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Church History
Chapter XXIV. Athanasius, passing through Jerusalem on his Return to Alexandria, is received into Communion by Maximus: and a Synod of Bishops, convened in that City, confirms the Nicene Creed.
Athanasius the bishop being fortified with such letters as these, passed through Syria, and came into Palestine. On arriving at Jerusalem he acquainted Maximus the bishop both with what had been done in the Council of Sardica, and also that the Emperor Constantius had confirmed its decision: he then proposed that a Synod of the bishops there should be held. Maximus, 1 therefore, without delay sent for certain of the bishops of Syria and Palestine, and having assembled a council, he restored Athanasius to communion, and to his former dignity. After which the Synod communicated by letter 2P. 53 to the Alexandrians, and to all the bishops of Egypt and Libya, what had been determined respecting Athanasius. Whereupon the adversaries of Athanasius exceedingly derided Maximus, because having before assisted in his deposition, he had suddenly changed his mind, and as if nothing had previously taken place, had voted for his restoration to communion and rank. When Ursacius and Valens, who had been fiery partisans of Arianism, ascertained these things, condemning their former zeal, they proceeded to Rome, where they presented their recantation to Julius the bishop, and gave their assent to the doctrine of consubstantiality: they also wrote to Athanasius, and expressed their readiness to hold communion with him in future. Thus Ursacius and Valens were at that time subdued by the good fortune of Athanasius and induced to recognize the orthodox faith. Athanasius passed through Pelusium on his way to Alexandria, and admonished the inhabitants of every city to beware of the Arians, and to receive those only that professed the Homoousian faith. In some of the churches also he performed ordination; which afforded another ground of accusation against him, because of his undertaking to ordain in the dioceses of others. 3 Such was the progress of affairs at that period in reference to Athanasius.
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The bishop of Jerusalem was under the jurisdiction of the metropolitan bishop of Cæsarea, and according to later usage and canon, had no right to call a synod without the permission of the metropolitan. Evidently usage had not yet become fixed into uniformity in this respect. ↩
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Cf. Athan, *Apol. c. Arian. 57. ↩
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Cf. *Apost. Cann. XXXV. ‘Let not a bishop dare to ordain beyond his limits, in cities and places not subject to him.’ It follows, therefore, that the whole of Egypt was not under the bishop of Alexandria; otherwise no such charge as is here mentioned could have been made against Athanasius. That these ordinations were made in Egypt is evident from the mention of Pelusium, which Athanasius had already passed through. ↩
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Kirchengeschichte
Kapitel XXIV. Athanasius, der auf seiner Rückkehr nach Alexandria durch Jerusalem reist, wird von Maximus in die Kommunion aufgenommen; und eine in dieser Stadt einberufene Bischofssynode bestätigt das nizänische Glaubensbekenntnis.
Mit diesen Briefen gestärkt, zog der Bischof Athanasius durch Syrien und kam nach Palästina. Als er in Jerusalem ankam, teilte er dem Bischof Maximus mit, was auf dem Konzil von Sardica geschehen war, und auch, dass Kaiser Constantius dessen Beschluss bestätigt hatte. Maximus ließ daraufhin unverzüglich einige Bischöfe aus Syrien und Palästina kommen, und nachdem er ein Konzil einberufen hatte, setzte er Athanasius in die Gemeinschaft und in seine frühere Würde zurück. Danach teilte die Synode den Alexandrinern und allen Bischöfen Ägyptens und Libyens brieflich mit, was in Bezug auf Athanasius beschlossen worden war. Daraufhin verhöhnten die Gegner des Athanasius den Maximus, weil dieser, nachdem er zuvor zu seiner Absetzung beigetragen hatte, plötzlich seine Meinung änderte und, als ob nichts geschehen wäre, für seine Wiedereinsetzung in die Gemeinschaft und den Rang stimmte. Als Ursacius und Valens, die glühende Anhänger des Arianismus gewesen waren, dies feststellten, verurteilten sie ihren früheren Eifer und begaben sich nach Rom, wo sie dem Bischof Julius ihren Widerruf vorlegten und der Lehre von der Konsubstantialität zustimmten; sie schrieben auch an Athanasius und bekundeten ihre Bereitschaft, in Zukunft mit ihm Gemeinschaft zu halten. So wurden Ursacius und Valens damals durch das Glück des Athanasius bezwungen und zur Anerkennung des orthodoxen Glaubens bewegt. Auf seinem Weg nach Alexandria kam Athanasius durch Pelusium und ermahnte die Bewohner aller Städte, sich vor den Arianern zu hüten und nur diejenigen aufzunehmen, die sich zum homoousianischen Glauben bekannten. In einigen der Kirchen nahm er auch die Ordination vor, was ihm einen weiteren Grund zur Anklage gab, weil er sich verpflichtet hatte, in den Diözesen anderer zu ordinieren. Dies war der Stand der Dinge in dieser Zeit in Bezug auf Athanasius.