|
ABOUT the same period the Eastern bishops assembled, to the
number of about one hundred and sixty, in Seleucia, a city of
Isauria. This was during the consultate of Eusebius and Hypatius.
Leonas, who held a brilliant military office at the palace, repaired
to this council at the command of Constantius, so that the doctrinal
confession might be conducted in his presence. Lauricius, the
military governor of the province, was present to prepare whatever
might be necessary; for the letter of the emperor had commanded him to
render this service. At the first session of this council, several of
the bishops were absent, and among others, Patrophilus, bishop of
Scythopolis; Macedonius, bishop of Constantinople; and Basil,
bishop of Ancyra. They resorted to divers pretexts in justification
of their non attendance. Patrophilus alleged in excuse a complaint in
the eyes, and Macedonius pleaded indisposition; but it was suspected
they had absented themselves from the fear that various accusations
would be brought against them. As the other bishops refused to enter
upon the investigation of disputed points during their absence, Leonas
commanded them to proceed at once to the examination of the questions
that had been agitated. Thus some were others maintained that
inquiries ought first to be instituted into the conduct of those among
them against whom accusations had been laid, as had been the case with
Cyril, bishop of Jerusalem, Eustathius, bishop of Sebaste, and
others. The ambiguity of the emperor's letters, which sometimes
prescribed one course and sometimes another, gave rise to this
dispute. The contention arising from this source became so fierce,
that all union was destroyed between them, and they became divided into
two parties. However, the advice of those who wished to commence with
the examination of doctrine, prevailed. When they proceeded to the
investigation of terms, some desired to reject the use of the term
"substance," and appealed to the authority of the formulary of faith
which had not long previously been compiled by Mark at Sirmium, and
had been received by the bishops who were at the court, among whom was
Basil, bishop of Ancyra. Many others were anxious for the adoption
of the formulary of faith drawn up at the dedication of the church of
Antioch. To the first of these parties belonged Eudoxius,
Acacius, Patrophilus, George, bishop of Alexandria, Uranius,
bishop of Tyre, and thirty two other bishops. The latter party was
supported by George, bishop of Laodicea, in Syria; by Eleusius,
bishop of Cyzicus; by Sophronius, bishop of Pompeiopolis, in
Paphlagonia; with these the majority agreed. It was suspected, and
with reason, that Acacius and his partisans absented themselves on
account of the difference between their sentiments and those of the
aforesaid bishops, and also because they desired to evade the
investigation of certain accusations which had been brought against
them; for, although they had previously acknowledged in writing to
Macedonius, bishop of Constantinople, that the Son is in all
respects like unto the Father, and of the same substance, now they
fought entirely shy of their former professions. After prolonged
disputations and contention, Silvanus, bishop of Tarsus, declared,
in a loud and peremptory tone, that no new formulary of faith ought to
be introduced but that which had been approved at Antioch, and this
alone ought to prevail. As this proposition was repugnant to the
followers of Acacius, they withdrew, and the other bishops read the
formulary of Antioch. The following day these bishops assembled in
the church, closed the doors, and privately confirmed this formulary.
Acacius condemned this proceeding, and laid the formulary which he
advocated before Leonas and Lauricius privately. Three days
afterwards the same bishops reassembled, and were joined by Macedonius
and Basil, who had been previously absent. Acacius and his partisans
declared that they would take no part in the proceedings of the council
until those who had been deposed and accused had quilted the assembly.
His demand was complied with; for the bishops of the opposite party
were determined that he should have no pretext for dissolving the
council, which was evidently his object, in order to prevent the
impending examination of the heresy of Aetius, and of the accusations
which had been brought against himself and his partisans. When all the
members were assembled, Leonas stated that he held a document which
had been handed to him by the partisans of Acacius; it was their
formulary of faith, with introductory remarks. None of the other
bishops knew anything about it; for Leonas, who was of the same
sentiment as Acacius, had willingly kept the whole matter a secret.
