kept he himself at home still. When Maximus, the
Bishop of Jerusalem, sat in the council at Palestine, the old Father
Paphnutius took him by the hand, and led him out at the doors, saying,
"It is not lawful for us to confer of these matters with wicked men." The
bishops of the East would not come to the Syrmian council after they knew
Athanasius had gotten himself thence again. Cyril called men back by
letters from the council of them which were named Patropassians.
Paulinus, Bishop of Triers, and many others more, refused to come to the
council at Milan when they understood what a stir and rule Auxentius kept
there: for they saw it was in vain to go thither, where not reason, but
faction, should prevail, and where folk contended not for the truth and
right judgment of the matter, but for partiality and favour.

And yet, for all those Fathers had such malicious and stiff-necked
enemies, yet if they had come they should have had free speech at least
in the councils. But now, sithence, none of us may be suffered so much
as to sit, or once to be seen in these men's meetings, much less suffered
to speak freely our mind; and seeing the Pope's legates, patriarchs,
archbishops, bishops, and abbots--all being conspired together, all
linked together in one kind of fault, and all bound by one oath--sit
alone by themselves, and have power alone to give their consent: and, at
last, when they have all done--as though they had done nothing--bring all
their opinions to be judged at the will and pleasure of the Pope, being
but one man, to the end he may pronounce his own sentence of himself, who
ought rather to have answered to his complaint; sithence, also, the same
ancient and Christian liberty, which of all right should specially be in
Christian councils, is now utterly taken away from the council--for these
causes, I say, wise and good men ought not to marvel at this day, though
we do the like now, that they see was done in times past in like case of
so many Fathers and Catholic bishops: which is, though we choose rather
to sit at home, and leave our whole cause to God, than to journey
thither, whereas we neither shall have place nor be able to do any good;
whereas we can obtain no audience; whereas princes' ambassadors be but
used as mocking-stocks; and whereas, also, we be condemned already,
before trial, as though the matter were aforehand despatched and agreed
upon. Nevertheless, we can bear patiently and quietly our own pri