do with any government except the kingdom of heaven, which Jesus

ordained for them, I arose and asked permission to put a question, which

being granted, I said, 'If Tiberius Caesar had been a Christian, would

not our Lord have rejoiced to see him rule the world?' And for some

time the fierce man was silent."

"And what answer did he ever make?" asked Constantine.

"He said at last: 'And if the little foxes that destroy the vines could

have asked foolish questions in Greek, would Moses have pronounced the

animals unclean?' And I said: 'But the foxes never speak in Greek; it

is contrary to the law of nature.' And he said to me: 'Neither can an

emperor be a Christian; it is contrary to the law of Christ, which

ordaineth equality, liberty, and fraternity for all believers.' And

those of his party thought the answer to be sufficient. But,

notwithstanding, I did follow the leading of mine own thoughts, and many

things grew out of it."

"Let not thy thoughts change their course," replied Constantine; "for

thou art altogether right. Thou shalt be my friend: remember that thou

art young, and that the pious Alexander groweth very old; so that, in

the course of nature, thou mayst live to see the episcopal throne at

Alexandria vacant; or if they have no throne there yet, one shall some

day be established. But thou hast charmed me into the neglect of other

duties. Go, now, and come again on to-morrow at the same hour."

Then the beautiful boy again glided forward, lightly kneeled and kissed

the emperor's hand, and smilingly withdrew.

And for many months afterward Constantine kept the young man Athanasius

with him, and also Hosius, the venerable and learned Bishop of Cordova;

and daily the youth passed some hours in conversation with the emperor

or with the bishop, or with both of them together; so that when he

returned to Alexandria his bright and wonderful intelligence was

enlarged and enlightened by the foremost thoughts concerning things both

royal and ecclesiastical that any men of that age could teach him. And

the youth bore with him a most kind and affectionate letter written to

the ancient Bishop Alexander by Constantine's own hand, and also a

beautiful communion service of silver for his church. And Athanasius

said unto Constantine almost at the moment of his departure, "Shall I

deliver unto Arius for thee any message?"

And Constantine laughingly answered: "If the presbyter inquire of thee,

thou mayst inform him that the emperor said of him, 'There are no birds

in last year's nests.'"

But Arius the presbyter never asked Athanasius anything about the

emperor. Even when the stern old man was told that Athanasius had been

to Milan, and had for months abode in the emperor's palace, he only

said: "The stature and Roman strength which enableth Constantine to cope

with German, Briton, and Gaul, is fitly joined to the subtilty, beauty,

and intelligence by which Athanasius typifieth the countless centuries

of Egyptian civilization; and the two, like Herod and Caiaphas, combine

against our Lord."

From the date of the return of Athanasius, men perceived that the Bishop

Alexander became more open and explicit in his definitions of the Holy

Trinity, more pointed in his opposition to the teachings of Arius, more

eloquent in his praises of any pious emperor whom God might raise up to

free the Christians of the East and identify his government with the

Church. And Arius, having publicly taught that the unity of the Godhead

consisted in the divine nature of Father, Spirit, and Son, and not in

any blasphemous and impossible conception of the identity of them, or of

their union in one person, just as the human family consisteth of

father, mother, and son; and having gone so far as to write in a little

metrical book of doctrine that "God was, when Christ was not"; that "God

was not always Father"; and that the words "Father" and "Son,"

"begotten" and "conceived," necessarily implied the "priority" of him

that begat, and of her that conceived--was by the Bishop Alexander

ordered to suspend the exercises of his functions as presbyter of the

Baucalis church. And, thereupon, the Libyan called his congregation

together and said unto them: "Brethren, Alexander the bishop hath issued

an order to suspend me from the performance of my duties as presbyter

because I do not believe, and have refused to teach, his impossible,

novel, Western, unscriptural philosophy concerning that which he calleth

'the Holy Trinity,' a phrase not found in Scripture. Ye know that the

title to the Baucalis church was placed by the martyr Theckla, who

caused it to be erected, in certain trustees of the common Church, not

in the bishop, for in those days the bishops owned nothing. Ye know

that the original members of this community (many of whom still live)

called me to be the presbyter, and that I have discharged the duties of

that place as faithfully as I was able to do by the space of nearly

thirty years. None but the trustees have authority or right to close

the church against me or my community; and I am well advised by diligent

searching of the Scriptures, and by the Christian practices of three

centuries, that no bishop hath any authority to suspend a presbyter, and

that the order made by Brother Alexander in that behalf is puerile and

void. I purpose, therefore, to continue the usual ministrations of

divine service, and all my pastoral work among you, until the Church

shall bid me to abstain; and ye who may desire so to do, can continue to

attend."

The trustees of the Baucalis church promptly refused to close its doors

upon Arius, and his entire congregation remained steadfastly devoted to

him; and Bishop Alexander and those who followed him denounced the

Libyan as a "heretic," and began to pray for the coming of Constantine;

and wherever the influence of the Roman Empire was dominant, the "Arian

heresy" was condemned; and the flame of controversy grew fiercer and

fiercer, and spread throughout Christendom.

CHAPTER VI.

THE ONE GREAT BATTLE OF CHRISTENDOM!

