CHAPTER XXV

THE MACEDONIANS AND ACACIANS CONVENE AT ANTIOCH, AND DECLARE THEIR ASSENT TO THE NICENE CREED

MEANWHILE the state of the church was by no means tranquil; for the heads of each party assiduously paid their court to the emperor, with a view of obtaining not only protection for themselves, but also power against their opponents. And first the Macedonians present a petition to him, in which they begged that all those who asserted the Son to be unlike the Father, might be expelled from the churches, and themselves allowed to take their place. “This supplication was presented by Basil bishop of Ancyra, Silvanus of Tarsus, Sophronius of Pompeiopolis, Pasinicus of Zelæ, Leontius of Comani, Callicrates of Claudiopolis, and Theophilus of Castabali. The emperor having perused it, dismissed them without any other answer than this: “I abominate contentiousness; but I love and honour those who exert themselves to promote unanimity.” When this remark became generally known, it effected the emperor’s purpose in making it, by subduing the violence of those who were desirous of altercation. At this time the real spirit of the Acacian sect, and their readiness to accommodate their opinions to those invested with supreme authority, became more conspicuous than ever. For assembling themselves at Antioch in Syria, they entered into a conference with Meletius, who had separated from them a little before, and embraced the Homoousian opinion. This they did because they saw Meletius was in high estimation with the emperor, who then resided at Antioch. Having therefore followed his example, and assented to the Nicene creed, they by common consent drew up a declaration of their sentiments’, and presented it to Jovian. It was expressed in the following terms.

“The Synod of bishops convened at Antioch out of various provinces, to the most pious and dear to God, our lord Jovian Victor Augustus.

“That your piety has above all things aimed at establishing the peace and harmony of the church, we ourselves, most devout emperor, are fully aware. Nor are we insensible that you have wisely judged an acknowledgement of the orthodox faith to be the fountain-head of this unity. Wherefore lest we should be included in the number of those who adulterate the doctrine of the truth, we hereby declare to your piety that we embrace and steadfastly hold the faith of the holy Synod formerly convened at Nice. Especially since the term ὁμοουσίος consubstantial, which to some seems novel and inappropriate, has been judiciously explained by the fathers to denote simply that the Son was begotten of the Father’s substance, and that he is like the Father as to substance. Not indeed that any passion is to be understood in relation to that ineffable generation. Nor is the term (οὐσία) substance taken by the fathers in any usual signification of it among the Greeks; but it has been employed for the subversion of what Arms impiously dared to assert concerning Christ, viz.—that he was made of things not existing. Which heresy the Anomoians, who have lately sprung up, still more audaciously maintain, to the utter destruction of ecclesiastical unity. We have therefore annexed to this our declaration, a copy of the faith set forth by the bishops assembled at Nice, which we also fully recognise. It is this:—‘We believe in one God the Father Almighty,’ and all the rest of the Creed. We the undersigned, in presenting this statement, most cordially assent to its contents. Meletius bishop of Antioch, Eusebius of Samosata, Evagrius of Sicily, Uranius of Apamæa, Zoilus of Larissa, Acacias of Cæsarea, Antipater of Rhosus, Abramius of Urimi, Aristonicus of Seleucia-upon-Belus, Barlamenus of Pergamus, Uranius of Melitina, Magnus of Chalcedon, Eutychius of Eleutheropolis, Isacoces of Armenia Major, Titus of Bostra, Peter of Sippi, Pelagius of Laodicæa, Arabian of Antros, Piso of Adani, Lamydrion a presbyter, Sabinian bishop of Zeugma, Athanasius of Ancyra, Orphitus aud Aëtius presbyters, Irenius bishop of Gaza, Piso of Augusta, Patricius of Paltus, Lamyrion a presbyter, Anatolius bishop of Berœa, Theotinus of the Arabs, and Lucian of Arcen.”

This declaration we found recorded in that work of Sabinus, entitled “A Collection of the Acts of Synods.” But the emperor had resolved to allay if possible the contentious spirit of the parties at variance, by bland manners and persuasive language toward them all; declaring that he would not molest any one on account of his religious sentiments, and that he should love and highly esteem such as would zealously promote the unity of the church. The philosopher Themistius attests that such was his conduct, in the oration he composed on his consulate; in which he extols the emperor for his liberality in freely permitting every one to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience. And in allusion to the check which the sycophants received, he facetiously observes that experience has made it evident that such persons worship the purple and not the Deity; and resemble the changeful Euripus, which sometimes rolls its waves in one direction, and at others the very opposite way.