Meletius Comes to Antioch

At the time Eudoxius gained control of the church of Constantinople, there were many candidates for the see of Antioch. As often happens in such circumstances, quarrels and factions divided the clergy and the people of that church. [a] Each party was eager to put the church in the hands of a bishop of its own persuasion. Endless disputes about doctrine raged among them, and they could not agree on how to sing the psalms; as was said before, each person sang the psalms in keeping with his own creed. With the church at Antioch in this state, Eudoxius’s party thought it would be well to entrust the bishopric of that city to Meletius, who was then bishop of Sebaste. He was a man of great and persuasive eloquence and of excellent life, and, as they imagined, he shared their opinions in everything. They believed his reputation would draw the people of Antioch and the neighboring cities over to their heresy, especially those called Eustathians, who had always held to the Nicene teaching. But their hopes were utterly disappointed. [b]

It is said that when he first arrived in Antioch, a huge crowd, made up of Arians and of those in communion with Paulinus, gathered around him. Some wanted to see the man because his fame was great even before he came. Others were eager to hear what he had to say and to find out what his opinions were; for a report had spread, which later proved true, that he held the teaching of those who met at Nicaea. In his first sermons he limited himself to instructing the people in what we call ethics. Afterward, however, he openly declared that the Son is of one substance with the Father. It is said that at these words the archdeacon of the church, who was then one of the clergy there, reached out his hand and covered the preacher’s mouth. But Meletius went on to explain his views more clearly with his fingers than he could have with words. He held out three fingers only toward the people, closed them, and then left only one finger extended, and so showed by signs what he was prevented from saying. When the archdeacon, at a loss, seized his hand, he let go of his mouth. The tongue was free, and Meletius declared his opinion still more clearly and in a loud voice. He urged his hearers to hold to the teaching of the Council of Nicaea, and testified to them that those who held other views had strayed from the truth. As he kept on declaring the same views, by word of mouth, or by signs when the archdeacon closed his mouth, a struggle broke out between the two sides not unlike a pancratium bout. The followers of Eustathius shouted, rejoiced and leaped, while the Arians were downcast.

Eudoxius and his party were furious at this sermon, and by their schemes they managed to drive Meletius out of Antioch. Soon afterward, however, they recalled him, imagining that he had given up his former views and taken up theirs. But when it soon became clear that his devotion to the Nicene teaching was firm and unshakable, he was thrown out of the church and banished by order of the emperor, and the see of Antioch was given to Euzoius, who had once been banished with Arius. The followers of Meletius separated from the Arians and held their assemblies apart. For those who had held from the beginning that the Son is of one substance with the Father refused to admit them to communion, because Meletius had been ordained by Arian bishops and his followers had been baptized by Arian priests. For this reason they remained separate, although they held the same views. The emperor, having been told that an uprising was about to break out in Persia, went to Antioch.