During the progress of these affairs, Constantine had thoroughly

satisfied himself, by the reports of his secret political agents in

Nicomedia and elsewhere, that the assurances which the Eusebii had given

to him that Licinius would not in any event move his fleet away from the

coasts of Asia were entirely trustworthy. The overthrow of the Gothic

church, which had been founded and edified by Ulfilas, had been followed

by a treaty of peace with that splendid people, whereby they had bound

themselves to furnish, whenever the service of the emperor required it,

forty thousand young men for the imperial army; these legions had long

ago been supplied, armed, and thoroughly exercised, and constituted in

themselves a magnificent army. The emperor had been triumphant

everywhere. "Confiding in the superiority of his genius and military

power," saith the historian Gibbon, "he determined, without any previous

injury, to exert them for the destruction of Licinius, whose advanced

age and unpopular vices seemed to promise an easy conquest. But the old

emperor, awakened by the approaching danger, deceived the expectations

of his friends as well as enemies. Calling forth that spirit and those

abilities by which he had deserved the friendship of Galerius and the

imperial purple, he prepared himself for the contest, collected the

forces of the East, and soon filled the plains of Hadrianople with his

troops, and the straits of the Hellespont with his fleet. The army

consisted of one hundred and fifty thousand foot and fifteen thousand

horse. The fleet was composed of three hundred and fifty galleys of

three ranks of oars.... The troops of Constantine were ordered to

rendezvous at Thessalonica. They numbered above one hundred and twenty

thousand horse and foot. Their emperor was satisfied with their martial

appearance, and his army contained more soldiers, though fewer men, than

that of his eastern competitor. The legions of Constantine were levied

in the warlike provinces of Europe; action had confirmed their

discipline; victory had elevated their hopes, and there were among them

a great number of veterans, who, after seventeen glorious campaigns

under the same leader, prepared themselves to deserve honorable

dismissal by a last effort of their valor. But the naval preparations

of Constantine were in every respect much inferior to those of Licinius.

The maritime cities of Greece sent their respective quotas of men and

ships to the celebrated harbor of Piraeus, and their united forces

consisted of no more than two hundred small vessels.... _It is only

surprising_ that the Eastern emperor, _who possessed so great a

superiority at sea_, should have neglected this opportunity of carrying

an offensive war into the center of his rival's dominions. Instead of

embracing such an active resolution, _which might have changed the whole

face of the war_, the prudent Licinius expected the approach of his

rival in a camp near Hadrianople, which he fortified with an anxious

care that betrayed his apprehensions of the event. Constantine directed

his march from Thessalonica toward that part of Thrace, till he found

himself stopped by the broad and rapid stream of the Hebrus, and

discovered the numerous army of Licinius, which filled the steep ascent

of the hill, from the river to the city of Hadrianople. Many days were

spent in doubtful skirmishes; but at length the obstacles of the passage

and of the attack were removed by the intrepid conduct of

Constantine.... The valor and danger of Constantine are attested by a

slight wound which he received in the thigh; but ... the victory was

obtained no less by the conduct of the general than by the courage of

the hero; for a body of five thousand archers marched round to occupy a

thick wood in the rear of the enemy, whose attention was distracted by

the building of the bridge; and Licinius, perplexed by so many artful

evolutions, was reluctantly drawn from his advantageous post to combat

on equal terms in the plain. The contest was no longer equal. His

confused multitude of new levies was easily vanquished by the veterans

of the West. Thirty-four thousand men are reported to have been slain.

The fortified camp of Licinius was taken by assault the evening of the

battle; the greater part of the fugitives, who had retired to the

mountains, surrendered themselves the next day to the discretion of the

conqueror; and his rival, who could no longer keep the field, confined

himself within the walls of Byzantium. The siege of Byzantium, which

was immediately undertaken by Constantine, was attended with great labor

and uncertainty. In the late civil war, the fortifications of that

place, so justly considered as the key of Europe and Asia, had been

repaired and strengthened; and _as long as Licinius remained master of

the sea_, the garrison was much less exposed to the danger of famine

than the army of the besiegers. The naval commanders of Constantine

were summoned to his camp, and received his positive orders to force the

passage of the Hellespont, _as the fleet of Licinius, instead of seeking

and destroying their feeble enemy, continued inactive in those narrow

straits, where its superiority of numbers was of little use or

advantage_. Crispus, the emperor's eldest son, was intrusted with the

execution of this daring enterprise, which he performed with so much

courage and success that he deserved the esteem, and most probably

excited the jealousy, of his father. The engagement lasted two days;

and in the evening of the first, the contending fleets, after

considerable mutual loss, retired to their respective harbors in Europe

and Asia. The second day, about noon, a strong south wind sprang up,

which carried the vessels of Crispus against the enemy, and as this

casual opportunity was improved by his skillful intrepidity, he soon

obtained a complete victory. For the current always sets out of the

Hellespont, and, when it is assisted by a north wind, no vessel can

attempt the passage, but a south wind renders the force thereof almost

imperceptible. One hundred and thirty vessels were destroyed, five

thousand men were slain, and Amandus, the admiral of the fleet, escaped

with the utmost difficulty to the shores of Chalcedon. As soon as the

Hellespont was open, a plentiful convoy of provisions flowed into the

camp of Constantine, who had already advanced the operations of the

siege. He constructed artificial mounds of earth of equal height with

the ramparts of Byzantium. The lofty towers which were erected on that

foundation galled the besieged with large stones and darts from the

military engines, and the battering-rams had shaken the walls in several

places. If Licinius persisted much longer in the defense, he exposed

himself to be involved in the ruin of the place. Before he was

surrounded, he prudently removed his person and his treasures to

Chalcedon, in Asia.... Such were the resources and such the abilities

of Licinius, that, after so many successive defeats, he collected in

Bithynia a new army of fifty or sixty thousand men, while the activity

of Constantine was employed in the siege of Byzantium. The vigilant

emperor did not, however, neglect the last struggles of his antagonist.

A considerable part of his victorious army was transported over the

Bosporus in small vessels, and the decisive engagement was fought soon

after their landing on the heights of Chrysopolis, now called Scutari.

