Meletius
(3), bp. of Antioch, previously of Sebaste in Armenia (Soz
H. E. iv. 28; Theod. H. E. ii. 31), or according to Socrates
(H. E. ii. 44), of Beroea in Syria.
He came to Antioch
( 361) when the see had been
vacated through the disorderly translation of Eudoxius to Constantinople
( 360) and the city was
still a focus for theological rancour and dispute. The Eustathians, now under the venerated priest Paulinus, represented the orthodox party with whom Athanasius was in communion; the Eudoxians were Arian or semi-Arian. Meletius owed his appointment to the joint application to Constantius of both parties, and
each counted on his
support. His arrival was greeted by an immense concourse. It was reported
that he maintained the doctrines of the council of Nicaea. He was
entreated to give a brief synopsis of his doctrine; and his declaration
"the Son is of the same substance as the Father," at once and
unequivocally proclaimed him an upholder of the essential doctrine
of Nicaea. The applause of the Catholics was met by the cries of the
infuriated Arians. The Arian archdeacon sprang forward and stopped
the bishop's mouth with his hand. Meletius instantly extended
three fingers towards the people, closed them, and then allowing
only one to remain extended, expressed by signs what he was prevented
from uttering. When the archdeacon freed his mouth to seize his hand, Meletius exclaimed, "Three Persons are conceived in the mind, but we speak as if addressing One" (Theod. and Soz.). Eudoxius, Acacius, and their partisans were furious; they reviled the bishop and charged him with Sabellianism; met in council and deposed him; and induced the emperor, "more changeable than Aeolus," to banish him to his native country and to appoint Euzoïus, the friend of Arius, in his place. The Catholics repudiated Euzoïus, but did not all support Meletius. The Eustathian section could not conscientiously unite with one who, however orthodox in faith, had received consecration from Arian bishops; neither would they communicate with his followers who had received Arian baptism. Schism followed. The Meletians withdrew to the Church of the Apostles in the old part of the city; the followers of Paulinus met in a small church within the city, this being allowed by Euzoïus out of respect for Paulinus.
The death of
Constantius (Nov. 361) and the decrees of toleration promulgated
by Julian permitted the banished bishops to return. An effort was at
once made, especially by Athanasius and Eusebius bp. of Vercelli, to establish unity in order to resist the pagan emperor; and this was one of the principal objects of a council held at Alexandria in 362 (Hefele, Conciliengeschichte, i. 727), where it was ordered that Paulinus and his followers should unite with Meletius, and that the church, thus united, should in the spirit of fullest toleration receive all who accepted the Nicene creed and rejected the errors of Arianism, Sabellianism, Macedonianism, etc. Eusebius of Vercelli and Asterius of Petra were commissioned to proceed to Antioch, taking with them the synodal letter (Tomus ad Antiochenos), which was probably the work of Athanasius. The prospects of peace had, however, been fatally imperilled before the commissioners reached the city. Lucifer, bp. of Calaris, had gone direct to Antioch instead of to the council of Alexandria. He appears to have repeatedly exhorted both Meletians and Eustathians to unity; but his sympathies were strongly with the latter; and, when the former opposed him, he took the injudicious step of consecrating Paulinus as bishop. "This was not right," Theodoret justly protests (iii. 5). When Eusebius reached Antioch, he found that "the evil had, by such unwise measures, been made incurable." The long connexion of Athanasius with the Eustathians made him unwilling to disown Paulinus, who accepted the synodal letter; and attempts at union were suspended.