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| Of the Council held at Seleucia in Isauria. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
Chapter XXII.—Of the Council held at Seleucia in
Isauria.
After a
time, at the suggestion of the accusers of Eudoxius, Constantius
ordered the synod to be held at Seleucia. This town of Isauria lies on
the seashore and is the chief town of the district. Hither the bishops
of the East, and with them those of Pontus in Asia, were ordered to
assemble.575
575 “Now that the Semiarians were forced to treat with their
late victims on equal terms, they agreed to hold a general Council.
Both parties might hope for success. If the Homœan influence was
strong at Court, the Semiarians were strong in the East, and could
count on some help from the Western Nicenes. But the Court was resolved
to secure a decision to its own mind. As a Council of the whole Empire
might have been too independent, it was divided. The Westerns were to
meet at Ariminum in Italy, the Easterns at Seleucia in Isauria.”
“It was a fairly central spot, and easy of access from Egypt and
Syria by sea, but otherwise most unsuitable. It was a mere fortress,
lying in a rugged country, where the spurs of Mount Taurus reach the
sea. Around it were the ever-restless marauders of Isauria.”
“The choice of such a place is as significant as if a
Pan-Anglican synod were called to meet at the central and convenient
port of Souakim.”
Gwatkin “The Arian
Controversy.” pp. 93–96.
The Council met here
a.d. 359. |
The see of Cæsarea, the capital of Palestine, was now held by
Acacius, who had succeeded Eusebius. He had been condemned by the
council of Sardica, but had expressed contempt for so large an assembly
of bishops, and had refused to accept their adverse decision. At
Jerusalem Macarius, whom I have often mentioned, was succeeded by
Maximus, a man conspicuous in his struggles on behalf of religion, for
he had been deprived of his right eye and maimed in his right arm.576
576 He
appears to have been less conspicuous for consistency in the Arian
Controversy. At Tyre he is described by Sozomen and Socrates as
assenting to the deposition of Athanasius but Rufinus (H. E. i. 17)
tells the dramatic story of the successful interposition of the aged
and mutilated Paphnutius of the Thebaid, who took his vacillating
brother by the hand, and led him to the little knot of Athanasians.
Sozomen (iv. 203) represents him as deposed by Acacius for too zealous
orthodoxy, and replaced by Cyril, then a Semiarian. Jerome agrees with
Theodoret, and makes Cyril succeed on the death of Maximus in 350 or
351. (Chron. ann. 349.) |
On his translation to the life
which knows no old age, Cyrillus, an earnest champion of the apostolic
decrees,577
577 Sozomen and Socrates are less favourable to his orthodoxy. In his
favour see the synodical letter written by the bishops assembled at
Constantinople after the Council in 381, and addressed to Pope Damasus,
which is given in the Vth book of our author, Chapter 9. He was engaged
in a petty controversy with Acacius on the precedence of the sees of
Cæsarea and Ælia (Jerusalem), and in 357 deposed. On appeal
to the Council of Seleucia he was reinstated, but again deposed by
Constantius, partly on the pretended charge of dealing improperly with
a robe given by Constantine to Macarius, which Theodoret records later
(Chap. xiii.) Restored by Julian he was left in peace under Jovian and
Valentinian, exiled by Valens, and restored by Theodosius. He died in
386, and left Catechetical lectures, a Homily, and an Epistle, of which
the authenticity has been successfully defended, and which vindicate
rather his orthodoxy than his ability. cf. Canon Venables. Dict. Ch.
Biog. s.v. | was dignified with the Episcopal
office. These men in their contentions with one another for the first
place brought great calamities on the state. Acacius seized some small
occasion, deposed Cyrillus, and drove him from Jerusalem. But Cyrillus
passed by Antioch, which he had found without a pastor, and came to
Tarsus, where he dwelt with the excellent Silvanus, then bishop of that
see. No sooner did Acacius become aware of this than he wrote to
Silvanus and informed him of the deposition of Cyrillus. Silvanus
however, both out of regard for Cyrillus, and not without suspicion of
his people, who greatly enjoyed the stranger’s teaching, refused
to prohibit him from taking a part in the ministrations of the church.
When however they had arrived at Seleucia, Cyrillus joined with the
party of Basilius and Eustathius and Silvanus and the rest in the
council. But when Acacius joined the assembled bishops, who numbered
one hundred and fifty, he refused to be associated in their counsels
before Cyrillus, as one stripped of his bishopric, had been put out
from among them. There were some who, eager for peace, besought
Cyrillus to withdraw, with a pledge that after the decision of the
decrees they would enquire into his case. He would not give way, and
Acacius left them and went out. Then meeting Eudoxius he removed his
alarm, and encouraged him with a promise that he would stand his friend
and supporter. Thus he hindered him from taking part in the council,
and set out with him for Constantinople.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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