The troops of Licinius, though they were lately raised, ill armed, and

worse disciplined, made head against the conquerors with fruitless but

desperate valor, till a total defeat, and a slaughter of five-and-twenty

thousand men, irretrievably determined the fate of their leader. He

retired to Nicomedia, rather with the view of gaining some time for

negotiation, than with the hope of any effectual defense. Constantia,

his wife, the sister of Constantine, interceded with her brother in

favor of her husband, and obtained from his policy, rather than from his

compassion, a solemn promise, confirmed by an oath, that, after the

resignation of the purple, Licinius should be permitted to pass the

remainder of his life in peace and affluence.... By this victory of

Constantine the Roman world was again united under one emperor,

thirty-seven years after Diocletian had divided his power and provinces

with his associate Maximian.... The foundation of Constantinople, and

the _legal establishment_ of the Christian religion, were the immediate

and memorable consequences of this revolution."

If the victory had been otherwise, the face of history might have been

entirely changed: the Christian communities might have been permitted to

maintain their original communal organization, at least in the Eastern

Church, and Christ might still have had a kingdom upon earth. If

Licinius had employed his naval superiority in offensive war, instead of

keeping it cooped up under the shores of Asia, "in those narrow straits

where its superiority of numbers was of little use or advantage," the

probabilities are that he might have maintained his power at least in

the East; but the Eusebii had "neutralized" the mighty fleet by that

which Constantine denominated "the prophecy of Gaius of Chalcis," and

Christianity was subverted everywhere, and the "legal establishment" of

Constantine usurped its place.

Almost immediately Constantine proceeded to mark out the boundaries of

the city--Constantinople--which prescient John had seen from rocky

Patmos; and he traced the boundaries thereof, going on foot with a spear

in his hand, and declared that in so doing he was acting in obedience to

the directions of God; and when those who were with him remonstrated

against his tracing so vast a space for a city, the emperor replied: "I

shall advance till He, the invisible guide who marches before me, thinks

proper to stop." And so he laid off the boundaries of the city upon

seven great hills, which included the ancient site of Byzantium, and

soon began to lay the foundations, and to plan and to build the palaces,

theatres, circus, amphitheatre, and churches of Constantinople.

About the same time the emperor became greatly interested in the

preparation of new copies of the Scriptures, and especially of the

epistles of John; and he had learned clerks and skillful writers

constantly employed in making copies in the new, running Greek text,

which was lately come into use, and was more easy and beautiful than the

uncial letters of an earlier age; and he distributed them to the bishops

throughout the Roman Empire. And next he sent letters to all of the

bishops, requesting them to meet in a solemn council of the whole

Christian Church, at the city of Nicea, upon a designated day, in order

to discuss and settle the disputed questions by which the world was

agitated. And in conformity with this royal request, or order, in the

year 325 was assembled the most remarkable body of men that the

exigencies of political or religious life hath ever convened together in

the history of the world; for it was the first oecumenical council ever

called in Christendom, those which had preceded it having been assembled

by the Christian bishops, of their own accord, and not by the authority

of a prince or emperor, whose power was said to rule the habitable earth

([Greek: _Oikoumene_]).

The letter which Constantine addressed to the bishops was as follows:

"That there is nothing more honorable in my sight than religion is, I

believe, manifest to every man. Now, because the Synod of Bishops at

Ancyra, of Galatia, consented formerly that it should be so, it hath now

seemed unto us, on many accounts, that it would be well for it to be

assembled at Nice, a city of Bithynia; because the bishops of Italy, and

of the rest of the countries of Europe, are coming, and because of the

excellent temperature of the air, and because I shall be at hand as a

spectator and participator of what is done. Wherefore I signify to you,

my beloved brethren, that ye, all of you, promptly assemble at the city

I spoke of, that is Nice. Let every one of you, therefore, diligently

inquire into that which is profitable, in order that, as I before said,

without any delay, we may speedily come to be a present spectator of

those things which are done by the same. God keep you, my beloved

brethren!"

The reasons assigned by the emperor for calling the Council of Nicea

were first and chiefly that "the Synod of Ancyra" (which had been called

by the bishops without the interference of any secular authority) "had

formerly consented" to meet in a general council at Nice, and that "the

bishops of Italy and of Europe would be there," and that "the air of the

place was of an excellent temperature," and that their coming into

Bithynia would afford the emperor an opportunity to be "a spectator of

their proceedings." There was no intimation given that the emperor

desired to preside over their council, or to control its action, or to

force its deliberations to assume any political significance whatever,

or to compel it to take such action as must inevitably result in the

subversion of the Christian polity and the establishment of an entirely

different church system. The letter was based first upon the consent

given by the Council of Ancyra and then upon matters of expediency, and

in no respect did it question the absolute right of the bishops to meet

where they might please, and to deliberate without the intermeddling of

secular authority. So, at least, it seemed to all the bishops of the

Eastern Church, except a small number who had been, to a greater or less

degree, leavened by the leaven of ecclesiasticism. On the face of it

the letter was as full a recognition of the freedom of the bishops, and

as full a recognition of the Christian polity which had for three

centuries held all property in common, as was the celebrated Edict of

Milan, in which Constantine and Licinius had united in commanding the

officers of the Roman world to restore the property of Christians as

_communal_ property, the language of that edict being as follows: "All

of which will be necessary to be delivered up _to the body of the

Christians_ without delay. And since the Christians themselves are known

to have had not only those places where they were accustomed to meet,

but other places also, _belonging not to individuals among them_, but to

the _right of the whole body_ of Christians, you will also command all

these, by virtue of the law before mentioned, without any hesitation, to

be restored to the same Christians, _that is to their body_, and to

_each conventicle separately_."

But already the bishops of the Western Empire, with Hosius and Eusebius

at their head, had come to understand that while Constantine cared

little about any matter of faith, he had determined to utterly destroy

the Christian polity, especially in regard to communism and the refusal

of Christians to bear arms. The regulations by which their journeys

were governed prescribed that they should come at the emperor's expense,

and that "each bishop should be accompanied by a retinue of two

presbyters and three slaves."

