THE CASE OF FLAVIANIIS VAINLY ALLEGED. 307 tom, in his Statuary Orations, so highlycommends and celebrates, being substituted in the place of " Meletius by the quire of bishops," a party adhered to Paulinus, and after his decease they set up Evagrius, ordaining him (as Theodoret, who was best acquainted with passages on that side of Christendom, reports) against many canons of the church.' Yet with this party the Roman bishops, " not willing to know any of these things," three of them in order, Damasus, Siricius, Anastasius, conspired, instigating the emperor against Flavianus, and reproaching him as " supporter of a tyrant against the laws of Christ."a But the emperor having called Flavianus to him, and received much satisfaction in his demeanour and discourse, remanded and settledhim in his place. "The emperor," says Theodoret, "wonder- ing at his courage and his wisdom, commanded him to return home, and to feed the church committed to him; "' at which proceeding when the Romans afterward grumbled, the emperor gave them such reasons and advices that theycomplied, and entertained communion with Flavianus. It is true that, upon their suggestions and clamours, the emperor was moved at first to order that Flavianus should go to Rome, and give the western bishops satisfaction; but after that he understood the quality of his plea, he freed him of that trouble, and without their allowance settled him in his see. Here is nothing of the pope's deposing Flavianus, but of his em- bracing, in a schism, the side ofa competitor; it being, in such a case, needful that the pope or any other bishop should choose with whom he must communicate, and consequently must disclaim the other; in which choice the pope had no good success, not deposing Flavianus, but vainly opposing him: wherefore this allegation is strangely im- pertinent, and well may be turned against them. Indeed, in this instance we may see how fallible that see was in their judgment of things, how rash in taking parties and fomenting discords, how pertinacious in a bad cause, how peevish against the common sense of their brethren, especially considering that before this opposition of Flavianus the fathers of Constantinople had, in their letter to Pope Damasus and the occidental bishops, approved and commended him to them, highly asserting the legitimateness of his ordination; in fine, how little their authority availed with ' Theod. v. 23; Socr. v. 15; Soz. viii. 3. 9'AxX' ö¡oaç TaúTav obSiv sibivar .96aovTE¡ Tñv Ebaypiau pip xorvaviav 4iovrái;ovTO, xara ..laóravov Táç ßaorT.íxaç 'sxiv»oav àxaáç.'L'heod., ibid. 3 AbTOli ávSpsfav xai Ti7v oopiav $aupcáoaç ó ßxorÀtúç, 947v ivsyxoüoav xaTaÀxótrv, xrì/ T%v ÉyxErproAsioav arorp:alvE(v 6xxX97oiav bxFXbllCfv.S'/tGOd., ibid.
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