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AT Antioch Placidus was succeeded by Stephanus, who was expelled
from the Church. Leontius then accepted the Primacy, but in
violation of the decrees of the Nicene Council, for he had mutilated
himself, and was an eunuch. The cause of his rash deed is thus
narrated by the blessed Athanasius. Leontius, it seems, was the
victim of slanderous statements on account of a certain young woman of
the name of Eustolia. Finding himself prevented from dwelling with
her he mutilated himself for her sake, in order that he might feel free
to live with her. But he did not clear himself of suspicion, and all
the more for this reason was deposed from the presbyterate. So much
Athanasius has written about the rest of his earlier life. I shall
now give a summary exposure of his evil conduct. Now though he shared
the Arian error, he always endeavoured to conceal his unsoundness.
He observed that the clergy and the rest of the people were divided
into two parts, the one, in giving glory to the Son, using the
conjunction ''and," the other using the preposition "through" of
the Son, and applying "in" to the Holy Ghost. He himself offered
all the doxology in silence, and all that those standing near him could
hear was the "For ever and ever." And had not the exceeding
wickedness of his sold been betrayed by other means, it might have been
said that he adopted this contrivance from a wish to promote concord
among the people. But when he had wrought much mischief to the
champions of the truth, and continued to give every support to the
promoters of impiety, he was convicted of concealing his own
unsoundness. He was influenced both by his fear of the people, and by
the grievous threats which Constantius had uttered against any who had
dared to say that the Son was unlike the Father. His real sentiments
were however proved by his conduct. Followers of the Apostolic
doctrines never received from him either ordination or indeed the least
encouragement. Men, on the other hand, who sided with the Arian
superstition, were both allowed perfect liberty in expressing their
opinions, and were from time to time admitted to priestly office. At
this juncture Aetius, the master of Eunomius, who promoted the
Arian error by his speculations, was admitted to the diaconate.
Flavianus and Diodorus, however, who had embraced an ascetic
career, and were open champions of the Apostolic decrees, publicly
protested against the attacks of Leontius against true religion. That
a man nurtured in iniquity and scheming to win notoriety by ungodliness
should be counted worthy of the diaconate, was, they urged, a
disgrace to the Church. They further threatened that they would
withdraw from his communion, travel to the western empire, and publish
his plots to the world. Leontius was now alarmed, and suspended
Aetius from his sacred office, but continued to show him marked
favour.
That excellent pair Flavianus and Diodorus, though not vet admitted
to the priesthood and still ranked with the laity, worked night and day
to stimulate men's zeal for truth. They were the first to divide
choirs into two parts, and to teach them to sing the psalms of David
antiphonally. Introduced first at Antioch, the practice spread in
all directions, and penetrated to the ends of the earth. Its
originators now collected the lovers of the Divine word and work into
the Churches of the Martyrs, and with them spent the night in singing
psalms to God.
When Leontius perceived this, he did not think it safe to try to
prevent them, for he saw that the people were exceedingly
well-disposed towards these excellent men. However, putting a colour
of courtesy on his speech, he requested that they would perform this
act of worship in the churches. They were perfectly well aware of his
evil intent. Nevertheless they set about obeying his behest and
readily summoned their choir to the Church, exhorting them to sing
praises to the good Lord. Nothing, however, could induce Leontius
to correct his wickedness, but be put on the mask of equity, and
concealed the iniquity of Stephanus and Placidus. Men who had
accepted the corruption of the faith of priests and deacons, although
they had embraced a life of vile irregularity, he added to the roll;
while others adorned with every kind of virtue and firm adherents of
apostolic doctrines, he left unrecognised. Thus it came to pass that
among the clergy were numbered a majority of men tainted with heresy,
while the mass of the laity were champions of the Faith, and even
professional teachers lacked courage to lay bare their blasphemy. In
truth the deeds of impiety and iniquity done by Placidus, Stephanus,
and Leontius, in Antioch are so many as to want a special history of
their own, and so terrible as to be worthy of the lament of David;
for of them too it must be said "For lo thy enemies make a murmuring
and they that hate thee lift up their head. They have imagined
craftily against the people and taken counsel against thy secret ones.
They have said come and let us root them out that they be no more a
people: and that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance."
Let us now continue the course of our narrative.
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