When this document was read, the whole assembly was filled with
tumult; for some of the statements it contained were to the effect
that, though the emperor had prohibited the introduction of any term
into the formularies of filth which was not found in the Sacred
Scriptures, yet that bishops who had been deposed, having been
brought from various provinces to the assembly, with others who had
been illegally ordained, the council had been thrown into confusion,
and that some of the members had been insulted, and others prevented
from speaking. It was added that Acacius and his partisans did not
reject the formulary which had been compiled at Antioch, although
those who had assembled in that city had drawn it up for the express
purpose of meeting the difficulty which had just then arisen; but
that, as the terms "consubstantial" and "of similar substance" had
grieved some individuals, and that; as it had been recently asserted
that the Son is dissimilar from the Father, it was necessary, on
this account, to reject the terms "consubstantial" and a "similar
substance," which do not occur in Scripture, to condemn the term
"dissimilar," and to confess clearly that the Son is like unto the
Father; for He is, as the Apostle Paul somewhere says, "the
image of the invisible God." These prefatory observations were
followed by a formulary, which was neither conformable with that of
Nicaea, nor with that of Antioch, and which was so artfully worded
that the followers of Arius and of Aetius would not appear to be in
error if they should thus state their faith. In this formulary, the
words used by those who had convened at Nicaea, in condemnation of the
Arian doctrine, were omitted, and the declarations of the council of
Antioch, concerning the immutability of the Deity of the Son, and
concerning His being the unchangeable image of the substance, the
counsel, and the power, and the glory of the Father, were passed
over in silence, and belief was simply expressed in the Father, in
the Son, and in the Holy Ghost; and after bestowing some vulgar
epithets on a few individuals who had never entered into any doctrinal
contention on one side or the other, all those who entertained any
other opinions than those set forth in this formulary were declared to
be aliens to the Catholic Church. Such were the contents of the
document presented by Leonas, and which had been signed by Acacius,
and by those who had adopted his sentiments. After it had been read,
Sophronius, a bishop of Paphlagonia, exclaimed, "If we daily
receive the opinions of individuals as a statement of the faith, we
shall fail in attaining precision of the truth." Acacius having
retorted that it was not forbidden to compile new formularies, as that
of Nicaea had been once and frequently altered, Eleusius replied as
follows: "But the council has not now met for the purpose of learning
what is already known, or of accepting any other formulary than that
which has been already approved by those who assembled at Antioch;
and, moreover, living and dying, we will adhere to this formulary."
The dispute having taken this turn, they entered upon another
inquiry, and asked the partisans of Acacius, in what they considered
the Son to be like unto the Father. They replied that the Son is
similar in will only, but not in substance, and the others thereupon
insisted that He is similar in substance, and convicted Acacius, by
a work which he had formerly written, that he had once been of their
opinion. Acacius replied that he ought not to be judged from his own
writings; and the dispute had continued with heat for some time, when
Eleusius, bishop of Cyzicus, spoke as follows: "It matters little
to the council whether Mark or Basil has transgressed in any way,
whether they or the adherents of Acacius have any accusation to bring
against each other; neither does the trouble devolve upon the council
of examining whether their formulary be commendable or otherwise; it is
enough to maintain the formulary which has been already confirmed at
Antioch by ninety seven priests; and if any one desire to introduce
any doctrine which is not contained therein, he ought to be held as an
alien to religion and the Church." Those who were of his sentiments
applauded his speech; and the assembly then arose and separated. The
following day, the partisans of Acacius and of George refused to
attend the council; and Leonas, who had now openly declared himself
to be of their sentiments, likewise refused, in spite of all
entreaties, to repair thither. Those who were deputed to request his
attendance found the partisans of Acacius in his house; and he
declined their invitation, under the plea that too much discord
prevailed in the council, and that he had only been commanded by the
emperor to attend the council in case of unanimity among the members.
Much time was consumed in this way; and the partisans of Acacius were
frequently solicited by the other bishops to attend the assemblies; but
they sometimes demanded a special conference in the house of Leonas,
and sometimes alleged that they had been commissioned by the emperor to
judge those who had been accused; for they would not receive the creed
adopted by the other bishops, nor clear themselves of the crimes of
which they had been accused; neither would they examine the case of
Cyril, whom they had deposed; and there was no one to compel them to
do so. The council, however, eventually deposed George, bishop of
Alexandria; Acacius, bishop of Caesarea; Uranius, bishop of
Tyre; Patrophilus, bishop of Scythopolis; and Eudoxius, bishop
of Antioch; and several other prelates. Many persons were likewise
put out of communion until they could purge themselves of the crimes
imputed to them. The transactions were conveyed in writing to the
parish of each of the clergy. Adrian, a presbyter of Antioch, was
ordained bishop over that church, in room of Eudoxius; but the
partisans of Acacius arrested him and delivered him over to Leonas and
Lauricius. They committed him into the custody of the soldiers, but
afterwards sent him into exile.
We have now given a brief account of the termination of the council of
Seleucia. Those who desire more detailed information must seek it in
the acts of the council, which have been transcribed by attendant
shorthand miters.
|
|