Translation
Hide
The Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret (CCEL)
Chapter VIII. Stephanus Deposed.
After the judges had heard these replies, they ordered the youngest of those who had been arrested to be brought before them. Before he was subjected to the examination by scourging, he confessed the whole plot, and stated that it was planned and carried into execution by Onager. On this latter being brought in he affirmed that he had only acted according to the commands of Stephanus. The guilt of Stephanus being thus demonstrated, the bishops then present were charged to depose him, and expel him from the Church. By his expulsion the Church was not, however, wholly freed from the plague of Arianism. Leontius, who succeeded him in his presidency, was a Phrygian of so subtle and artful a disposition, that he might be said to resemble the sunken rocks of the sea 1. We shall presently narrate more concerning him 2.
-
φασὶ δὲ καὶ νήεσσιν ἁλιπλανέεσσι χερειους τὰς ὑφάλους πέτρας τῶν φανερῶν σπιλάδων —Anth. Pal. xi. 390. ↩
-
Leontius, Bishop of Antioch from a.d. 348 to 357, was one of the School of Lucianus. (Philost. iii. 15), cf. pp. 38 and 41, notes. Athanasius says hard things of him ( de fug. §26), but Dr. Salmon ( Dict. Christ. Biog. s.v.) is of opinion that “we may charitably think that the gentleness and love of peace which all attest were not mere hypocrisy, and may impute his toleration of heretics to no worse cause than insufficient appreciation of the importance of the issues involved.” Vide infra. chap. xix. ↩
Translation
Hide
Histoire de l'Église
CHAPITRE VI.
Hérésie de Macédonius.
LES Ariens ayant ainsi fait mourir Paul ou plutôt l'ayant fait passer au Royaume de Dieu, ils élurent en sa place Macedonius, qu'ils regardaient comme un homme de leur sentiment et de leur secte parce qu'il égalait l'impiété avec laquelle ils avançaient des blasphèmes contre le saint Esprit, Mais ils le chassèrent bientôt après lorsqu'ils virent qu'il refusait de donner le nom de créature à celui auquel l'Écriture sainte donne la qualité de Fils de Dieu. Ayant été retranché de la sorte de leur communion, il fit une secte à part, et enseigna que le 96 fils de Dieu n'est point de même substance que son Père, qu'il lui est seulement semblable en toutes choses, mais que le Saint Esprit n'est qu'une créature.