CHAPTER III

LIST OF THE PRINCIPAL BISHOPS

THE church of Rome was at this period ruled by Silvester. His predecessor in the administration was Miltiades, the successor of that Marcellinus who had so nobly distinguished himself during the persecution. After the death of the tyrant, when peace began to be restored to the churches, Vitalis assumed the chief authority in Antioch, and restored what had been destroyed during the reign of the tyrants. He was succeeded by Philogonius, who completed all that had been omitted in the work of restoration: he had, during the time of Licinius, signalised himself by his zeal for religion. After the administration of Hermon, the government of the church in Jerusalem was committed to Macarius, a man whose name was noble, and whose mind was adorned by every virtue. At this period, Alexander, who had become illustrious by his apostolical gifts, governed the church of Constantinople.

It was at this time that Alexander, bishop of Alexandria, perceiving that the ruling passion of Arius was the love of power, and that many were deluded by the blasphemous doctrines propagated by him at private meetings, communicated an account of his heresy by letter to the rulers of the principal churches. That the truth of my statement may not be suspected, I shall now transcribe the letter which he wrote to Alexander, bishop of Constantinople, as it contains a clear account of all the facts I have mentioned. I shall subjoin the letter of Arius, and also some other letters which are necessary to the completion of this history, and which are corroborative, as well as explanatory of what has been already written. The following letter was written by Alexander of Alexandria, to the bishop of the same name as himself.