OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

rent reason, that the illegal and obsolete de- chap.'crees of the council of Tyre had long since been ,,,***'tacitly abolished by the imperial edicts, thehonourable re-establish men t of the archbishopof Alexandria, and the silence or recantation ofhis moS-t clamoroes adversaries. They alleged,that his innocence had been attested by theunanimous bishops of Egypt , attd had been ac-knowledged ifi the councils of Rome and Sar-dica/ by the impartial judgment of the Latin church. They deplored the hard condition ofAthanasius , who, after enjoying so many yearshis seat, his reputation, and the seeming con-fidence of his sovereign, was again called Uponto confute the most groundless and extravagantaccusations. Their language was specious;their conduct was honourable; but in this longand obstinate contest, which fixed the eyes ofthe whole empire on a single bishop, the eccle-siastical factions were prepared to sacrificetru th and justice to the more interesting objectof defending, or removing, the intrepid cham-pion of the nicene faith. The ariaus Stillthought it prudent to disguise in ambiguouslanguage, their real sentiments and designs:

who had a very dark and superficial knowledge of ecclesiastical his-tory. Liberins.perseveranfer renitebatur, nee visum hominem,

nec auditmn daitinare nfefas ultimum saepe exclaraans; aperte scilicetrecalcitrans imperatoris arbltrio. Id enim ille Athanasio semper in*festus, &c.

1 More properly by the orthodox part of the council of Sardica. Ifthe bishops of both parties had fairly voted, the division would havebeen 94 to 76. M. de Tillemont (see tom. viii, p. 1147-1158), is justlysurprised that so small a majority should have proceeded bo vigorous-ly against their adversaries, the principal of whom they immediatelydeposed.