THE DECLINE AND FALL

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CHAP.

XXI.

A. D. 32G-i>73 •

object. The immortal name of Athanasius 1will never be separated from the catholic doc-trine of the trinity, to whose defence he conse-crated every moment and every faculty of hisbeing. Educated in the family of Alexander,he had vigorously opposed the early progressof the arian heresy : he exercised the importantfunctions of secretary under the aged prelate;and the fathers of the Nicene council beheld,with surprise and respect, the rising virtues ofthe young deacon. In a time of public danger,the dull claims of age and of rank are some-times superseded ; and within five months afterhis return from Nice, the deacon Athanasius was seated on the archiepiscopal throne ofEgypt . He filled that eminent station aboveforty-six years, and his long administration w asspent in a perpetual combat against the powersof arianism. Five times was Athanasius ex-pelled from his throne; twenty years he passedas an exile or a fugitive; and almost every pro-vince of the Roman empire was successivelywitness to his merit, and his sufferings in thecause of the homoousion, which he consideredas the sole pleasure and business, as the duty,

d We may regret that Gregory Nazianzen composed a panegyric in-stead of a life of Athanasius , but we should enjoy and improve the ad-vantage of drawing our most authentic materials from the rich fund ofhis own epistles and apologies (tom. i, p. 670-951). I shall not imitatethe example of Socrates (1. ii, c. 1), who published the first editionof his history without giving himself the trouble to consult the writing!of Athanasius. Yet even Socrates, the more curious Sozomen , and thelearned Theodoret, connect the life of Athanasius with the series ofecclesiastical history. The diligence of Titlemont (tom. viii), and ofthe benedictine editors, has collected every fact, and examined everydifficulty.