Such a bishop was sure to meet a bitter opposition, and as sure to overcome it.  Egypt soon became a stronghold of the Nicene faith, for Athanasius could sway the heart of Greek and Copt alike.  The pertinacious hatred of a few was balanced by the enthusiastic admiration of the many.  The Meletians dwindled fast, the Arians faster still.  Nothing but outside persecution was needed now to make Nicene orthodoxy the national faith of Egypt.

[Sidenote:  Beginnings of the reaction.]

It will be remembered that Eusebius of Nicomedia was exiled shortly after the council.  His disgrace was not a long one.  He had powerful friends at court, and it was not very hard for a man who had signed the creed to satisfy the Emperor of his substantial orthodoxy.  Constantine was not unforgiving, and policy as well as easy temper forbade him to scrutinize too closely the professions of submission laid before him.  Once restored to his former influence at court, Eusebius became the centre of intrigue against the council.  Old Lucianic friendships may have led him on.  Arius was a Lucianist like himself, and the Lucianists had in vain defended him before the council.  Eusebius was the ablest of them, and had fared the worst.  He had strained his conscience to sign the creed, and his compliance had not even saved him from exile.  We cannot wonder if he brought back a firm determination to undo the council’s hateful work.  If it was too dangerous to attack the creed itself, its defenders might be got rid of one by one on various pretexts.  Such was the plan of operations.

[Sidenote:  Formation of the Eusebian coalition.]

A party was easily formed.  The Lucianists were its nucleus, and all sorts of malcontents gathered round them.  The Meletians of Egypt joined the coalition, and the unclean creatures of the palace rejoiced to hear of fresh intrigue.  Above all, the conservatives gave extensive help.  The charges against the Nicene leaders were often more than plausible, for men like the Caesarean Eusebius dreaded Sabellianism, and Marcellus was practically Sabellian, and the others aiders and abettors of his misbelief.  Some even of the darker charges may have had some ground, or at least have seemed truer than they were.  Thus Eusebius had a very heterogeneous following, and it would be scant charity if we laid on all of them the burden of their leader’s infamy.

[Sidenote:  Attacks on:  (1.) Eustathius.]

They began with Eustathius of Antioch, an old confessor and a man of eloquence, who enjoyed a great and lasting popularity in the city.  He was one of the foremost enemies of Arianism at Nicaea, and had since waged an active literary war with the Arianizing clique in Syria.  In one respect they found him a specially dangerous enemy, for he saw clearly the important consequences of the Arian denial of the Lord’s true human soul.  Eustathius was therefore deposed (on obscure grounds) in 330, and exiled with many