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EUSEBIUS, however, could by no means remain quiet, but as the
saying is, left no stone un-turned, in order to effect the purpose he
had in view. He therefore causes a Synod to be convened at Antioch
in Syria, under pretense of dedicating the church which the father of
the Augusti had commenced, and which his son Constantius had finished
in the tenth year after its foundations were laid, but with the real
intention of subverting and abolishing the doctrine of the homoousion.
There were present at this Synod ninety bishops from various cities.
Maximus, however, bishop of Jerusalem; who had succeeded
Macarius, did not attend, recollecting that he had been deceived and
induced to subscribe the deposition of Athanasius. Neither was
Julius, bishop of the great Rome, there, nor had he sent a
substitute, although an ecclesiastical canon commands that the churches
shall not make any ordinances against the opinion of the bishop of
Rome. This Synod assembled at Antioch in presence of the emperor
Constantius in the consulate of Marcellus and Probinus, which was
the fifth year after the death of Constantine, father of the
Augusti. Placitus, otherwise called Flaccillus, successor to
Euphronius, at that time presided over the church at Antioch. The
confederates of Eusebius had previously designed to calumniate
Athanasius; accusing him in the first place of having acted contrary
to a canon which they then constituted, in resuming his episcopal
authority without the license of a general council of bishops, inasmuch
as on his return from exile he had on his own responsibility taken
possession of the church; and then because a tumult had been excited on
his entrance and many were killed in the riot; moreover that some had
been scourged by him, and others brought before the tribunals.
Besides they brought forward what had been determined against
Athanasius at Tyre.
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