Constantius Turns from the True Faith

Constantia, the widow of Licinius, was the half-sister of Constantine. She was on close terms with a certain priest who had absorbed the teachings of Arius. He did not openly admit his unsound views, but in his frequent conversations with her he did not hold back from saying that Arius had been unjustly slandered. After the death of her ungodly husband, the renowned Constantine did everything in his power to comfort her, and he tried to spare her the saddest hardships of widowhood. He also attended her in her last illness and showed her every proper attention. She then presented the priest I have mentioned to the emperor and begged him to take the man under his protection. Constantine granted her request, and soon afterward he kept his promise. [a]

But although the priest was allowed the greatest freedom of speech and was treated with great honor, he did not dare to reveal his corrupt principles, because he saw how firmly the emperor held to the truth. When Constantine was about to be taken to an eternal kingdom, he drew up a will directing that his earthly dominions be divided among his sons. None of them was with him when he was dying, so he entrusted the will to this priest alone and asked him to give it to Constantius, who was expected to arrive first, since he was nearer the place than his brothers. The priest carried out these directions. By putting the will into his hands he became known to Constantius, who took him as a close friend and told him to visit him often.

The priest saw how weak Constantius was, and that his mind was like a reed driven back and forth by the wind, and he grew bold enough to declare war on the teachings of the gospel. He loudly lamented the stormy state of the churches and claimed that it was the fault of those who had brought the unscriptural word “of one substance” into the confession of faith; all the disputes among the clergy and the laity, he said, had been caused by it. He slandered Athanasius and all who shared his views and plotted their destruction, and Eusebius, Theognis, and Theodore, bishop of Perinthus, used him as their fellow worker. Theodore’s see is generally known by the name of Heraclea. He was a man of great learning and had written a commentary on the Holy Scriptures. These bishops lived near the emperor and visited him often. They assured him that the return of Athanasius from banishment had caused many evils and had stirred up a storm that had shaken not only Egypt but also Palestine, Phoenicia, and the neighboring countries. [e]