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ON reflecting that, while it was indispensably requisite to check the
incursions of the barbarians of the Ister in Illyria and Thrace, his
presence was equally necessary in Gaul to repel the inroads of the
Alemanni, Gratian associated Theodosius with himself at Sirmich,
in the government of the empire. Theodosius belonged to an illustrious
family of the Pyrenees in Iberia, and had acquired so much renown in
war, that before he was raised to the imperial power, he was
universally considered capable of guiding the reins of the empire.
At this period all the churches of the East, with the exception of
that of Jerusalem, were in the hands of the Arians. The
Macedonians differed but little in opinion from those who maintained
the doctrine of Nicaea, and held intercourse and communion with them
in all the cities; and this had been more especially the case with the
Macedonians of Constantinople, ever since their reconciliation with
Liberius. But after the enactment of Gratian's law, some bishops
of the Macedonian heresy took courage and repossessed the churches from
which they had been ejected by Valens. They assembled together at
Antioch in Caria, and protested that the Son is not to be declared
"consubstantial" with the Father, but only like unto Him in
substance. From that period, many of the Macedonians seceded from
the others, and held separate churches; while others, condemning this
opposition and contentiousness of those who had made these decisions,
united themselves still more firmly with the followers of the Nicene
doctrines.
Many of the bishops who had been banished by Valens, and who were
recalled about this period in consequence of the law of Gratian,
manifested no ambition to be restored to the highest offices of the
Church; but they preferred the unity of the people, and therefore
begged the Arian bishops to retain the posts they occupied, and not to
rend by dissension the Church, which had been transmitted by God and
the apostles as one, but which contentiousness and ambition for
precedence had divided into many parts. Eulalius, bishop of Amasia
in Pontus, was one of those who pursued this course of conduct. It
is said that when he returned from exile, he found that his church was
presided over by an Arian bishop, and that scarcely fifty inhabitants
of the city had submitted to the control of this new bishop.
Eulalius, desiring unity above all other considerations, offered to
take part with the Arian bishop in the government of the church, and
expressly agreed to allow him the precedence. But as the Arian would
not comply with this proposition, it was not long before he found
himself deserted by the few who had followed him, and who went over to
the other party.
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