alas, after Meletius's death, and Flavian's election to that see, the wound opened, and bled afresh, and the schism continued several years, till upon the death of Paulinus, and his short-lived successor Evagrius, Flavian put an end to it. But this account has carried us a little out of our way, the very synod at Antioch not being holden there till some months after Basil's death, to the course of whose story we now return.

SECTION VI.

THE CONTEST THAT HAPPENED BETWEEN HIM AND EUSTATHIUS, WITH HIS ACTS TILL HIS DEATH AND BURIAL.

His contest with Eustathius bishop of Sebastea. The unsettledness and subtle practices of that man. Basil charged with undue admitting Eustathius to communion. His rude treatment by Theodotus. Eustathius's great malice towards him. His vindication of himself from being a favourer of Apollinaris. Accused of being unsound in the doctrine of the Trinity, upon what pretence. Several forms of doxology in use at that time. His writing his book De Spiritu Sancto, upon what occasion. The monks under his rule incensed against him. His expostulation with Athanasius of Ancyra. A second metropolis erected by Valens in Cappadocia, and why. Basil's contest with Anthimus of Tyana about the metropolitical power. His consolatory letter to the church of Alexandria upon the death of Athanasius. His last sickness, death, and burial. The pomp and solemnity of his funeral. His epitaph.

THIS good man did not barely content himself to stay at home and write letters abroad, but willingly complied with any occasion of travelling up and down, to compose and settle the church's peace, though his weakness and want of health might well have pleaded his excuse. He had received intimation from count Terentius,' and by him a commission from the emperor, to go visit the Armenian churches, and to supply the vacant sees, void either by death, or by flight, or banishment under the late persecution. With him Theodotus bishop of Nicopolis was joined in commission, between whom there fell out an unhappy difference, by means whereof that well-designed undertaking came to nothing. The occasion was this. Theodotus had summoned a synod at Nicopolis, and invited Basil amongst the rest; who, at his coming thither, met with Eustathius bishop of Sebastea, a man of a fickle temper and unsettled principles. He had been brought up under Arius at Alexandria," one of whose Epist. xcix. s. 3.

" Basil. Ep. cclxiii. s. 3. Vid. Ep. ccxlix. s. 9.

prime disciples he professed himself: returning home, he was called to account for his impious principles, and condemned by Hermogenes bishop of Cæsarea, who had been a great stickler against the Arian doctrines in the Nicene council, and the first proposer of that creed. The subtle fellow (who knew how to transform himself into any shape) presented Hermogenes a confession of faith, sound and orthodox, and by that means regained his good opinion, and was by him admitted into orders. After Hermogenes's death, the Proteus changed again, and fled to Eusebius of Constantinople, (formerly bishop of Nicomedia,) the great patron and steersman of the Arian cause. But upon some misdemeanors being forced to fly from thence, he came back into his own country, where he published an apology, wherein he endeavoured to clear himself, but so craftily contrived, that under ambiguous terms he still retained his impious opinions. By such shifting artifices he procured himself to be preferred to the bishopric of Sebastea in the Lesser Armenia, which was no sooner done, but in the synod of Ancyra he drew up an anathematism against the consubstantial faith; thence he went to Seleucia, where he joined with the Arians in that synod; thence to Constantinople, where, happening to espouse the wrong side, (for they were divided into two factions in that council,) he was deposed. To recover his credit, he procured himself to be one of the legates that after the synod at Lampsacus were sent into the West, where by dissimulation he so imposed upon pope Liberius and the Western prelates, that he got their commendatory letters, upon which he was restored in the synod of Tyana. In fine, he had as often changed his faith as it was either for his credit or advantage. Glad was Basil of the opportunity of conversing with him, and plainly told him what things were laid to his charge, and desired him to declare himself, that if he stood to the catholic faith, they might own and embrace him; if otherwise, they would avoid his communion. Two days together he disputed with him, who was seconded by Pomenius his presbyter, about these matters, and at last so clearly evinced and established the truth, and so fully satisfied all their objections, that they both professed their entire agreement with him; and, as an evidence thereof, they both rose up and went to church to evening prayers, and there solemnly rendered thanks to God, who had disposed them to be of one mind, to think and 2 F

VOL. II.

speak the same things. But because he knew the inconstancy of the person that he had to deal with, he thought it imported him to have some better assurance than bare words, and therefore urged him to subscribe a written declaration of his faith. To this end he drew up a form of confession," wherein was inserted the Nicene creed, and a particular explication of the main articles, with a most explicate renunciation of the errors of Marcellus, Sabellius, and Arius, and an anathema against those who denied the divinity of the Holy Ghost; all which are there laid down in terms as full and perspicuous, as words were able to express them; which Eustathius ratified with this following subscription: "I Eustathius, bishop, having read the above-written declaration to thee, Basil, do acknowledge it to be true, and consent to it; and have subscribed it, together with as many of my brethren as are now with me, Fronto, Severus the chorepiscopus, and some others of my clergy."

