r a letter either
of explanation or apology, asserting his full belief in Christianity,
explaining his faith by using the words of the Apostles' Creed, and
begging to be re-admitted into the Church. The emperor, either from a
readiness to forgive, or from a change of policy, or from an ignorance
of the theological controversy, was satisfied with the apology, and
thereupon wrote a mild conciliatory letter to Athanasius, who had in
the meantime been made Bishop of Alexandria, expressing his wish
that forgiveness should at all times be offered to the repentant, and
ordering him to re-admit Arius to his rank in the Church. But the young
Athanasius, who had gained his favour with the Egyptian clergy, and had
been raised to his high seat by his zeal shown against Arius, refused
to obey the commands of the emperor, alleging that it was unlawful
to re-admit into the Church anybody who had once been excommunicated.
Constantine could hardly be expected to listen to this excuse, or
to overlook this direct refusal to obey his orders. The rebellious
Athanasius was ordered into the emperor's presence at Constantinople,
and soon afterwards, in 335, called before a council of bishops at Tyre,
where he was deposed and banished. At the same council, in the thirtieth
year of this reign, Arius was re-admitted into communion with the
Church, and after a few months he was allowed to return to Alexandria,
to the indignation of the popular party in that city, while Athanasius
remained in banishment during the rest of the reign, as a punishment for
his disobedience.

This practice of judging and condemning opinions gave power in the
Church to men who would otherwise have been least entitled to weight and
influence. Athanasius rose to his high rank over the heads of the elder
presbyters by his fitness for the harsher duties then required of an
archbishop. Theological opinions became the watchwords of two contending
parties; religion lost much of its empire over the heart; and the
mild spirit of Christianity gave way to angry quarrels and cruel
persecutions.

Another remarkable event of this reign was the foundation of the new
city of Constantinople, to which the emperor removed the seat of his
government. Rome lost much by the building of the new capital, although
the emperors had for some time past ceased to live in Italy; but
Alexandria lost the rank which it had long held as the centre of Greek
learning and Greek thought, and it felt a blow