Chapter
XIII
.—
Concerning Paulinus and Meletius, Chief-Priests
of Antioch; how Eusebius and Lucifer antagonized One Another; Eusebius
and Hilarius defend the Nicene Faith
.
On
the termination of the
council, Eusebius repaired to Antioch and found dissension prevailing
among the people.
1394
Those who were attached to Meletius would not join Paulinus, but held
their assemblies apart. Eusebius was much grieved at the state of
affairs; for the ordination ought not to have taken place without the
unanimous consent of the people; yet, from respect towards Lucifer, he
did not openly express his dissatisfaction.
He refused to hold communion with either party, but
promised to redress their respective grievances by means of a council.
While he was thus striving to restore concord and unanimity, Meletius
returned from exile, and, finding that those who held his sentiments
had seceded from the other party, he held meetings with them beyond the
walls of the city. Paulinus, in the meantime, assembled his own party
within the city; for his mildness, his virtuous life, and his advanced
age had so far won the respect of Euzoïus, the Arian president,
that, instead of being expelled from the city, a church had been
assigned him for his own use. Eusebius, on finding all his endeavors
for the restoration of concord frustrated, quitted Antioch. Lucifer
fancied himself injured by him, because he had refused to approve the
ordination of Paulinus; and, in displeasure, seceded from communion
with him. As if purely from the desire of contention, Lucifer then
began to cast aspersions on the enactments of the council of
Alexandria; and in this way he seems to have originated the heresy
which has been called after him, Luciferian.
Those who espoused his cause seceded from the church;
but, although he was deeply chagrined at the aspect affairs had taken,
yet, because he had deputed a deacon to accompany Eusebius in lieu of
himself, he yielded to the decrees of the council of Alexandria, and
conformed to the doctrines of the Catholic Church. About this period he
repaired to Sardinia.
In the meantime Eusebius traversed the Eastern
provinces, restored those who had declined from the faith, and taught
them what it was necessary to believe. After passing through Illyria,
he went to Italy, and there he met with Hilarius, bishop of
Poictiers
1395
in Aquitania. Hilarius had returned from exile before Eusebius, and had
taught the Italians and the Gauls what doctrines they had to receive,
and what to reject; he expressed himself with great eloquence in the
Latin tongue, and wrote many
admirable works, it is said, in refutation of
the Arian dogmas. Thus did Hilarius and Eusebius maintain the doctrines
of the Nicæan council in the regions of the West.
1394
Ruf.
H. E.
i. 30, 31; Soc. iii. 9, 10. Cf.
Theodoret,
H. E.
iii. 4, 5; Sulp. Sev.
H. S.
ii. 45.
1395
Soc. iii. 10, who says his source is Sabinus,
ἐν τῇ
συναγωγῇ τῶν
συνοδικῶν
.