§ 113. б) При Констанции и трех преемниках его.

The next year after the death of Constantine, his sons decided to return all the imprisoned bishops to their sees; So St. Athanasius also returned to Alexandria, but not for long. Slanders began to fall on him again; when the gullible Constantius himself took the side of the Arians, what could not be believed in the capital regarding Athanasius? The emperor threatened Athanasius with death in a letter. In Antioch, the Arian Council (in 340) rejected the Nicene Symbol and elected the notorious Arian Pistus to replace Athanasius. When (in 340) 100 bishops of Egypt sent to all bishops a justification for Athanasius with an explanation of where the hatred against him stemmed from: the Eusebians sent their newly elected bishop Gregory to Alexandria with a detachment of soldiers; The Arians then carried out robbery and murder in Alexandria; Athanasius could hardly save his life by hasty, secret removal from Alexandria. In a letter to the Bishops of all Churches, Athanasius depicted all the horrors of wickedness that were being committed before his eyes, and begged to give help to the Church of Alexandria, trampled under foot by brazen wickedness 149 . It is clear that Athanasius now had nothing to do for the truth of Christ in Constantinople, and in 342, appearing in Rome, he showed the Western bishops who the Eusebians were, who sought to appear Orthodox in their symbols; opened the eyes of the West that the truth has been desecrated, the true shepherds of the East are deprived of either thrones or the opportunity to save their flock, that measures are necessary to protect the Church, which the enemies of the Son of God want to destroy. Zeal for truth is at last awakened; - several local councils were formed in the West, which at least made the truth the subject of general jealousy in the West. But it was necessary to do something for the East. Emperor Constance, who recognized and fell in love with Athanasius, after futilely interceding for him with his brother, finally urgently demanded from Constantius that a general council be formed. In 347, at the Council of Sardia, it was proposed to consider the case of Athanasius and other bishop-confessors. But considering the case of Athanasius and other persecuted shepherds at a general Council for the Arians also meant pronouncing judgment on themselves, and they, retiring to Philippopolis, formed their own Council; The consequence of this Council was that an order was sent to Alexandria to kill Athanasius if he appeared in Alexandria. But the ambassadors of the Sardinian Council, having explained to Constantius the course of affairs and the new dishonest act of the Arians that had been discovered (similar to their act with Eustathius), forced Constantius to moderate his trust in them, and Constantius wrote three times to Athanasius so that he would come to him, assuring him of his personal safety and his own respect for him. In 348, when Gregory had already died, and Constance’s voice forced many things to change for the better in the East, Athanasius appeared to Constantius, presented him with explanations about the past and was honorably released to Alexandria 150. For about five years after this, Athanasius calmly ruled his church, healing the wounds inflicted on it by the Arians. In 351, in the Apology against the Arians, he described both the previous and new plans of the Eusebians against him and against the truth, confirming the words with written acts 151. In the letter on the definitions of the Council of Nicea, an active member of the Council set out the reasons why the words were included in his confession of faith: Essence and Consubstantial, not found in the Holy Scriptures. Scripture, against which the Arians rebelled 152. In 353, Constantius became Emperor of the East and West, and the affairs of the Church took a different turn; The Eusebians brought the gullible emperor to the point that in 353 he publicly demanded that the Council depose Athanasius and approve the Arian Creed; the bishops, one after another, went into exile, but did not want to sign condemnations for the innocent defender of Christ's truth; in 356, Constantius ordered that the half-pagan George be elevated by armed hand to the see of Alexandria, and Alexandria was watered with blood; Athanasius, protected by God, was saved again, retreating into the Egyptian desert; Arianism was then revealed in all its nakedness. Persecution quickly spread from Alexandria throughout the empire. Athanasius, taking refuge in one desert or another, felt that now even more than before he had to act tirelessly. He published several works in defense of the persecuted truth. First of all, he wrote (in 356) an Apology to Constantius, an Apology against the Arians and a District Epistle to the bishops of Egypt and