his opportunity, at
least he used it nobly. The Eastern church has no more honoured name
than that of Athanasius, yet even Athanasius rises above himself in his
_De Synodis_. He had been a champion of controversy since his youth, and
spent his manhood in the forefront of its hottest battle. The care of
many churches rested on him, the pertinacity of many enemies wore out
his life. Twice he had been driven to the ends of the earth, and twice
come back in triumph; and now, far on in life, he saw his work again
destroyed, himself once more a fugitive. We do not look for calm
impartiality in a Demosthenes, and cannot wonder if the bitterness of
his long exile grows on even Athanasius. Yet no sooner is he cheered
with the news of hope, than the jealousies which had grown for forty
years are hushed in a moment, as though the Lord himself had spoken
peace to the tumult of the grey old exile's troubled soul. To the
impenitent Arians he is as severe as ever, but for old enemies returning
to a better mind he has nothing but brotherly consideration and
respectful sympathy. Men like Basil of Ancyra, says he, are not to be
set down as Arians or treated as enemies, but to be reasoned with as
brethren who differ from us only about the use of a word which sums up
their own teaching as well as ours. When they confess that the Lord is a
true Son of God and not a creature, they grant all that we care to
contend for. Their own _of like essence_ without the addition of _from
the essence_ does not exclude the idea of a creature, but the two
together are precisely equivalent to _of one essence_. Our brethren
accept the two separately: we join them in a single word. Their _of like
essence_ is by itself misleading, for likeness is of properties and
qualities, not of essence, which must be either the same or different.
Thus the word rather suggests than excludes the limited idea of a
sonship which means no more than a share of grace, whereas our _of one
essence_ quite excludes it. Sooner or later they will see their way to
accept a term which is a necessary safeguard for the belief they hold in
common with ourselves.

[Sidenote: End of the Council of Ariminum.]

There could be no doubt of the opinion of the churches when the councils
had both so decidedly refused the dated creed; but the court was not yet
at the end of its resources. The Western deputies were sent back to
Ariminum, and the bishops, already reduced to great distress by their
l