usxRina
aa: "But the public convayfAicei will not be
mough UxMrrj to many." Liberius: "They will not
be needed; the eccleaiastics are rich enough to send
their trishtqM as far aa the sea." CouBtaiitiua: " Gen-
eml synods must not be too numerous; you alone holil
out against the judgment of thb whole world. He has
injuicd alt, and me above all; not content with the mur-
der of mv eldest brother, he iiet Constaus also against
me. I snould prize a victory over him more than one
€»ver Silvanus or Magnentius." Liberius; " Do not
employ bishops, whose hands are meant to bless, to
revenge your own enmity. Have the bishops restored
ftnd, if they agree with the Nicene Faith, let them con-
sult aa to the peace of the world , that an innocent
bo not emidemaed." Constantius: " 1 am willing
Arian Bishop Acadus oT Cssarea had been arranged
by Epictfltus at the emperor's order. The people of
Rome ignored the antipope. Constantius paid his
tirat visit to Rome on 1 April, 357, and was able to see
for iiimself the failure of his nominee. He was awaie
that there was no canonical justification for the exile
ot Li ijeri us and the intrusion of le]ix; in other cases he
bad always acted in accordance with the decision of a
council. He was also greatly moved by the yrandeur of
the Ji]tenial City^o Ammianiis aaaures us. He was
impressed by the praj-ers for the return of the pope
boldly addressed to him by the noblest of the Roman
ladies, whose husbands had insufhcient courage for the
venture. There is no reason to suppose that Felix
i outside Rome, unless
•end you back to Rome, if you
ion (x^the Church. Make peace, and sign the condc
nation." Liberius: "I have already bidden farewell
at Rome to the brethren. The laws of the Church are
more important than residence in Rome," The em-
peror gave the pope three days for consideration, oiid
then raniahed bim to Dercca in Thrace, sending him
five hundred gold pieces (or his e^gienscs; but he re-
fused them, saying Constantius ncpiled them to pay
bis soldiers. The empress sent him the same amount,
but he sent it to the emperor, sai-ins: " If he does
not need it, let him give it to Auxentius or Epictetus,
who want such things." Eusebius the eunuch
brought him yet more money: " Voii have \a\d waste
the Qiurches of the world ", the pope broke out, " and
do vou bring me alms as to a condemned man? Go
UHl fiiBt become a Christian."
Exile. — On the departure of Libciiii-i from Komi-. all the clergy had sworn that they n-ouKI receive no other bishop. But soon many of them accepted as pope the ArchdeacOTi Felix, wbo-se consecration by the
by the court party and a few extreme Arians, and the
uncompromising attitude (if T.ibprius through at least
the greater part of hi.? biir.ishnicnt must have done
more harm to the cause the emperor had at heart than
his constancy had done when h'ft i>t Home in peace.
It is not surprising to find that Liberius returned to
Rome before tite end of 357, and that it was noised
abroad that he must ha\'e signed the condemnation of
Athanasius and perhaps some Arian Creed. His res-
toration is placed by some critics in 358, but this is
impossible, for St. .\thanaaius telts us that he endured
the rigours of exile for two s'cara, and the " fiesta inter
Lilierium ctFelicemepisconos". which forms the pref-
ace to the " Liber Preeum of Fausliniia and Marcel-
linue, t«lla us that be returned "in the thirdyear".
The cause of liia return is variously related. Tneodo-
ret says that Constantius wom moved by the Roman
matrons to restore him. but when his letter to Rome,
sayini: that Lil^rius and Felix were to lie bishops side
by side, was read in the circus, the Romans jeered at
it, and filled the air with cries of " One God, one Christ,
