Saint Athanasius, the Father of Orthodoxy

								

to bring him up as his own son, an inspiration for which he was often
to thank God in the years to come. The boy soon grew to love the
gentle and holy Patriarch, who could act with such strength and
decision when it was needful for the good of the Church. He was
constantly in touch with men of every rank and country, for Alexandria
was a city where people of all nations and of all creeds met. Pagans,
Jews and Christians lived side by side in their various quarters;
there even existed a set of philosophers who tried to make a religion
for themselves out of an amalgamation of several others.
Athanasius was still very young when he began to act as secretary to
the Patriarch, accompanying him on all his journeys throughout his
vast diocese; and he himself tells us how he stayed for a time among
the monks in the desert of Egypt and how his young soul was set on
fire by the holiness of their lives.
Neither science nor logic nor philosophy offered any difficulty to the
brilliant young scholar, whose knowledge of Scripture and of theology
was to astonish the men of his time. Alexander himself as he grew
older leaned more and more on Athanasius, consulting him, young as he
was, on the most important matters. So the years rolled on, and the
boy grew into manhood, "gentle and strong," as we are told by one who
knew him, "high in prowess, humble in spirit, full of sympathy,
angelic in mind and face." That he would make his mark on the world of
his time, few who knew him doubted; but of the dauntless
soldier-spirit that slumbered behind that gentle mien, of the
steadfast will that no human power could shake, they knew but little.
God's moment had not yet come.

Chapter 2
ARIUS THE HERESIARCH
THE night before the martyrdom of the Patriarch Peter, as he had lain
in prison praying and waiting for that dawn which was to be his last
on earth, there had come to him a few of his faithful clergy. They had
braved many dangers to look once more upon the face of their beloved
Bishop and to obtain his blessing and his last instructions; they had
come also to plead for one who had asked their help.
But a short time before, a certain man called Arius had been
excommunicated by the Patriarch for having joined the schism of
Meletius. He it was who that very day had visited them, beseeching
them with tears to use their influence with Peter to obtain his
pardon. The clerics knew the tenderness of their Bishop's heart and
his readiness to forgive the erring; they were therefore greatly
surprised when their petition met with a stern refusal.
"Never," said Peter. "Arius is separated from the glory of the Son of
God both in this world and in the next."
Then, as Achillas and Alexander, his dearest and most intimate
friends, had drawn him apart to ask the reason for such unusual
severity--
"This night," he said, "as I prayed, Our Lord appeared to me in glory,
but His robe was rent from top to bottom. 'Who has treated Thee thus,