Christian, an ascetic, a genuine bishop."* And, even at this distant period, we may add the tribute of our thankfulness; for Athanasius was the instrument, in the hands of his God, of preserving the Catholic faith " pure and undefiled.” So now his childish anticipations were fulfilled; and Athanasius was installed Patriarch of Alexandria, A.D. 326. The young prelate immediately commenced his episcopal labours with great energy. We find him visiting throughout his diocese; teaching, and reforming all abuses. At this time, he became acquainted with St. Anthony, who has been considered as the first hermit, and founder of the monastic system. Probably, however, there had been many before him who had dedicated their lives in like manner to God, but, unknown to fame, "Their names decay, Their fragrance passes quite away; But they shall flourish from the tomb, The breath of God shall wake them into od❜rous bloom."† St. Anthony's hermit life was not of the gloomy character afterwards prevalent among some pious men who retired from the world. We are told that his hermitage was at the foot of a high and rocky † Keble. * Hist. Tracts, ii. 9. mountain, from which welled forth a stream of limpid water, bordered by palms, which afforded an agreeable shade. The saint planted vines and shrubs around him, and cultivated fruit-trees and vegetables. We can well imagine the relief and soothing influence which Athanasius, who might already feel the burden of his episcopal cares heavy on him, would find in this tranquil spot, and in the friendship and communion of its gentle and devout inhabitant.* But soon he must return to Alexandria, and enter upon the sea of troubles which awaited him in his steady course of acting as God's especial minister. The Emperor Constantine had been over-persuaded by the subtle opponents of the truth, whọ cared not by what falsehoods they gained their end, that Arius was unjustly sentenced; and accordingly he issued his imperial mandate to Athanasius to receive the excommunicated heretic into the pale of the Church. "But Constantine found to his astonishment, that an imperial edict, which would have been obeyed in trembling submission from one end of the Roman empire to the other, even if it had enacted a complete political revolution, or endangered the pro * St. Athanasius wrote the life of St. Anthony at a subsequent period. perty and privileges of thousands, was received. with deliberate and steady disregard by a single Christian bishop."* The emperor threatened to depose him. But Athanasius, trusting in the goodness of his cause, and the support of Him Whose cause it was, answered with respectful dignity, "that the Catholic Church could not possibly hold communion with that heresy which plainly subverted the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ." So unexpected an assertion of an authority higher than the imperial, displeased Constantine not a little; and the heretics who surrounded him lost no opportunity of stimulating his wrath against the holy bishop. At last he summoned Athanasius to Nicomedia, to answer certain unfounded accusations, of which some were merely childish, but from all of which he cleared himself, so that Constantine owned the prelate to be guiltless, and, on Athanasius' return to his see, wrote to the Church of Alexandria a letter in high commendation of their primate. This calm, however, was of short duration. the year 335, St. Athanasius was again summoned to appear before the Synod of Tyre, and the same accusations were renewed against him. One of these was of the blackest nature. The holy patriarch was accused of having privately murdered Arsenius, an * Milman. In Egyptian bishop, who was a heretic, and of having cut off the hand of his victim for the purposes of magic. But God did not leave his faithful servant alone to bear the outrages of his enemies. The deceitful Arsenius had come privately, and, as he imagined, in complete disguise to Tyre; but God, Who brings to light the hidden things of darkness, so ordered matters, that he was seen and recognized by the Bishop of Tyre, who took him into custody. When Athanasius stood before the tribunal, his false accusers came forward, proved their facts, and even produced the hand of the murdered man. Calm and unmoved, Athanasius demanded whether any there present had known Arsenius personally? Many replied that they had. At that moment a man was brought into court, his person concealed in his mantle. When it was removed, the spectators at once recognized Arsenius. The archbishop showed to the court his two hands, and with quiet sarcasm observed, that the Creator had given two hands to man, his enemies must prove how Arsenius had become possessed of a third. This charge, of course, fell to the ground; but there remained another, namely that an official of the patriarch's had profaned some sacred vessels belonging to a church in his diocese. Satisfactory evidence was indeed produced that the whole accusation was an imposture, but in vain. However, before the sentence of deposition could be pronounced, Athanasius made a further appeal to Constantine's justice. The emperor was passing through the streets of Constantinople, when he suddenly met a procession of ecclesiastics, with Athanasius at their head. Constantine pressed forward, but with a loud voice the bishop exclaimed, "God shall judge between thee and me, O Constantine! I demand of thee to summon my enemies, and thyself to hear my cause." The emperor was overawed; he granted the request, and summoned the accusers of the patriarch. But these wicked men, alarmed lest after all their devices their prey should escape them, invented a new accusation, of a nature to touch Constantine nearly. They said that Athanasius prevented the usual supplies of corn from Alexandria from reaching the capital, in order to force the emperor into concession. This appeal to his pride was successful. Forgetful of justice and truth, Constantine banished St. Athanasius to the distant city of Triers, or Treves, in the year 336. |