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| The Macedonians and Acacians meet at Antioch, and proclaim their Assent to the Nicene Creed.
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Chapter XXV.—The
Macedonians and Acacians meet at Antioch, and proclaim their Assent to
the Nicene Creed.
Meanwhile the state of the
church was by no means tranquil; for the heads of the sects assiduously
paid their court to the emperor their king that protection for
themselves meant also power against their acknowledged opponents. And
first the Macedonians presented 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,561
| 561The mss. and all the Greek
texts read Ζήνων,
making the name ‘Pasinicus Zenon, or Zeno.’ The translation
here given assumes the alteration in the process of transcription of a
single letter making the original Ζηλῶν, which probably means the
city of Zeleia, on the southeastern coast of the Euxine, famous for a
victory of Mithridates over Triarius, the lieutenant of Lucullus, in 67
b.c.
|
Leontius of Comana, Callicrates of Claudiopolis, and Theophilus of
Castabala. The emperor having perused it, dismissed them without any
other answer than this: ‘I abominate contentiousness; but I love
and honor those who exert themselves to promote unanimity.’ When
this remark became generally known, it subdued the violence of those
who were desirous of altercation and thus was realized in the design of
the emperor. 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
Melitius, who had separated from them a little before, and embraced the
‘homoousian’ opinion. This they did because they saw
Melitius was in high estimation with the emperor, who then resided at
Antioch; and assenting therefore by common consent, they drew up a
declaration of their sentiments acknowledging the homoousion and
ratifying the Nicene Creed and presented it to the emperor. It was
expressed in the following terms.
‘The Synod of bishops convened at Antioch out of
various provinces, to the most pious and beloved of 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 acknowledgment of the orthodox faith to be the sum and substance 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 Nicæa. Especially since the term
homoousios, which to some seems novel562
| 562This word, whose original is ξένον, is inserted by Valesius.
If it were omitted, the translation would be, ‘which to some
seems acceptable.’
|
and inappropriate, has been judiciously explained by the fathers to
denote 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 ousia, “substance,” taken by the fathers in
any usual signification of it among the Greeks; but it has been
employed for the subversion of what Arius impiously dared to assert
concerning Christ, viz.—that he was made of things “not
existing.” Which heresy the Anomœans, 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
Nicæa, with which also we are fully satisfied. It is this:
“We believe in one God the Father Almighty,” and all the
rest of the Creed in full. We, the undersigned, in presenting this
statement, most cordially assent to its contents. Melitius bishop of
Antioch, Eusebius of Samosata, Evagrius of Sicily, Uranius of
Apamæa, Zoilus of Larissa, Acacius of Cæsarea, Antipater of
Rhosus, Abramius of Urimi,563
| 563On the present borders of Turkey and Persia.
|
Aristonicus of Seleucia-upon-Belus, Barlamenus of Pergamus, Uranius of
Melitina, Magnus of Chalcedon, Eutychius of Eleutheropolis, Isacocis of
Armenia Major, Titus of Bostra, Peter of Sippi,564
| 564According to Valesius Hippi.
|
Pelagius of Laodicæa, Arabian of Antros, Piso of Adana through
Lamydrion a presbyter, Sabinian bishop of Zeugma, Athanasius of Ancyra
through Orphitus and Aëtius presbyters, Irenion bishop of Gaza,
Piso of Augusta, Patricius of Paltus through Lamyrion a presbyter,
Anatolius bishop of Berœa, Theotimus of the Arabs, and Lucian of
Arca.’565
| 565The name of this city is variously given as Archis,
Arca, Arcæ, Arcas, Arcæa, Arcena. It lies at the foot of
Mount Lebanon. See Joseph. Antiq. V. 1 and de Bello, XII.
13.
|
This declaration we found recorded in that work of
Sabinus, entitled A Collection of the Acts of Synods. Now 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.’ For he extols the
emperor for his overcoming the wiles of flatterers by 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 observes566
| 566Themist. Orat. V. (p. 80, ed. Harduin).
|
that experience has made it evident that such persons ‘worship
the purple and not God; and resemble the changeful Euripus,567
| 567Straits between Eubœa and the mainland.
|
which sometimes rolls its waves in one direction, and at others the
very opposite way.’
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