Section 18
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LIFE OF EUSEBIUS. xi episcopal function immediately after that persecution. For after peace was restored to the church, Eusebius* and other prelates being in vited by Paulinus bishop of Tyre, to the dedication of a cathedra], Eusebius made there a very eloquent oration. Now this happened before the rebellion of Licinius against Constantino, in the 315th year of the Christian era, about which period Eusebius wrote those celebrated books concerning Evangelic Demonstration and Prepara tion. And these books were certainly written before the Nicenc Synod, since they are expressly mentioned in his Ecclesiastic His tory, which was written, as proved in our Annotations, before that council. Meanwhile, Licinius, who managed the government in the eastern parts, excited by sudden rage, began to persecute the Christians, es pecially the prelates, whom he suspected of showing more favour, and of offering up more prayers for Constanline than for himself. Constantine, however, having defeated him in two battles by land and sea, compelled him to surrender, and restored peace to the Christians of the eastern countries. A disturbance, however, far more grievous, arose at that time, amongst the Christians themselves. For since Arius, a presbyter of the city of Alexandria, would in the church, publicly advance some new and impious tenet relative to the Son of God, and notwith standing repeated admonition by Alexander the bishop, persisted, he and his associates in this heresy, were at length expelled. Highly resenting this, Arius sent letters with a sketch of his own faith to all the bishops of the neighbouring cities, in which he complained, that since he asserted the same doctrines that the rest of the east ern prelates maintained, he had been unjustly deposed by Alexander. Many bishops imposed on by these artifices, arid powerfully excited by Eusebius of Nicomedia, who openly favoured the Arian party, wrote letters in defence of Arius to Alexander bishop of Alexandria, entreating him to restore Arius to his former rank in the church. Our Eusebius was one of their number, \vhose letter written to Alex ander is extant in the acts of the seventh Oecumenical Synod, which we have inserted amongst the testimoniest of the ancients. The ft As we are informed in the tenth book of his Ecclesiastic Hist. Val. See chap. 4, where Eusebius has inserted this oration. j-Of these, Valesius, after his account of Eusebius's life and writings, presents a collection made by himself, both for and against Eusebius. q. v. b