# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1845 04 19_S67
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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imperial sister Constantia great influence over this lady, and brought her more and more to the conviction that wrong had been done to Arius. Constantia disclosed this to her brother the emperor, by whom she was most tenderly loved, and had him give her, even on her deathbed, the promise that he would make right the wrong that had been done. Now had Constantine had about him such a faithful pastor and fatherly counselor as Elector John the Steadfast later had in his deeply revered and beloved Luther, he would doubtless have stood firmer amid the fresh storm-wind of temptation that now came upon him. But unfortunately the emperor, still perhaps little experienced in the testing of spirits, was at that very time surrounded by several Semi-Arian bishops, among whom was numbered also that other Eusebius, of Caesarea.*) These men took every conceivable pains to persuade the emperor that the whole struggle against Arius had, at bottom, been nothing other than an empty war of words, in which Arius himself had never denied the divine dignity of the Lord Christ.

And so it came about that the emperor grew weak, and had Eusebius of Nicomedia and the other banished men recalled, and reinstated them in their former offices — by no means, to be sure, as Arians, but as supposedly orthodox Trinitarians (that is, those who believe in the divine Trinity). From Arius himself, however, Constantine had a confession of faith drawn up, which was, to be sure, framed deceptively enough that it could hardly fail to incline the emperor toward a different judgment of this dangerous man. Yet it was only after Arius had been examined by a number of eastern bishops, to whom the matter had been entrusted, and had likewise, to please the emperor, been declared acquitted, that he was sent with an imperial order to Alexandria, so that he might be reinstated there in his presbyteral office.

But since in Alexandria, already in the fifth month after the Council of Nicaea, the venerable Bishop Alexander had fallen blessedly asleep, and, on his recommendation, none other than Athanasius had been chosen by the whole congregation, with unanimous vote, as his successor, this man opposed the readmission of Arius with such firm resolve that the emperor could move him to no other decision, even by threats.

While now Arius and his party, more than ever, resorted to the most malicious lies in order to bring down Athanasius, he indeed defended himself before the emperor

*) These Semi-, or half, Arians did not teach, as Arius did, that the Son was a creature; but neither would they confess, with the Nicene Creed, that He was of the same essence as the Father (homoousios), but only of similar essence (homoiousios). Thus, by craftily adding a single letter, they smuggled in yet another new, false leaven, which might once again have soured the whole lump. — How few Christians even today believe what is written in Galatians 5:9, etc.!

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himself, and was dismissed by him with an honorable, vindicating testimony; but the vengeful enemies could rest all the less for that, and were forever devising new schemes for drawing the easily-swayed emperor over to their side. Therefore they not only bribed a dissolute woman to accuse the upright Bishop Eustathius of Antioch of adultery, on account of which this faithful servant of God had to end his life in banishment, but they also charged Athanasius with having committed several murders. Among other things, he was supposed to have murdered a certain Bishop Arsenius and cut off one of his hands in order to practice sorcery with it. And indeed, at a synod at Tyre in the year 335 A.D., where Athanasius was to answer for all these accusations, a withered human hand was actually produced, which he was supposed to have cut off from this Arsenius. But God helped, so that Athanasius was able to produce that same Arsenius not only alive but also still in possession of both his hands, and was able, on account of this and all the other accusations, to put his enemies to such shame that even some of his most bitter accusers confessed their glaring injustice and begged his forgiveness.

Nevertheless he was, on account of several other accusations that had been extorted with clubs and whips from some Christians there by an investigating commission sent to Alexandria, deposed by the synod, despite all the testimony and intercession of many upright men. But the emperor, who still wished to take up his cause, was at last provoked against him merely by the claim that Athanasius had intended to hold back grain that was to have been shipped from Alexandria to Constantinople. Thus Athanasius was, in the year 336 — perhaps merely to put an end to the accusations and disputes against him — banished to Gaul. The triumphant enemies, however, now believed at last that they had found the fortunate moment when Arius, just as had already happened before at Jerusalem, might likewise now, in the imperial capital of Constantinople, be solemnly and publicly readmitted into church fellowship, and then perhaps also soon be promoted to the episcopal office.

Once more the deceived emperor, as though he sensed nothing good in the matter after all, summoned the hypocritical Arius before him, in order to assure himself firmly and certainly of his orthodoxy. To the question whether Arius accepted the Nicene decrees, he signed them without refusal. The emperor demanded that Arius should swear an oath upon it. This too he did. "If you have sworn truly," the emperor at last called out to him, "well for you! But if not, you will not escape the judgment of God." — And behold, what happened!

In Constantinople too, Arius was to encounter an upright Bishop Alexander, through whom his wickedness was to be made manifest, just as it had first come to light through that earlier Alexander in Egypt. The emperor now commands this later bishop of the same name to readmit Arius into the Christian fellowship, and the whole of Arius's party already rejoiced with loud jubilation over the day when this was to take place. Then Alexander, who under such circumstances could expect no more help from men, turns with fervent pleading to the almighty Helper in heaven; he betakes himself to the church and remains there for several days, amid many tears, in fasting and prayer, while the congregation for its part does likewise, and cries out to heaven with unceasing calling upon God, that the Lord would look upon this matter and would have mercy on them and take up their cause.

Meanwhile the day draws near on which Arius is actually to be brought into the church in solemn procession. Then Alexander goes once more into the church with his friend Macarius, throws himself down upon his face at the steps of the altar, and, with great fervor of soul, entreats God that He would not let the wolf, who now comes in sheep's clothing, get in among the true sheep and tear the flock apart; but if, according to His inscrutable counsel, He should indeed allow this, that He would call him, His servant, out of this life before it happened. With this he went home weeping. And when, the next morning, Arius was about to enter the church with a long, triumphant retinue, a violent anguish suddenly overcame him near the imperial council-house, together with such pain in his bowels, that he had to step aside from the procession and seek out a place where he might relieve himself. Meanwhile the crowd waited impatiently for Arius to return; but — he did not come back, and was at last found dead, under the ghastly, horrifying sight of all his bowels having gone out from him.

So ended the false teacher Arius — a warning example for all who walk in his footsteps! — And alas, how little did the Arians of that time let themselves be warned by that judgment! The Emperor Constantine himself died shortly afterward, in the year 337 A.D., and one does not know what other impression the terrible death of Arius produced upon him, except that shortly before his end he received holy baptism from that same Eusebius of Nicomedia, without, however, having become an Arian according to his actual confession.

But under his sons and successors the Arian heresy spread again more than ever, so that, alongside many other heresies by which the church was devastated, under Constantius there remained only two or three upright bishops left who had not accepted Arianism.

But if we now look, further, at the later age and at our own time, we cannot refrain from adding the following concluding remarks to the historical account given above: