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IT is not surprising that the Emperor Con stantius was induced to
adopt the use of the term "homoiousios," for it was admitted by many
priests who conformed to the doctrines of the Nicaean council. Many
use the two words indifferently, to convey the same meaning. Hence,
it appears to me, that the Arians departed greatly from the truth when
they affirmed that, after the council of Nicaea, many of the
priests, among whom were Eusebius and Theognis, refused to admit
that the Son is consubstantial with the Father, and that Constantine
was in consequence so indignant, that he condemned them to banishment.
They say that it was afterwards revealed to his sister by a dream or a
vision from God, that these bishops held orthodox doctrines and had
suffered unjustly; and that the emperor thereupon recalled them, and
demanded of them wherefore they had departed from the Nicene
doctrines, since they had been participants in the document concerning
the faith which had been there framed; and that they urged in reply
that they had not assented to those doctrines from conviction, but from
the fear that, if the disputes then existing were prolonged, the
emperor, who was then just beginning to embrace Christianity, and who
was yet unbaptized, might be impelled to return to Paganism, as
seemed likely, and to persecute the Church. They assert that
Constantine was pleased with this defense, and determined upon
convening another council; but that, being prevented by death from
carrying his scheme into execution, the task devolved upon his eldest
son, Constantius, to whom he represented that it would avail him
nothing to be possessed of imperial power, unless he could establish
uniformity of worship throughout his empire; and Constantius they
say, at the instigation of his father, convened a council at
Ariminum. This story is easily seen to be a gross fabrication, for
the council was convened during the consulate of Hypatius and
Eusebius, and twenty two years after Constantius had, on the death
of his father, succeeded to the empire. Now, during this interval of
twenty two years, many councils were held, in which debates were
carried on concerning the terms "homoousias" and "homoiousios." No
one, it appears, ventured to deny that the Son is of like substance
with the Father, until Actius, by starting a contrary opinion, so
offended the emperor that, in order to arrest the course of the
heresy, he commanded the priests to assemble themselves together at
Ariminum and at Seleucia. Thus the true cause of this council being
convened was not the command of Constantine, but the question agitated
by Aetius. And this will become still more apparent by what we shall
hereafter relate.
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