At and near the appointed time there were bishops and presbyters

assembled from the four quarters of the world--from Persia and from

Gaul, from Scythia and from Africa. There were many who were the

victims of pagan persecutions, and still bore in their own persons the

marks of the tortures to which they had been subjected. This one had

lost an eye, gouged out by the torturer's sword or pincers; that one had

the sinews of his leg seared with hot iron to keep him from escaping

from the mines, to which he had been condemned for the crime of being a

Christian; and the other had had the flesh scraped off his ribs by the

instruments of torture. Of the whole number present, it was believed

that only the eleven who came from the remotest East had escaped

mutilation in some ghastly form.

Arius, although not a bishop, was there by the express order of

Constantine, who could always sleep upon his vengeance, but never could

forget nor forego it. The place of the assembly's sessions was a great

hall in the imperial palace of Nicea. The bishops and presbyters,

assembled upon the emperor's order, traveling at his expense, to the

immediate vicinity of Nicomedia, then the imperial residence, into a

royal palace, and fed by his bounty, were from the very first the

creatures of Constantine, so far as complete control of the political

significancy of religion could make them so.

The emperor had only two great purposes to accomplish in patronizing the

Church and engineering the council: one of which was to make the Eastern

Church as willingly and thoroughly dependent upon the imperial authority

as he had already practically made that of the West, and to render it as

much a bulwark of his government; the other was to render this condition

of things, in appearance at least, the spontaneous and inspired action

of a free conclave of bishops.

As for the theological verity of their doctrines or practice, the royal

atheist cared not a denarius. His object was to make the Church as much

a part of the imperial power as a legion might be, its bishops as much

his agents and servants as the military officers; and to uproot and cast

out the only essential features of Christianity which tended to

segregate the Christians into a separate and distinct body in the

empire, by subverting "the kingdom of heaven" with its communistic

organization, that excluded war, slavery, and mammon-worship from the

communities of the faithful, so that no man should feel that because he

was a Christian he was therefore more free, or less a subject of the

empire! This he proposed to do by inducing the council to define the

faith and prescribe temporal penalties for heresy, which were to be

enforced by the emperor's authority, just as were the judgments of the

magistrates against violators of the criminal laws: the action of the

council was to make an offense against the Church a crime against the

imperial law. Subject to the accomplishment of these purposes, he

really desired that they might reach conclusions as nearly unanimous as

possible; for he was as anxious to avoid the creating of parties and

classes in the Church as he was to avoid sowing discord among his other

subjects.

Upon the assembling of the council, Eusebius of Caesarea, "in metrical

prose, if not in actual verses, recited an address to the emperor, and

then a hymn of thanksgiving to the Almighty for the victory over

Licinius." Thereupon Constantine addressed the council in the Latin

language, which his dragoman immediately interpreted into Greek, as

follows: "It has, my friends, been the object of my highest wishes to

enjoy your sacred company, and, having obtained this, I confess my

thankfulness to the King of all that, in addition to all my other

blessings, he has granted to me this greatest of all--I mean, to receive

you all assembled together, and to see one, common, harmonious opinion

of all. Let, then, no envious enemy injure our happiness, and, after

the destruction of the impious power of the tyrants by the might of God

our Saviour, let not the spirit of evil overwhelm the divine law with

blasphemies: for to me far worse than any war or battle is the civil war

of the Church of God--yea, far more fearful than the wars which have

waged without. As, then, by the assent and co-operation of a higher

power, I have gained my victories over my enemies, I thought that

nothing remained but to give God thanks, and to rejoice with those who

have been delivered by me. But since I learned of your divisions,

contrary to all expectation, I gave the report my first consideration;

and, praying that this also might be healed through my assistance, I

called you all together without delay. I rejoice at the mere sight of

your assembly: but the moment that I shall consider the chief

fulfillment of my prayers will be when I see you all joined together in

heart and soul, and determining on one peaceful harmony for all, which

it should well become you, who are consecrated to God, to preach to

others. Do not, then, delay, my friends; do not delay, ministers of

God, and good servants of our common Lord and Saviour, to remove all

grounds of difference, and to wind up, by laws of peace, every link of

controversy. Thus will you have done what is most pleasing to the God

who is over all, and you will render the greatest boon to me your

fellow-servant."

"The council was now formally opened, and the emperor gave permission to

the presidents of the assembly to commence their proceedings"; and the

Bishops of Alexandria, Cordova, Antioch, and Caesarea, were chosen to

preside over their deliberations: of whom Hosius, Alexander, and

Eusebius, were politicians thoroughly imbued with the ecclesiastical

spirit and purposes of the emperor, although the last-named bishop was

the warm personal friend of Arius, and a follower of his theological

tenets. Constantine himself assumed the functions of a bishop, and

participated in all their debates, "directing all his energies to that

one point which he himself described as his aim--a unanimity of

decision" as to all merely theological disputes. For, even before the

council had met, innumerable complaints of one bishop against another

had been placed in his hands; so that he was satisfied that one great

design he had in view was already accomplished: for this fact showed

that already they regarded him as the ultimate judge--the real source of

all authority in the Church (instead of Christ), as truly as he was in

the state. All of these complaints, therefore, he publicly burned in

their presence, with a solemn oath that he had not read any of them, and

he said, "It is the command of Christ that he who desires to be himself

forgiven, must first forgive his brother."

But the very strongest proof that the emperor was lying, was the fact

that he made oath to his statement; and perhaps there was not a thing

named in any of the complaints, that could give him a hold upon any

bishop, that was not carefully preserved.

The first matter which came before this august assembly was the question

whether the Christian passover ("Easter") should be celebrated on the

same day with the Jewish (the fourteenth day of the month Nisan), or on

the following Sunday. And the bitter feeling of many of the Christians

that "the celebration of it on the same day that was kept by the wicked

race that put the Saviour to death was an impious absurdity," on one

side, and the reverence on the other side for a custom which had come

down from the apostles, gave rise to a long controversy on the subject;

but it was finally "determined by common consent" that the ancient

custom should be set aside, and the more recent Christian practice

established.

