Eustathius Deposed at Antioch

A synod was assembled at Antioch, and Eustathius was removed from the church of that city. It was very widely believed that he was deposed only because he held to the faith of the Council of Nicaea, and because he had accused Eusebius; Paulinus, bishop of Tyre; and Patrophilus, bishop of Scythopolis, of favoring the heresy of Arius. The views of these men had been adopted by the priests of the East. The pretext used for his deposition, however, was that he had defiled the priesthood by unholy deeds. His deposition stirred up such an uprising at Antioch that the people were on the point of taking up arms, and the whole city was in turmoil. This did him great harm in the emperor’s opinion. For when the emperor learned what had happened, and that the people of that church were split into two parties, he was very angry, and he suspected Eustathius of being the cause of the uproar. The emperor, however, sent a distinguished officer of his palace, armed with full authority, to calm the people and put an end to the disturbance without resorting to violence or harm. [a]

Those who had deposed Eustathius, and who were gathered at Antioch for that reason, imagined that their views would be received everywhere if they could set over the church of Antioch a man of their own opinion, one known to the emperor and held in high regard for learning and eloquence, and that they could then bring the rest into obedience. So they fixed their thoughts on Eusebius Pamphilus for that see. They wrote to the emperor about it and stated that this choice would be very welcome to the people. In fact, he had been asked for by all the clergy and laity who were hostile to Eustathius. Eusebius, however, wrote to the emperor declining the honor. The emperor praised his refusal, for there was a church law forbidding the moving of a bishop from one bishopric to another. He wrote to the people and to Eusebius, accepting his judgment and calling him blessed, because he was worthy to hold the bishopric not of one single city, but of the world. The emperor also wrote to the people of the church of Antioch about being of one mind, and told them that they ought not to want the bishops of other regions, just as they ought not to covet other people’s possessions. Besides these, he sent another letter to the synod in its private session. In it he commended Eusebius, as he had in his letter to him, for declining the bishopric. Being convinced that Euphronius, a presbyter of Cappadocia, and George of Arethusa were men of approved faith, he ordered the bishops to decide on one or the other of them, or on whoever else might seem worthy of the honor, and to ordain a president for the church of Antioch. [b]

When these letters from the emperor were received, Euphronius was ordained. I have heard that Eustathius bore this unjust slander calmly, judging that to be the better course. Besides his virtues and excellent qualities, he was rightly admired for his fine eloquence, as the works he has left behind show. They are highly approved for their choice of words, the flavor of their expression, the restraint of their thought, and the elegance and grace of their narration.