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monstrous as it is, from our brethren. Surely your clemency should listen to the voice of those who cry out so loudly, 'I am a Catholic, I have no wish to be a heretic. It should seem equitable to your sanctity, most glorious Augustus, that they who fear the Lord God and His judgment should not be polluted and contaminated with execrable blasphemies, but should have liberty to follow those Bishops and prelates who both observe inviolate the laws of charity, and who desire a perpetual and sincere peace. It is impossible, it is unreasonable, to mix true and false, to confuse light and darkness, and bring into union, of whatever kind, night and day. Give permission to the populations to hear the teaching of the pastors whom they have wished, whom they fixed on, whom they have chosen, to attend their celebration of the divine mysteries, to offer prayers through them for your safety and prosperity." ad Const. i. 1, 2.

NOTE VI.

CHRONOLOGY OF THE COUNCILS.

(Vide supra, p. 279.)

As the direct object of the foregoing Volume was to exhibit the doctrine, temper, and conduct of the Arians in the fourth century rather than to write their history, there is much incidental confusion in the order in which the events which it includes are brought before the reader. However, in truth, the chronology of the period is by no means clear, and the author may congratulate himself that, by the scope of his work, he is exempt from the necessity of deciding questions relative to it, on which ancient testimonies and modern critics are in hopeless variance both with themselves and with each other.

Accordingly, he has chosen one authority, the accurate Tillemont, and followed him almost throughout. Here, however, he thinks it well to subjoin some tables on the subject, taken from the Oxford Library of the Fathers, which delineate the main outline of the history, while they vividly illustrate the difficulty of determining in detail the succession of dates.

PRINCIPAL EVENTS BETWEEN A.D. 325 AND A.D. 381, IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.

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326.

Arius to Illyricum. The Eusebians subscribe the

Homoüsion.

Athanasius raised to the See of Alexandria at the age of about 30.

328-9. Eusebius of Nicomedia in favour with Constantine. 330. An Arian priest gains the ear of Constantine, who recalls Arius from exile to Alexandria.

331.

Athanasius refuses to restore him to communion. Eustathius deposed by the Eusebians on a charge of Sabellianism; other Bishops deposed.

334. Council of Cæsarea against Athanasius, who refuses to attend it.

335. Council of Tyre and Jerusalem, in which Arius and the Arians are formally readmitted. Athanasius, forced by the emperor to attend, abruptly leaves it in order to appeal to Constantine. THE EUSEBIANS DEPOSE ATHANASIUS, AND CONSTANTINE BANISHES HIM TO TREVES.

336. Eusebians hold a Council at Constantinople to condemn Marcellus on the ground of his Sabellianism; and to recognize Arius. DEATH OF ARIUS.

337. DEATH OF CONSTANTINE. The Eusebian Constantius succeeds him in the East, the orthodox Constans and Constantine in the West.

2.

From 337 to 342.

338

339

340-

Exiles recalled by the three new Emperors.

(End of June.) Athanasius leaves Treves for Alexandria.

(From Valesius Shelstrate,

Pagi, Montfaucon, and
S. Basnage.)

Eusebius sends to Pope
Julius for a Council.

COUNCIL OF ALEXANDRIA
DEFENDS ATHANASIUS
TO THE POPE.

(From Baronius and
Petavius.)

Eusebius, &c.

COUNCIL OF ALEXAN-
DRIA DEFENDS ATHA-
NASIUS TO THE POPE.

Papal Legates sent to

Antioch from Rome.
(Early in year) Athana-
sius goes to Rome.

(From Tillemont and Papebroke.)

Eusebius, &c.

COUNCIL OF ALEX-
ANDRIA, &c.
(Sept.) Athanasius
goes to Rome1.

Papal Legates, &c.
(End of year) Athana-
sius returns to Alex-
andria.

1 The events in italics are grounded on an hypothesis of the authors who introduce them, that Athanasius made two journeys to Rome, which they adopt in order to lighten the difficulties of the chronology.

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345. COUNCIL OF ANTIOCH (Eusebian), at which the Macrostich was drawn up.

347. GREAT COUNCIL OF SARDICA, at the instance of the orthodox Constans. Council of Milan against

Photinus. Ursacius and Valens sue for reconciliation to the Church.

349. Council of Jerusalem, at which Athanasius is present. Athanasius returns to Alexandria. Ursacius and Valens recant, and are reconciled at Rome. Council at Sirmium or at Rome against Photinus. 350. DEATH OF CONSTANS. The Eusebian Constantius sole Emperor.

351. GREAT COUNCIL OF SIRMIUM, at which Photinus is deposed. First Sirmian creed, &c.

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5. Council of Arles (Eusebian). Athanasius condemned......... 353 353

6. GREAT COUNCIL OF MILAN (Eusebian). Athanasius condemned

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4. Signed by Pope Liberius with a condemnation of Athanasius. 357

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355
356 356

(com muniter)

355

356

356 356 356 356
356 355
356 356

356

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0 357 357 357

357 357 357 357 357

359 357 357

357 357

357 357 357 357 357 357
357 357 357 357

359 357 355 357 357

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7. Rise of the Eunomians
8. Syrianus in Alexandria, and
George of Cappadocia........
9. Council of Beziers. Hilary de-
posed and banished

10. Fresh Council or Conference
at Sirmium

11. Second Sirmian Creed, the blas-
phemyof Potamius and Hosius
(Homoean, if not Anomoan)
12. Signed by Hosius, but without
condemning Athanasius ...... 357 357 357 357 357
13. Signed by Liberius, with a
condemnation of Athanasius
14. Another or an altered Creed
signed by Liberius with con-
demnation of Athanasius......
15. Council of Antioch in favour
of Eunomius...

16. Its Creed (Anomoan).

17. Council of Ancyra of 12 Bishops

0 357

0 357 357 0 0

00 0

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18. Its Creed (Semi-Arian) against 357 358 both the Homoüsian and the Anomoan, signed by Li- 357 358 berius

19. Fresh Council or Conference

at Sirmium

20. Third Sirmian. Creed (Homoan) drawn up by SemiArians.......

21. Signed by Liberius

22. BI-PARTITE COUNCIL OF
ARIMINUM (Homoean) AND
OF SELEUCIA (Semi-Arian)
23. Council of Constantinople
(Homœan)

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357 358 359 358 358-9 359 359 359 359 359 359 359 0 0 358? 358 358

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...

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24. Council of Antioch (Anomoan) 25. DEATH OF CONSTANTIUS

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