During these proceedings, Arius the Libyan took no part whatever in the

discussions or business of the council, but sat as a quiet and attentive

spectator of their deliberations. Many of them, knowing his great

erudition and holy character, consulted him privately, and he fully gave

them the benefit of his learning and opinions. Arius was now sixty

years of age, and was greatly changed from the bright and happy youth

whom we knew at Baucalis; greatly changed even from the broken-hearted

but ever-diligent, earnest, and eloquent presbyter of the earlier years

of his ministry at Alexandria. "He is tall and thin, apparently unable

to support his stature; he has an odd way of contorting and twisting

himself, which his enemies compare to the wrigglings of a snake. He

would be handsome, but for the emaciation and deadly pallor of his face,

and a downcast look imparted by a weakness of eye-sight. At times his

veins throb and swell, and his limbs tremble, as if suffering from some

violent internal complaint, the same, perhaps, that will terminate one

day in his sudden and frightful death. There is a wild look about him,

that is at first sight startling. His dress and demeanor are those of a

rigid ascetic. He wears a long coat with short sleeves, such as the

monks wore to indicate that their hands were not made for injury, and a

scarf of only half size, such as was the mark of an austere life; and

his hair hangs in tangled masses about his head. He is usually silent,

but at times breaks out into fierce excitement, such as will give the

impression of madness. Yet with all this there is a sweetness in his

voice, and a winning, earnest manner, which fascinate those who come

across him. Among the religious ladies of Alexandria he is said to have

had from the first a following of not less than seven hundred. This

strange, captivating, moon-struck giant is the heretic Arius, or, as his

adversaries call him, the madman of Ares, or Mars": and the description

given here of him is not that of a partisan of his own, but of a

Trinitarian ecclesiastic.

Many sittings of the council passed, day after day, in which the paschal

controversy, the Melitian schism, and other matters of a theological

character, were discussed and determined, but the heretic remained

utterly silent. He was ever ready to give aid, advice, counsel, and

furnish references to authorities, to those who applied to him, but not

once did he open his lips to speak to the assembly. But the purpose of

Constantine to crush him wavered not, and the emperor had one rare

quality--he knew how to wait.

One evening, after the close of the council's daily session, the ancient

Bishop Alexander, accompanied by his young Archdeacon Athanasius, was

proceeding toward his lodgings, when Marcellus, the Bishop of Ancyra,

accosted him: "Hail, bishop! From what thou didst tell me of his

fierce, aggressive nature, I am astonished to find that the Libyan

madman continueth so quiet. How is it that thou hast called him

vehement, fierce, eloquent, and controversial?"

"He hath some secret end in view," replied the bishop, "and I can not

fathom his purposes. But on to-morrow, Athanasius, who speaketh for me

in the council, shall provoke him to some reply, and thou mayst then

judge of his quiet disposition for thyself."

"Good enough," said Marcellus. "No man can pick a quarrel with an

oyster that keepeth its shell closed."

CHAPTER VII.

THE SUBVERSION OF THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH.

On the next meeting of the council, Hosius, Bishop of Cordova, offered a

resolution that the Church should make a decree requiring all the

married clergy to separate from their wives and lead lives of celibacy.

Some objected to this, on the ground that the practice of the Church had

never prohibited the marriage of clergymen of any rank; others insisted

on adopting the rule, because clerical marriages, besides other

inconveniences, would tend to make the office of bishop an hereditary

one, and so elevate improper persons to that sacred place. But the

chief opposition "came from a most unexpected quarter. From among the

Egyptian bishops stepped out into the midst, looking out of his one

remaining eye, and halting on his paralyzed leg, the old

hermit-confessor, Paphnutius. With a roar of indignation rather than a

speech, he broke into the debate: 'Lay not this heavy yoke on the

clergy. Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled. By

exaggerated strictness you will do the Church more harm than good. All

can not bear such an ascetic rule. The wives themselves will suffer

from it. Marriage itself is continence. It is enough for a man to keep

from marriage after he has been ordained, according to the ancient

custom, but do not separate him from the wife whom once for all he

married when he was a layman!'

"His speech produced a profound impression. His own austere life and

unblemished celibacy gave force to every word he uttered."

The resolution, or proposition, was voted down, but the discussion of it

gave Athanasius the opportunity he wanted. Having arisen with that

almost irresistible grace and suavity which distinguished him, the

beautiful young man, in a light, musical, mocking tone, that must have

been terribly irritating to a grave and reverend presbyter like Arius,

spoke as follows: "I greatly marvel, brethren, that we have not enjoyed

the benefit of that princely readiness and strength in debate for which

the very learned presbyter Arius hath so great reputation, upon this

important question. Surely a minister who is reputed to have at his

beck and call, day or night, rain or shine, more than seven hundred

virgins and widows in our good city of Alexandria, ought to be able,

from his own experience, to give us wise counsel concerning the celibacy

of the clergy. I hope that he will do so."

The brilliant, smiling youth resumed his seat, and every eye was turned

upon the Libyan, but he neither rose nor answered. The grand, shaggy

head bent slightly forward, and a momentary gleam shone in the somber

eyes; while a peculiar shiver passed over his whole frame, the python's

idiopathic legacy, and a weary sigh exhaled through the ashy lips; but

he took not even the slightest notice of Athanasius, nor of his flippant

speech. It was manifest that all of them expected him to say something,

knowing the readiness and splendor of his oratory, but he was utterly

silent; and this silence, following the young archdeacon's sally against

him, seemed to indicate an unpleasant state of feeling--or what did it

indicate?

"He could browbeat his bishop in Alexandria," whispered a bishop to

Eusebius of Nicomedia, "but he quaileth in the presence of the emperor."

But Eusebius answered: "He quaileth not for any man; but he answereth

not, because to do so might be to recognize this assembly _as a council

of the Church_, and that he hath not yet done by speech or act."

