morial,
however, was successful. Though Athanasius was no Marcellian, he was as
determined as ever to leave all questions open which the great council
had forborne to close. The new Nicenes of Pontus, on the other hand,
inherited the conservative dread of Marcellus, so that it was a sore
trial to Basil when Athanasius refused to sacrifice the old companion of
his exile. Even the great Alexandrian's comprehensive charity is hardly
nobler than his faithfulness to erring friends. Meaner men might cherish
the petty jealousies of controversy, but the veterans of the great
council once more recognised their fellowship in Christ. They were
joined in life, and in death they were not divided.

[Sidenote: Death of Athanasius (373).]

Marcellus passed away in 371, and Athanasius two years later. The
victory was not yet won, the goal of half a century was still beyond the
sight of men; yet Athanasius had conquered Arianism. Of his greatness we
need say no more. Some will murmur of 'fanaticism' before the only
Christian whose grandeur awed the scoffer Gibbon. So be it that his
greatness was not unmixed with human passion; but those of us who have
seen the light of heaven shining from some saintly face, or watched with
kindling hearts and solemn thankfulness some mighty victory of Christian
faith, will surely know that it was the spirit of another world which
dwelt in Athanasius. To him more than any one we owe it that the
question of Arianism did not lose itself in personalities and quibbles,
but took its proper place as a battle for the central message of the
gospel, which is its chief distinction from philosophy and heathenism.

[Sidenote: Extinction of the Marcellians (375).]

Instantly Alexandria was given up to the Arians, and Lucius repeated the
outrages of Gregory and George. The friends of Athanasius were exiled,
and his successor Peter fled to Rome. Meanwhile the school of Marcellus
died away. In 375 his surviving followers addressed a new memorial to
the Egyptian exiles at Sepphoris, in which they plainly confessed the
eternal Sonship so long evaded by their master. Basil took no small
offence when the exiles accepted the memorial. 'They were not the only
zealous defenders of the Nicene faith in the East, and should not have
acted without the consent of the Westerns and of their own bishop,
Peter. In their haste to heal one schism they might cause another if
they did not make it clear that the heretics had come over to