Meletius and Paulinus at Antioch, and the Oath about the Bishop’s Throne

Under this law Meletius returned about this time to Antioch in Syria, and his presence caused great strife among the people. Paulinus was still alive, for Valens, out of respect for his godliness, had not dared to banish him. The supporters of Meletius therefore proposed that Meletius share the office with Paulinus. But Paulinus condemned the ordination of Meletius, because Arian bishops had conferred it. Even so, the supporters of Meletius pressed ahead by force with what they had planned, for they were not few, and they placed Meletius on the bishop’s throne in one of the churches in the suburbs. The bitterness between the two parties grew, and a riot was expected; but a remarkable plan for restoring harmony won out. It seemed best to take oaths from those who were considered eligible, or who were expected to occupy the bishop’s see of that city. There were five of these besides Flavian. They promised that if an ordination should take place among them while Paulinus and Meletius were living, they would neither seek the office of bishop nor accept it, and that when either of these great men died, the other alone should succeed to the bishopric. When they had confirmed this promise with oaths, harmony was restored among almost all the people. A few of the Luciferians still held apart, because Meletius had been ordained by heretics. When this contest was over, Meletius went to Constantinople, where many other bishops had gathered to deliberate on the need to transfer Gregory from the bishopric of Nazianzus to that of this city. [a]