Then the headstrong and violent Marcellus, Bishop of Ancyra, cried out

in fierce, defiant tones: "Hearest thou not the friendly utterances of

Athanasius, who speaketh for Alexander, thy bishop? or dost thou carry

thyself so high as to treat with contempt thy learned and venerable

bishop, thou iron-hearted heretic, that thou answerest nothing?"

The Libyan turned his head slightly, and, fixing his sad eyes upon

Marcellus, gazed upon him steadily, quietly, compassionately, but did

not utter a word; and immediately there was a clamor throughout the

assembly, some condemning the intemperate words and manner of the Bishop

of Ancyra, and some the seeming insolence of Arius. Then the Emperor

Constantine arose, and forthwith the clamor subsided, and the emperor

said: "I have often and earnestly desired that peace and Christian

charity might characterize our deliberations. The remarks and the

manner of the Bishop of Ancyra are hasty and uncalled for; but the

obstinate silence of the presbyter indicateth a proud and scornful

mind--for it is known to all that the young archdeacon speaketh for the

holy Bishop Alexander because of his age and feebleness; and if thou

dost decline to notice the brilliant Athanasius because of his youth,

thou must not despise thy venerable superior who speaketh through him.

I command thee, therefore, to answer as if Alexander himself had

addressed thee."

The emperor sat down, and a murmur of admiration and applause ran

through the entire assembly. Then the mighty heretic arose, and in his

sweet, incisive, penetrating voice, answered: "By command of Augustus,

the emperor, whose legal subject I have become by the defeat and death

of the late Emperor Licinius, I arise to declare that if any one

supposeth I did fail to notice the remarks of the young, learned, and

eloquent archdeacon, because of any feeling of scorn for his youth, or

for his office, or because of any uncharity toward him, or any one else

in this assembly, he doeth me much injustice. This, it seemeth to me,

is well proved by the fact, which ye all do know, that during the weeks

that ye have been assembled, I have taken no part in any discussion,

ecclesiastical or political, in which ye have engaged. Because I am not

an officer of the Roman government, civil, military, or judicial, and

have not thought it to be consistent with the position and duties of a

presbyter of the Church of Jesus Christ to assume the right to take part

in the business of a royal council, seeing that my life hath been

devoted to religious affairs which belong to our Lord, and not to civil,

military, or judicial functions which pertain unto the emperor, I

supposed that it would be as indecent and presumptuous for me to meddle

with the business of the empire, by virtue of my office, as it would be

for a Roman judge, or centurion, to intrude into my church and preach

the gospel by virtue of his judicial or military rank. If it had been

otherwise, I might have had something to say when I perceived that the

royal authority offered a gross insult to Christ and to his Church by

making _Elia Capitolina_, the ancient Jerusalem, the oldest and most

honored see in Christendom, secondary to new Nicomedia, in order to

accommodate ecclesiastical departments to the other political divisions

of the empire; nor would I speak at all except at the command of the

emperor."

Having thus spoken, Arius took his seat. The words opened up plainly

and unmistakably the vast difference that separated the Christianity of

the first three centuries from the imperial Church of Constantine: the

allegiance that belonged to Jesus alone was in process of being

transferred to the emperor. It was to extirpate this very freedom of

conscience, this very liberty of the gospel that acknowledged no master

but Christ, that Constantine had convened the council; and although he

had known that the question must come up, and must be met, and although

he had been for years, and especially since the summoning of the

bishops, using every artifice, argument, and influence, and urging his

ablest agents, to be prepared for it when it might come, he and his

partisans had determined that it should be raised out of proceedings to

be instituted against Arius upon charges of heresy; but the wonderful

adroitness with which the great presbyter had changed the face of the

whole matter, and had actually put both the emperor and his council on

the defensive, took Constantine utterly by surprise, and for a moment he

lost even his marvelous self-control, and cried out in a voice of

thunder, "Then why art thou here?"

And Arius, with scintillant eyes, but in placid, melodious tones,

responded: "I came hither upon the written order of the emperor, as I

supposed it to be the duty of a law-abiding subject to do; but certainly

not as an officer of the Roman government, entitled to participate in

royal businesses."

This calm and dignified reply still more clearly revealed to all the

assembly the fact that their enthusiastic love for Constantine had too

much blinded their eyes to the undeniable truth that the council was

oecumenical, not apostolical--the affair of the emperor, not of the

Christ. This reply was not ostensibly connected with any heretical

teachings of Arius, or of any one else, and raised no question of

orthodoxy at all; it struck at the very tap-roots of the whole movement.

"Whose council is this?" was the question that each involuntarily asked

himself, and it was manifest that the simple, unobjectionable words of

the Libyan produced a profound impression upon many hearts that began to

consider whether the fact that the council was royal did not imply in

itself the fact that it was not Christian, but was really treasonable

toward Christ; and in the midst of the solemn silence caused by such

anxious meditation, the virulent and incautious Bishop of Ancyra cried

out: "Who art thou that censurest the victorious and holy emperor, and

condemnest the oecumenical council of the Church with thy sly,

serpentine wriggle and speech? Art thou not Arius the heretic? Arius

the defamer of the Son of God? thou bold scorner of the Holy Trinity!

thou cunning madman!"

But Arius only looked upon the furious bishop with a sad and pitying

smile.

Then Constantine cried out: "Answer thou the bishop!"

