little surprised, that _Baronius_ should blindly acquiesce to the Accounts of the above-mentioned Writers, and, without further Inquiry, condemn _Damasus_ as guilty of Perjury, by ranking him among the Followers of _Felix_[982]. And yet the Annalist supposes him to have been appointed Great Vicar of _Rome_ by _Liberius_, upon his withdrawing from the City to avoid the Persecution raised by _Constantius_ after the Council of _Rimini_[983]: so that, according to him, he must have changed Sides anew, and, abandoning _Felix_, returned to _Liberius_, which is representing him as a Man swayed by no other Principles but those of Interest and Ambition, and therefore always siding with those who were uppermost. This is all we know of _Damasus_ before his Election. [Sidenote: _He is chosen Bishop of_ Rome, _and likewise_ Ursinus.] _Liberius_ dying on the 23d or 24th of _September_ 366. as I have related above, great Disturbances were raised in _Rome_ by the Election of Two Bishops to succeed him, _viz._ _Damasus_ and _Ursinus_, whom the later Writers style _Ursicinus_, a Deacon of that Church. This double Election gave Rise to a dangerous Schism, and a kind of Civil War, within the Walls of the City, which did not end without a great deal of Bloodshed. I shall impartially relate what I find concerning this important Transaction in the contemporary Writers of either Side; leaving the Reader to judge which of the Two Pretenders was the Cause of so much Mischief, and which legally chosen. I shall begin with the Account which _Marcellinus_ and _Faustinus_, who were then at _Rome_, give us of these Elections. They were both Presbyters of that Church, but, being strict Followers of _Lucifer_ Bishop of _Cagliari_, of whom I have spoken above, they and their whole Party were deemed Schismatics, and consequently cruelly persecuted by the Catholic Bishops, especially _Damasus_. Finding themselves thus oppressed, the Two Presbyters, between 383. and 388. drew up a Petition in Behalf of themselves and their afflicted Brethren, addressed to _Valentinian_ II. _Theodosius_, and _Arcadius_, intreating those Princes to protect their Innocence, and put a Stop to the unbridled Rage of their Enemies. With this Request the Two Presbyters repaired to _Constantinople_, being driven from _Rome_ by _Damasus_, and there presented it to _Theodosius_, who, pitying their Condition, in his Rescript directed to _Cynegius_ the _Præfectus Prætorio_, treated them as Catholics, granted them the free Exercise of their Religion, and declared all those wicked Men, nay, and Heretics, who had presumed, or should for the future presume, to persecute or molest them[984]. In the Preface, prefixed to this Petition, I find the following Account of both the above-mentioned Elections. _Ursinus_, say they, was chosen in the Basilic of _Julius_ by the Deacons _Amantius_ and _Lupus_, and the People, who had continued in the Communion of _Liberius_; but _Damasus_, by those who had adhered to _Felix_,