Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| The Body of Paul, Bishop of Constantinople, is honorably transferred from his Place of Exile. Death of Meletius.
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP 
Chapter IX.—The Body
of Paul, Bishop of Constantinople, is honorably transferred from his
Place of Exile. Death of Meletius.
The emperor at that time caused
to be removed from the city of Ancyra, the body of the bishop Paul,
whom Philip the prefect of the Prætorium712
| 712Constantine made an advance on his predecessors by
dividing the management of the empire among four prefects of the
prætorium, which they had committed to two officers of that name.
These four were apportioned as follows: one to the East, a second to
Illyricum, a third to Italy, and a fourth to Gaul. Each of these
prefects had a number of dioceses under him, and each diocese was a
combination of several provinces into one territory. In conformity with
this model of civil government the church abandoned gradually and
naturally its metropolitan administration of the provinces and adopted
the diocesan. The exact time of the change is, of course, uncertain, it
having come about gradually. It is safe, however, to put it between the
Nicene and Constantinopolitan councils. The Fathers in the latter of
those councils seem to find it in practical operation and confirm it
(Cf. Canon 2 of the councils), decreeing explicitly that it should be
unlawful for clerics to perform any office or transact any business in
their official character outside of the bounds of the diocese wherein
they were placed, just as it was unlawful for the civil officer to
intermeddle in any affair outside the limits of his civil diocese.
|
had banished at the instigation of Macedonius, and ordered to be
strangled at Cucusus a town of Armenia, as I have already mentioned.713
He therefore received the remains with great reverence and honor, and
deposited in the church which now takes its name from him; which the
Macedonian party were formerly in possession of while they remained
separate from the Arians, but were expelled at that time by the
emperor, because they refused to adopt his sentiments. About this
period Melitius, bishop of Antioch, fell sick and died: in whose praise
Gregory, the brother of Basil, pronounced a funeral oration. The body
of the deceased bishop was by his friends conveyed to Antioch; where
those who had identified themselves with his interests again refused
subjection to Paulinus, but caused Flavian to be substituted in the
place of Melitius, and the people began to quarrel anew. Thus again the
Antiochian church was divided into rival factions, not grounded on any
difference of faith, but simply on a preference of bishops.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
