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IT becomes us now to speak of Meletius, who, as we have recently
observed, was created bishop of Sebastia in Armenia, after the
deposition of Eustathius; from Sebastia he was transferred to
Beroea, a city of Syria. Being present at the Synod of Seleucia,
he subscribed the creed set forth there by Acacius, and immediately
returned thence to Beroea. When the convention of the Synod at
Constantinople was held, the people of Antioch finding that
Eudoxius, captivated by the magnificence of the see of
Constantinople, had contemned their church, they sent for Meletius,
and invested him with the bishopric of the church at Antioch. Now he
at first avoided all doctrinal questions, confining his discourses to
moral subjects; but subsequently he expounded to his auditors the
Nicene creed, and asserted the doctrine of the homoousion. The
emperor being informed of this, ordered that he should be sent into
exile; and caused Euzoius, who had before been deposed together with
Arius, to be installed bishop of Antioch in his stead. Such,
however, as were attached to Meletius, separated themselves from the
Arian congregation, and held their assemblies apart: nevertheless,
those who originally embraced the homoousian opinion would not
communicate with them, because Meletius had been ordained by the
Arians, and his adherents had been baptized by them. Thus was the
Antiochian church divided, even in regard to those whose views on
matters of faith exactly corresponded. Meanwhile the emperor getting
intelligence that the Persians were preparing to undertake another war
against the Romans, repaired in great haste to Antioch.
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