The history of the church from our Lords incarnation, to the twelth year of the Emperour Maricius Tiberius, or the Year of Christ 594 / as it was written in Greek, by Eusebius Pamphilius ..., Socrates Scholasticus, and Evagrius Scholasticus ... ; made English from that edition of these historians, which Valesius published at Paris in the years 1659, 1668, and 1673 ; also, The life of Constantine in four books, written by Eusibius Pamphilus, with Constantine's Oration to the convention of the saints, and Eusebius's Speech in praise of Constantine, spoken at his tricennalia ; Valesius's annotations on these authors, are done into English, and set at their proper places in the margin, as likewise a translation of his account of their lives and writings ; with two index's, the one, of the principal matters that occur in the text, the other, of those contained in the notes.

CHAP. XXIV. That Athanasius, passing through Jerusalem in his return to Alexandria, was received into Com∣munion by Maximus, and convened a Synod of Bishops which confirmed the Nicene Faith.

AThanasius the Bishop being fortified with these Letters, passed thorow Syria, and came into Palestine. And arriving at Jerusalem, he made known to Maximus the Bishop, both

what had been done in the Syond of Serdica, and also that Constantius the Emperour had consen∣ted to their determination: and he makes it his business to have a Synod of Bishops convened in that City. Maximus without any delay sent for some of the Bishops in Syria and Palestine: and having constituted a Synod, he also restored to Athanasius communion, and his [former] dig∣nity. Moreover, this Synod a 1.1 wrote to the Alexandri∣ans, and to all the Bishops in Egypt and Libya, decla∣ring to them what had been Determined and Decreed concerning Athanasius. Up∣on which account, those who were Athanasius's enemies egregiously derided Maxi∣mus, because he had be∣fore deposed Athanasius; but then altering his mind again, (as if nothing had been done before,) he gave his suffrage for A∣thanasius, and restored to him communion and his dignity. Ursacius and Valens (who had before been hot maintainers of Arianism,) understan∣ding these things, having at that time rejected their former industry [in asserting that opi∣nion,] went to Rome. And presented a peni∣tentiary Libel to Julius the Bishop, after which they embraced the Homoöusian Faith. And having written Letters to Athanasius, they pro∣fessed they would in future hold communion with him. Ursacius therefore and Valens were at that time in such a manner vanquished by Atha∣nasius's prosperous success, that (as I said) they gave their consent to the Homoöusian Faith. But Athanasius passed through Pelusium in his journey to Alexandria. And he admonished all the Ci∣ties through which he passed, to have an aversion for the Arians, and to embrace those that pro∣fessed the Homoöusian Faith. He ordained also in some of the Churches. Which gave begin∣ning to another accusation against him, b 1.2 because he attempted to ordain in other [Bishops] Di∣ocesses. Such was the posture of Athanasius's affaires at that time.

Notes

• a 1.1

  This Epistle of the Jerusa∣lem Synod is extant in Athana∣sius's second defence against the Arians▪ together with the names of those Bishops who subscri∣bed to that Synod. But we may here by the by take notice of the Bishop of Jerusalems authority, who (although he was no Metropolitane yet) sum∣moned the neighbouring Bi∣shops to a Synod, without the permission of the▪ Bishop of Cae∣sar••a. Vales.
• b 1.2

  Socrates speaks here concerning the Ordi∣nations performed by Athanasius in Egypt. For he says that was done after he arrived at Pelusium▪ which is the first City of Egypt to those that come out of Syria. If this be so, that opinion can no ways be maintained, which some now a days assert, to wit, that all Ordinations (as well of Bishops as of Presbyters) throughout Egypt belonged to the Bi∣shop of Alexandria: But we have sufficiently refuted this opinion in our Third Book of Ecclesiastick Observations published at the close of our Annotations on Socrates and Sozomen. Vales.