Then, still quietly and pleasantly, with a peculiar, mesmeric light in

his somber eyes, and strange, thrilling sibilation in his penetrating

voice, Arius arose and said: "By the command of Augustus I answer that I

have not censured the emperor, nor condemned the council. As to my

being a heretic, I only reply that, if this thing be true, it is no

concern of the emperor's, who hath never been ordained to be the keeper

of my conscience. It is an affair entirely between the

Master--Christ--and his servant Arius. For ye all do know that there is

no Roman law prescribing what we must believe or disbelieve, since the

persecutors lost power to enforce obedience to their laws prescribing

faith in false gods, by the infliction of tortures and death, against

those who for conscience' sake refused to obey. But ye know that

neither Jesus nor his apostles ever denounced, nor authorized any human

being to denounce, a temporal penalty for heresy; for the Church only

prescribes that ye should refuse to fellowship the obdurate heretic, or

disobedient person; and I trust you far enough to believe that if any

pagan emperor, or any human authority, should enact laws requiring you

to believe, or to do, anything contrary to good conscience, ye would be

faithful Christians enough to refuse obedience to such laws, as our

fathers from the beginning have gloriously done. For this is a matter

between each man and his God only; not between him and the government

which exercises dominion over him. This the Church hath held from the

beginning; and when the heathen laws did prescribe that ye who are here

assembled should do and believe things contrary to Christ and to

conscience, ye did refuse, so that every bishop here, except those

eleven who come from the remotest East, hath endured tortures rather

than obey the human laws. If, therefore, I be a heretic, as brother

Marcellus of Ancyra ignorantly supposeth, what have the empire or its

laws to do with that? Why speak ye of orthodoxy, or of heterodoxy, in a

great royal, political assembly like this; unless, perhaps, some of ye

are willing to believe that the great and powerful emperor is also a

god, having charge of your faith and conscience, as well as of your

political condition; so that what the law of Constantine shall prescribe

as right to be believed and done shall be your rule of faith and

practice, and not what our Lord Christ hath prescribed? For me, a poor

presbyter of the Christian Church, to assume the right to deliberate

upon and prescribe laws for the empire would be gross impudence and

arrogance; for any human authority to usurp the right to make laws

controlling the faith of Christ's Church, would be as gross a sacrilege.

Was Constantine crucified for you? Or were ye baptized into his name?

And do ye hope for salvation by faith in and obedience to him? I was

not. I have come, therefore, hither in obedience to the imperial

mandate, and have spoken by the emperor's command. As to the empire, I

have no authority and no desire to make laws for it; as to my Christian

faith, no man nor angel hath right or power to meddle therewith, or to

prescribe laws for it. It is a thing between my soul and its Saviour,

whom I have served all my life long in spite of imperial laws, and whom

I will continue to serve, no matter what laws may be enacted. Brethren,

will ye do likewise? or will ye now deny the Christ?"

For an instant the old man raised his tall form upright, the shaggy head

sprang forward upon the long, peculiar neck, and the somber, sad eyes

rested upon almost every face. Then quietly he resumed his seat.

Athanasius, Hosius, Constantine, and others, saw at the same instant

that against the impregnable position taken by Arius no assault could

prosper. They knew that constant and almost imperceptible steps had

been necessary for years to seduce any large section of the Western

Church from that very position, and that the church which Ulfilas had

planted among the Goths had only been driven therefrom by the merciless

use of fire and sword. They knew well that the line of demarkation

between all earthly kingdoms and the kingdom of Christ in the world was

clearly and unmistakably drawn, consisting not alone in faith and

sentiment, but in a social and political policy which had been for three

centuries the glory of Christianity, and had been so fearfully

illustrated by recent persecutions under Licinius in the East, that the

council could not be deluded in reference thereto; and they were seeking

with anxious solicitude to find some way to avoid further discussion

upon the matter, which might arouse an interest in it that would

dissolve the council upon the point which the Libyan urged, that the

Church could not meet in oecumenical council at the order of an emperor,

and make decrees to be forced by imperial law, without forsaking Christ.

Long before the bold presbyter had ceased to speak, the emperor had

determined in his own mind that it was necessary to gain time for

consultation and for concerted action, and especially necessary to stop

the discussion of this dangerous question as to the right of a royal

council to legislate for the Church of Christ--the tendency of which was

obviously to separate the Church from imperialism altogether, rather

than to accomplish his determined purpose of blending the Church with

imperial law and make himself head of both. As soon, therefore, as the

heretic sat down, at a sign from the emperor, Alexander and Hosius

adjourned the council until the following day.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE ABDICATION OF CONSTANTINE.

There is little doubt but upon that night so many of the council favored

the views of the Libyan, that if a vote had been taken upon the point

urged by him, the council would have resolved that its own organization

was contrary to Christ; was an effort thoughtlessly made to put

Constantine in place of Jesus at the head of the Church, and would have

dissolved itself, until summoned to convene by the agreement of the

bishops only. Almost the whole night was spent in anxious consultation

between those bishops who were ready to maintain the freedom of the

Church at any hazard, and the great heresiarch, whom they instinctively

recognized as leader of the struggle in favor of religious liberty, as

to the most available path of escape from the dangerous and unchristian

position into which they had been led by their zeal and love for the

emperor who protected the Church from persecution. Arius told them

plainly that if the Church of Christ was to be governed by an

oecumenical or royal council, its independence was gone; and in place of

being the "kingdom of heaven" upon earth, which our Lord had organized,

the Church must become a human institution--part of the empire of

Constantine, or of any other prince or power to whom its members might

be subject; its faith and policy dictated by Roman law, not by the word

of God; its doctrines dependent upon the mutations of government, not

upon the teachings of Jesus: a thing by which the cause of Christ is

verily betrayed. There were none in the council who did not perceive

this truth, although there were some who were for Constantine, even

against Jesus himself.

During nearly the whole night, also, Hosius, Athanasius, Eustatius,

Marcellus, Constantine, and others, were engaged in eager consultation,

but seemed unable to find any solution of the difficulty. And the next

morning Athanasius reported to the emperor that the more they had

considered the matter, the more difficult and dangerous it had appeared;

and that the only way to avoid serious risk of dissolving the council

was to avoid all discussion upon its right to sit for the Church, and to

let Arius alone as long as he might appear disposed to remain quiet.

