their Councilsabridged. 69 S. 8. In his s gth Epift. to Prosopiar, pale814. refuting to come to their Council, -he faith, " If I mall: write the verytruth, I amof the mind to fly "from (oravoid) every Meeting ofBifhops : For I neverfaw a joyful arid': " happy end of any Council ; nor any that gave not more addition and "increafe to evils, thandepunion (or reformation:) For pertinaciouscon- " tentions: and the lufts of Domination (or Lording, ) (Think me not " (faith he) grievous and troublefome for writing this,) are fuch, as no "words canexprefs.: And a man that will (there) be aJudg ofothers, (hall "fooner contract difhónefty himfelf, thanreprefs the dilhoneftyofothers They that fayhe fpeaketh onlyof Heretical Councils defie the light, and winkle believed by none that know the Hiftory. s. 9. The Cafe of Antioch, briefly, was this : Meletius was a-good man, but of a healing difpofition, made Bilhop by the Arians miftaking him, and put out by them when they knew. him, yet he held Communion with repenting Arians. Euzoius an. Arian was put intohis place, and he kept Conventicles. The grand Controverfie of all the foregoing Ages, was about Communion withtheLapfed,that yielded to Idolatry,orHerdic: force overzealous were too proud oftheir own fpfferings, and were very rigid againft receiving fuch Penitents ,. laying theywere Time fervers, and receiving themwould encourage others to fave themfelves in fufferiñg,, and then repent : Others were too wide in receiving them upon unfatif factory profeffionsofRepentance : TheWifeft went 'a middle way. Ma- ny Antiochians feparated fromMeletius, becaufe the Arianschofe him, and. he received penitent Arians : And Lucifer Calaritanus, and Eufebius I/er celleafas of France going to fettle the Peace at Antioch, Eufebius difliked their oppofition toMeletius, and left them. Lucifer a goodMan,. but rigid and hot againft the Arians, laid that Meletius could be no Bithop, and, ordained them Paulinas (and fo there were threeas is aforementioned-)The Bithop ofRome who would have a .finger in all, encouraged Lucifer Pau: linos was a man of extraordinary. goodnefs :- but yet the Canonnullified the Ordination ofa Bithop into a fore- pof'eflèd Seat . And when half-cleaved- to kfeletius, and half to Paulinìus (both very good Men,) a Synod. (as is . aforefaid) ended the differèncer -by tolerating both till the death ofone,, and then making him foie Bithop : The Presbyters (it's faid) were fworn to this. Meletius dyeth firft ; yet Flavianus a Presbyter that had ftuck . to them in Valens Perfecution, is chofen Bithop by the Meletians, who will not joyn with Paulinas as a Schifmatick. The Pope owneth Paulinas : The Council at Confiantiaople own Meletius firft, and Flavia- nus after : Gregory Nazianzene and others were againft Flavianus, be- caufe they faid he came in by Perjury, having fworn not to accept it Some fay he did not Swear. Lucifer Calaritanus thatOrdained' Paulinas,: forfook the Party called the Catholick Church, and gathered feparated Churches, and became the Head of a. Schifm, called lince Luciferian Me - retickss, meerly becaufe the Churches received the confeflìng. returning' Arians to Communion,. and he owned Flavianus. And. thus. even good. Bitlïo
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