Libya. Following this (in 357) he wrote a Defense of his flight; (in 358) Epistle to Serapion on the death of Arius; Epistle to the Monks with the History of the Arians; Four words against the Arians and (in 359) an essay on the Councils of Arimin and Seleucia. Afanasy, even in the wild desert, tirelessly followed all modern events, learning about everything through his friends. In 360, he wrote four letters to Serapion about the Divinity of the Holy Spirit, which some of the Arians began to openly refute. The head of Athanasius was valued, but the Lord preserved and preserved it for the benefit of the Church 153. In 361, Julian returned all the imprisoned bishops to their places, including heretical ones. Athanasius understood Julian, and returning to the see in 362, at the Council he used all measures to calm the disagreements that existed between Christians 154; Julian saw that his cunning was understood by Athanasius 155; but he saw even more - with the strong word of Athanasius, the pagans submitted to the faith of Christ, and - Julian ordered the prefect to persecute Athanasius wherever possible. “It pains me extremely that all the gods come to contempt from him,” Julian wrote in his verdict on Athanasius, and he could not say anything better to the honor of Athanasius 156. Athanasius, leaving Egypt, said: “Do not be embarrassed, children, this is a cloud; it will soon disappear" 157. In 363, Emperor Jovinian considered it his first duty to invite Athanasius to take over the administration of the Church by a respectful rescript. On behalf of the Council, he sent an Epistle about the true faith 158 to Jovinian. With the accession (in 364) of Valens to the throne of the East, the disastrous times of Constantius resumed for the Church, in an even more terrible form. Athanasius (in 363) wrote two works - one about the Trinity and the Incarnation, the other about the Trinity and the Holy Spirit 159. In 367 Valens ordered the deposition of all the bishops returned by Julian; for the fifth time Athanasius had to part with his faithful flock; She decided to defend Athanasius by force, but the shepherd, faithful in all his duties, himself took refuge from Alexandria. Valens, having received notification from the prefect about the location of the Alexandrian Church, to the surprise of everyone, ordered: “Leave Athanasius alone” 160. The seventy-year-old elder was now a father to all the bishops - they all looked at his will like children. Having received from Damasus, Bishop of Rome, the determination of the Council (368) on the deposition of some Arian bishops, Athanasius himself convened (in 369) the Council, and on its behalf sent two messages: one to the African bishops, the other to Damasus. In the first, he distinguished those who humiliated the Council of Nicea; in the latter, he demanded that the Arian Auxentius of Milan be deposed. Damasus at the Council in 370 fulfilled the demand of Athanasius and in his message repeated the messages of Athanasius to the African bishops 161. Athanasius's last feat was against the teachings of Apollinarius, which he refuted in two books against Apollinaris. In 373, the “faithful and courageous shepherd,” whose life was a model for bishops, and whose teaching was the law of Orthodoxy 162, rested from his hard labors 163. Epist. Encyclitica p. 110–118. Apolog. contr. Arian. r. 203, 205, 125, 142. Histor. Aryan. p. 38–70. Socrates N. E. 2, 2–7. Sozomen N. E. 3, 4–7. Afanasy Apolog. contr. Arian. r. 140–110. Apolog. ad. Constant. r. 4. Histor. Arian. p. 18, 22. Socrates N. E. 3, 7, 11. Theodorite N. E. 2, 8. T. 1. p. 208, written before the resumption of persecution against St. Athanasius under Constantius r. 209. At the same time it was written about the teaching of Dionysius (T 4.243), from whom the Arians thought to find protection for their views. Afanasy Hist. Aryan. § 24–40–8. de fuga sua. § 24. And other op. of this time. Theodorit N. E. 2. 12–4–16. Socrates 4–33. Sozomen 3–7–4–5. Sulpicius Severus N. E. 2. 43. Ammon in a letter to Theophilus Alex. § 21. After this Council a letter was written to the Antiochians. Nazianzen in the word about Athanasius, r. 164. Epist Juliani 6. fol. 376. Er. 51. See Socrates N. E. 3. 11. Theodorit N. E. 3. 5. Socrates N. E. 3. 14. Sozomen N. E. 5. 12. Athanasii Op. T. 2. 779. 984. T. 1. R. 2. R. 622 s. Op. T. 1. R. 2. R. 696–711. 773 s. The latter is preserved only in an ancient Latin translation. Socrates N. E. 4. 13. Sozomen N. E. 6. 12. Theodorit N. E. 2. 22. Op. Athan. T. 1. R. 2. R. 712 s. Words of the historian Sozomen N. E. 2. 17. Memory of St. Athanasia is celebrated on May 2 and again on January 18. St. Athanasius died on May 2, 373, as was proved by Montfaucon (Vita S. Athanasii, p. 89) and Maffei (Observazione litterarie T. 3. p. 81) against Baronius. You might be interested in: