In the Beginning of the Year 360. the _Anomeans_ assembling by themselves at _Constantinople_ as the _Semi-Arians_ had done at _Seleucia_, in order to ingratiate themselves with the Emperor, not only received the last _Sirmian_ Confession, but condemned all other Confessions or Symbols that had been made till then, or should be made for the future. They then declared all the Acts of the Council of _Seleucia_ void and null; and, to be even with the _Semi-Arians_, deposed, under various Pretences, such of their Party as had most contributed to the deposing of them, and even prevailed upon the Emperor to send them into Exile[928]. [Sidenote: _An Order from the Emperor injoining all Bishops to sign the_ Sirmian _Confession_.] They did not stop here, but obtained of _Constantius_ an Order, which was published throughout the Empire, commanding all Bishops to sign the _Sirmian_ Confession, on pain of forfeiting their Dignity, and being sent into Exile[929][N18]. This Order was executed with the utmost Rigour in all the Provinces of the Empire, and very few were found, who did not sign with their Hands what they condemned in their Hearts[930]. Many, who till then had been thought invincible, were overcome, and complied with the Times; and such as did not, were driven, without Distinction, from their Sees, into Exile, and others appointed in their room, the signing of that Confession being a Qualification indispensably requisite both for obtaining and keeping the Episcopal Dignity[931]. Thus were all the Sees throughout the Empire filled with _Arians_, insomuch that in the whole East not one orthodox Bishop was left, and in the West but one, _viz._ _Gregory_ Bishop of _Elvira_ in _Andalusia_, and he, in all Likelihood, obliged to absent himself from his Flock, and lie concealed, as were probably Pope _Liberius_, and _Vincentius_ of _Capua_, if what _Theodoret_ relates of them be true, _viz._ that they never consented to the Decrees of _Rimini_[932], and thereby retrieved the Reputation they had lost, the former by signing the _Sirmian_ Confession of the Year 357. and the other by communicating with the _Arians_ in 353. as I have related above. [Sidenote: _It was probably signed by_ Liberius.] But what _Theodoret_ writes may be justly called in question; for it is not at all probable, that the Emperor, and the _Arian_ Party, so warmly bent on establishing that Confession throughout the Empire, would have suffered the Bishop of the Imperial City, of the first See, to reject it, without deposing him, as they had done the Bishops of all the other great Sees, and appointing another more compliant in his room. This could not be prevented by his concealing himself in the Caverns and Cœmeteries about _Rome_, as he is said to have done in his Acts quoted by _Baronius_[933], though he might by that means have escaped being sent into Exile. Besides, had he, instead of complying with the Emperor’s express Command, withdrawn and