Many hearts were burdened with anxiety, and Eusebius of Caesarea was

especially oppressed with deep concern.

"And if the council when assembled shall sustain the views of Arius," he

had once asked Constantine, "what then?" and the emperor had answered,

"A religious war, perhaps, or a return to paganism!"

But to Athanasius and others who urged the necessity of temporizing with

Arius, and avoiding all discussion of the vital points which the heretic

lost no opportunity of forcing upon them, Constantine finally said: "I

will make no compromise with the Libyan; it is necessary to crush that

serpent's head, and I will do it! He hath certainly evinced marvelous

skill, intelligence, and daring, in forcing an issue upon us which we do

not desire to determine; he would have made a magnificent general; but I

will ruin him to-day. Rest ye all in peace."

And when the council assembled, all of them filled with anxiety as to

what might occur, and many of them determined, even at the risk of

martyrdom, not to take any further part in the deliberations of an

imperial conclave such as they clearly perceived that one to be, the

emperor arose first of all, and, with wonderful grace and ease,

addressed them as follows: "Ye know my love for all of you, my friends,

and my zeal for the cause of Christ. But some among you have taken

offense, and have even doubted the propriety or binding force of your

own decrees upon the conscience of Christians, because it hath appeared

to you that the emperor hath assumed authority over you in regard to

matters of faith. This is surely a grave mistake. To correct this

false and injurious impression, I here commit to your presiding bishops

my ring, my sword, and my scepter; and unto you I give power this day

over mine empire, to do in it whatever you think fit for the promotion

of religion and for the advantage of the faithful. Ye are the

law-makers of the Church of Christ, and not him whom God hath made

Emperor of Rome. Proceed with your sacred business in your own time and

way. If ye shall deem it to be necessary to remove even the most

intangible objection of the cavilers to do so, ye can dissolve the

council, return to your homes, and let the bishops reassemble when and

where ye will. But if, being already assembled at some expense of time

and trouble, ye deem it more expedient now to constitute yourselves into

a church council, do so in your own time and manner. Farewell!"

And, having so spoken, the emperor bowed gracefully to the admiring

assembly and withdrew. But almost immediately Hosius, Bishop of

Cordova, proposed, and without a dissenting voice the council voted,

that a deputation of bishops be appointed to inform the emperor that the

Church had met in council, and to request him to return and bestow upon

them the benefit of his great wisdom and Christian zeal, in aid of their

deliberations; and smilingly the emperor returned.

The action of the emperor was just that of the pre-eminently greatest

politician; and Arius, then first fully realizing the vast intellectual

resources of the most consummate statesman whom the world has seen,

murmured unto himself, "Again is Christ betrayed into the hands of

wicked men!" And thenceforward calmly, almost indifferently, he looked

forward to what he supposed to be his own impending doom; for he well

knew that Constantine spared no human life that, even by chance, might

seem to stand in the way of his self-aggrandizement: and if his

marvelous sagacity could conceive and execute such an act as he had just

accomplished, what was there of which he could be incapable?

Then the bishop Hosius of Cordova said: "Brethren, it is manifest that

the technical objections which found place in the consciences of some

among us, based upon the seeming authority of our most glorious and

Christian emperor over us, have been thoroughly eradicated by his own

most wise, pious, and unsolicited condescension, and that we sit now as

an absolutely independent body for the consideration of the business and

doctrines of the Church of Christ, as much as if we had come of our own

motion originally from the ends of the earth, without the generous and

Christian liberality of our royal friend and protector. Let us,

therefore, proceed with our deliberations to secure the prosperity of

the Church of our blessed Lord!"

In this sentiment all concurred; and even the dullest among them

immediately perceived that the crafty act of Constantine had cut out

from under the great heretic the only sure foundation upon which he

might have builded, and had left him at the mercy of the emperor.

For many days the great council proceeded with its business, and

sometimes their differences gave rise to excited and earnest debate, in

which the easy, marvelous, persuasive eloquence and irresistible manners

of Athanasius raised the brilliant youth to the highest place in the

opinions of all; in which the magnificent Spaniard Hosius fully

maintained the almost apostolic reverence that had long been given to

his great age, vast erudition, and grand character; and in which both

the Eusebii added to their former wide-spread reputation for learning,

piety, and influence. Many other names, before that time almost unknown

beyond the local limits of their own churches and bishoprics, became

celebrated throughout Christendom for various excellences or for

striking characteristics. Only the sad-eyed and seemingly broken-hearted

presbyter Arius appeared to be indifferent to the course of business,

and silent during the discussion of questions upon which all knew he

might have brought to bear an unequaled mass of erudition, illumined by

the strong light of genius, if he had cared to do so.

Gradually, little by little, no one knew how, the conviction spread

throughout the great assembly that the man Arius was doomed, and that

there was no possibility of escape for him; and day by day they were

awaiting the institution of proceedings against him which would be the

beginning of the end anticipated. None knew whence this weird

impression arose, and few ever spoke of it: for no man that ever ruled

on earth knew better how to create or how to guide for his own purposes

that intangible, remorseless, and murderous influence to which in later

times we have applied the expression "public opinion" than did the

wonderful Emperor Constantine, ages before other statesmen recognized

even the existence of such a force. And through the more gifted agents,

lay and clerical, who were devoted to him heart and soul, the impression

that the Libyan must be condemned grew imperceptibly but unceasingly

stronger. Without knowing why, the enemies of the great presbyter

became daily more self-confident and aggressive; without knowing why,

the lukewarm and undecided souls that form a considerable segment of

every large assembly, insensibly withdrew themselves from his support,

and drifted more and more into the sentiment of his foes; and, without

knowing why, the few, strong, brave, earnest men, who decidedly clung to

his opinions and unswervingly loved the man, began to concentrate their

forces and husband their resources for some desperate and decisive

struggle which they instinctively felt to be approaching.