II. The noise of this converse and reconciliation was presently carried to Theodotus, who hastily catching up the report, without ever inquiring into the true circumstances of the case, fell foul upon Basil, and not only invited him no longer to the synod, but refused so much as to join at prayers with him. Basil finding little good like to be done, departed for that time, and went home; the news of his holding communion with Eustathius being in the mean time scattered abroad to his disadvantage; nay, Eustathius himself disowning that he had recanted any of his opinions, letters to that purpose being dispersed by him and his friends up and down the country, wherein were also contained very severe and disingenuous reflections upon Basil. This awakened him to take the next opportunity of going again into Armenia; and that he might clear his innocence before a great and venerable person, came to Getasa, where Meletius, the reverend bishop of Antioch, had a grange, whereat he then resided. Hither Theodotus came to him, to whom he gave a naked and impartial account of what had passed in his converse with Eustathius; and how in all points he had come over to him. Theodotus answered, that after Basil's departure, Eustathius had positively denied the agreement, or that ever he had declared any such consent. Basil replied, that he could not easily think so ill of the man, as to imagine he should so lightly w Ext. Epist. exxv.

skip from one thing to another, and deny what he had so lately done; that he who pretended so much to abhor a lie in the common affairs of life, should in so important a matter, so openly outface a known truth. However, he was resolved to put it upon this issue: he would produce and shew him the declaration of his faith which he had subscribed; if he owned it, and still continued in that mind, he would hold communion with him; if not, he would utterly renounce it. Meletius liked the proposal, and upon these terms they seemed agreed, and Theodotus kindly invited them to Nicopolis, himself promising to conduct them afterwards part of their journey. But when they came thither, his mind was altered, and forgetting what had so lately passed at Getasa, he gave fresh vent to his passion, and, contrary to the laws both of hospitality and religion, treated him with great rudeness and contempt. Thus disappointed, Basil left that place, and went to Satala, where in a more peaceable way he treated with the bishops of that country, and communicated counsels with them about settling the affairs of the church; the people of Satala were importunate with him, that he would constitute and ordain them a bishop. There was, it seems, a quarrel between them and Cyril their bishop, and upon some suggestions they had withdrawn from him. Basil took the matter into his cognizance, and having inquired into the things objected, found them nothing but malicious insinuations, as his very enemies confessed. Whereupon he made them friends, he and his people returning back to a mutual communion. And hence Basil thought good to despatch an advice to count Terentius, to acquaint him with these transactions, and let him know the reasons why he had not more successfully managed the affair that had been committed to him.

III. All this while Eustathius persecuted Basil with all the arts of malice and envy. He wrote letters into all parts to defame and reproach him ;* refused to give him a meeting in order either to the giving or receiving any satisfaction; in all synodal conventions he took occasion to cast bitter censures and reflections upon him; and, as he met with persons for his purpose, would not stick to poison them with rank Arian principles; and not satisfied with this, he wrote, or rather by a club of his party composed, tedious discourses against Basil, stuffed with little × Basil. Ep. cxxx. s. 1.

besides railing and reproach: all which the good man bore with an invincible patience, not returning one word of answer for three years together, hoping that in time malice would be weary, and his innocency be unclouded and cleared from all misrepresentations and mistakes. But when he found the reports to gather strength, and meet with entertainment in every place, and that his guilt was concluded from his silence, he thought it high time to awaken his pen to his own defence, writing a prolix epistle to Eustathius himself; wherein, with the most incomparable mildness and composure of mind, he wipes off the several aspersions that had been cast upon him, and lays open the arts and contrivances of his enemies. And perhaps he had contented himself with this private vindication, if his unwearied adversaries had not started up a fresh charge against him. For, finding the business of Eustathius thin and empty, they now accused him of being a friend and favourer of Apollinaris the Laodicean,a a man indeed of excellent parts and learning, but who had lately vented some dangerous and heterodox opinions about the person of our Saviour; that this was the man whose principles, they said, he had espoused, and with whom he maintained an intimate correspondence: and a book was produced containing some dangerous propositions, written perhaps by Apollinaris, but interpolated by themselves, and wholly fathered upon Basil. And now every corner began to ring of Basil's deserting the catholic cause, and communicating with men of heretical principles, and the rumor had spread as far as the Western parts. Whereupon he wrote to several persons, and amongst others to the bishops of the West, to disabuse their credulity, wherein he gives this plain account concerning this matter. That as to Apollinaris, there were some things in him for which he paid him a just reverence; but that he had not so much kindness for, or acquaintance with him, as to be willing to bear his burdens, and to answer for his faults: that he had read some of his books, wherein he met with many pernicious and obnoxious passages, which he greatly disliked, particularly concerning the doctrine of the incarnation, and his book about the resurrection, wherein he evidently reduced that state of things to the Mosaic standard, and ridiculously turned

a Vid. Epist. cxxix. s. 1. cclxiii. s. 4. ccxliv. s. 3. ccxxiii. s. 3. cxxxi. s. 2.