themselves from the suspicion of heresy, before they
presumed to arraign the conduct of the great Athanasius. [127]

[Footnote 123: The affairs of the council of Milan are so imperfectly
and erroneously related by the Greek writers, that we must rejoice in
the supply of some letters of Eusebius, extracted by Baronius from the
archives of the church of Vercellae, and of an old life of Dionysius of
Milan, published by Bollandus. See Baronius, A.D. 355, and Tillemont,
tom. vii. p. 1415.]

[Footnote 124: The honors, presents, feasts, which seduced so many
bishops, are mentioned with indignation by those who were too pure or
too proud to accept them. "We combat (says Hilary of Poitiers) against
Constantius the Antichrist; who strokes the belly instead of scourging
the back;" qui non dorsa caedit; sed ventrem palpat. Hilarius contra
Constant c. 5, p. 1240.]

[Footnote 125: Something of this opposition is mentioned by Ammianus
(x. 7,) who had a very dark and superficial knowledge of ecclesiastical
history. Liberius... perseveranter renitebatur, nec visum hominem,
nec auditum damnare, nefas ultimum saepe exclamans; aperte scilicet
recalcitrans Imperatoris arbitrio. Id enim ille Athanasio semper
infestus, &c.]

[Footnote 126: More properly by the orthodox part of the council of
Sardica. If the bishops of both parties had fairly voted, the division
would have been 94 to 76. M. de Tillemont (see tom. viii. p. 1147-1158)
is justly surprised that so small a majority should have proceeded
as vigorously against their adversaries, the principal of whom they
immediately deposed.]

[Footnote 127: Sulp. Severus in Hist. Sacra, l. ii. p. 412.]

But the voice of reason (if reason was indeed on the side of Athanasius)
was silenced by the clamors of a factious or venal majority; and the
councils of Arles and Milan were not dissolved, till the archbishop of
Alexandria had been solemnly condemned and deposed by the judgment of
the Western, as well as of the Eastern, church. The bishops who had
opposed, were required to subscribe, the sentence, and to unite in
religious communion with the suspected leaders of the adverse party. A
formulary of consent was transmitted by the messengers of state to
the absent bishops: and all those who refused to submit their private
opinion to the public and inspired wisdom of the councils of Arles and
Milan, were immediately banished by the emperor, who affected to execute
the decrees of the Catholic churc