CHAPTER IX

OF EUSEBIUS EMISENUS

ON the ground of such charges as these, they proposed another bishop for the Alexandrian church, and first indeed Eusebius surnamed Emisenus. Who this person was, George bishop of Laodicea, who was present on this occasion, informs us. For he says in the book which he has composed on his life, that he was descended from a noble family of Edessa in Mesopotamia, and that from a child he had studied the holy Scriptures; that he was afterwards instructed in Greek literature by a master resident at Edessa; and finally that the sacred books were expounded to him by Patrophilus and Eusebius, the latter of whom presided over the church at Cæsarea, and the former over that at Scythopolis. Having afterwards gone to Antioch, about the time that Eustathius was deposed on the accusation of Cyrus of Berœa for holding the tenets of Sabellius, he lived on terms of familiar intercourse with Euphronius that prelate’s successor. When however a bishopric was offered him, he retired to Alexandria to avoid the intended honour, and there devoted himself to the study of philosophy. On his return to Antioch, he formed an intimate acquaintance with Placitus or Flaccillus, the successor of Euphronius. At length he was ordained bishop of Alexandria, by Eusebius bishop of Constantinople, but did not go thither in consequence of the attachment of the people of that city to Athanasius. He was therefore sent to Emisa, where the inhabitants excited a sedition on account of his appointment, for they reproached him with the study and practice of judicial astrology; whereupon he fled to Laodicea, and abode with George, who has given so many historical details of him. George having taken him to Antioch, procured his being again brought back to Emisa by Flaccillus and Narcissus; but he was afterwards charged with holding the Sabellian heresy. His ordination is elaborately described by the same writer, who adds at the close that the emperor took him with him in his expedition against the barbarians, and that miracles were wrought by his hand.