Emperor than he threw off the mask and
openly declared himself a pagan. The temples of the gods were now
rebuilt, sacrifices were offered, and wealth and honors were given to
all the Christians who would apostatize.

An edict was published allowing the people to practice whatever
religion they chose and recalling everybody who had been banished
during the reign of Constantius. This seemed generous, but Julian did
not believe in persecution; its results in the past had only been to
strengthen the Christians in their faith. His methods were different.
Privileges were granted to the pagans which were denied to the Church;
the Galileans, as Julian called the Christians, were ridiculed, and
paganism was praised as the only religion worthy of educated men.

The results were not what the Emperor had expected, and he complained
bitterly that there were so few who responded to his efforts to
enlighten them. As for the Church, she knew at least what she had to
expect; an open enemy is less dangerous than a false friend.

Chapter 9
A SHORT-LIVED PEACE

ATHANASIUS was quick to take advantage of the decree which allowed the
banished Bishops to return to their sees. On the way to Alexandria he
stopped to talk over matters with other noble exiles who, like
himself, had suffered for the Truth. Many of the faithful had been
compelled by force or induced by threats or persuasion to accept the
creed of the Arians; what was to be done in order that these weak ones
might be brought back to the Faith?

Athanasius and those who with him had been ready to give their lives
for the Truth being, like all brave and noble men, gentle and
compassionate, they resolved to make it as easy as possible. They
announced that absolution would be given freely to all who accepted
the Creed of Nicea. Those who had fallen away were mostly good men and
true believers who had yielded in a moment of weakness or of fear, or
who had been deceived by the protestations of the Arians. They had
been thoroughly miserable, but now the proclamation of Athanasius set
them free from what had seemed like a bad dream. The Pope himself
expressed his approval of Athanasius' forbearance, and the Bishops of
the West hastened to follow his example.

In other places, Antioch and Constantinople especially, Arianism had
taken deeper root. These were the strongholds of heresy, where the
spirit of Eusebius of Nicomedia still prevailed. Men of his stamp were
not likely to