The history of the church from our Lords incarnation, to the twelth year of the Emperour Maricius Tiberius, or the Year of Christ 594 / as it was written in Greek, by Eusebius Pamphilius ..., Socrates Scholasticus, and Evagrius Scholasticus ... ; made English from that edition of these historians, which Valesius published at Paris in the years 1659, 1668, and 1673 ; also, The life of Constantine in four books, written by Eusibius Pamphilus, with Constantine's Oration to the convention of the saints, and Eusebius's Speech in praise of Constantine, spoken at his tricennalia ; Valesius's annotations on these authors, are done into English, and set at their proper places in the margin, as likewise a translation of his account of their lives and writings ; with two index's, the one, of the principal matters that occur in the text, the other, of those contained in the notes.

CHAP. XXIII. Concerning the Arians at Constantinople, who were also termed the Psathyriani.

MOreover, there arose dissentions amongst the Arians, upon this occasion. The contentious questions daily [started] amongst them, had reduced their discourses to some ab∣surdities. For, whereas it has been always be∣lieved in the Church, that God is the Father of the Son the Word; there hapned this Query amongst them, whether or no God could be cal∣led Father even before the Son existed? And, in regard they asserted, that the Word of God was not begotten of the Father, but existed of * 1.1 nothing; being thus mistaken about the first and chiefest Article of Faith, they deservedly fell into an absurd contentiousness about a bare word. Dorotheus therefore † 1.2 who had been sent for from Antioch by them, maintained, that [God] neither was nor could be termed a Father, before the Son existed. But Marinus (whom they had called out of Thracia before Dorotheus) having got a fair opportunity, (for he was vext because Dorotheus had been prefer∣red before him:) undertook to desend the con∣trary opinion. For this reason there hapned a dissention amongst them: and being divided on account of the foresaid Term, each party held separate Meetings. Those under Dorotheus con∣tinued possest of their own Meeting-houses. But Marinus's followers built themselves private O∣ratories, wherein they had their Assemblies; and asserted that the Father was always the Father, even when the Son existed not. Moreover, the maintainers of this assertion were termed a 1.3 Psa∣thyriani, because one Theoctistus by Country a Syrian, a * 1.4 Psathyropola by Trade, was a zea∣lous defender of this Opinion. Selenas Bishop of the Goths became a follower of these persons Tenets: † 1.5 He was a man of a mixt descent, a Goth by his fathers side, by his mothers a Phry∣gian. And upon this account he taught in the Church very readily in both these Languages. Further, this faction soon after quarrelled a∣mongst themselves; Marinus disagreeing with Agapius, whom he himself had preferred to the Bishoprick of Ephesus. But these two contended not one with another about [any point of their] Religion, but about * 1.6 Prima∣cy; the Goths sided with Agapius. Wherefore, many of the Ecclesiasticks under their juris∣diction (abominating the contest raised between them two, as being the product of their vain glory,) deserted them, and became adherents to the Homoöusian Faith. When therefore the Arians had continued divided amongst them∣selves during the space of b 1.7 thirty five years, afterwards, c 1.8 under the Reign of Theodosius Junior, in the Consulate of Plintha Master of the Milice, the Heresie of the Psathyriani being perswaded to cease from contending, were again united in one body [with the rest of the A∣rians.] And they made a Sanction [amongst themselves] in form of a Law as it were, that that Query, which had caused the separation be∣tween them, should in future never be mentio∣ned. But they could bring this to effect no where save at Constantinople only. For in other Cities (if any of these two parties chan∣ced to be inhabitants therein,) they persisted in their former separation. Thus much concer∣ning the division amongst the Arians.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Or, things which are not.
• † 1.2

  See chap. 12. of this book.
• a 1.3

  Theodoret gives an account of these Here∣ticks, book 4. Haeret. Fabul. Vales.
• * 1.4

  That is, a Cake∣seller.
• † 1.5

  Selenas.
• * 1.6

  Or, Pre∣cedency.
• b 1.7

  It must be twenty five years; and accor∣dingly Epi∣phanius Scholasti∣cus read it. For, from Arcadius's third and Honorius's second Consulate (in which year these things were done, which Socrates does here relate) to the Consulate of Monaxtius and Plinta [or Plintha] there are twenty five years. Vales.
• c 1.8

  Instead of [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in the Consulate] it must un∣doubtedly be [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, under the Reign.] For the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 crept into this place from the following line. Vales.