MARCELLUS of Ancyra.
MARCELLUS Bishop of Ancyra, assisted at the Council of Nice, where he defended the Faith and oppos'd the Arians, as Pope Julius affirms, upon the Report of St. Sylvester the * 1.1 Pope. After that Council he wrote a Book against Asterius and other Bishops of the Arian Faction, entituled, Concerning the Submission of Jesus Christ; wherein he advances many Propositions favouring the Error of the Sabellians. The Eusebians immediately accus'd him of this Heresie, and 'tis said, that he promis'd in the Council of Jerusalem to burn his Book; but refusing to do it when he was at Con∣stantinople, he was condemn'd and depos'd in a Council held in that City by the Eusebians in the Year 336. There is some probability that he was restor'd again to his See after the Death of Constantine; but he was driven away at the same time that St. Athanasius was forc'd out of Alexandria, and oblig'd to fly for Refuge into the West, where he was Absolv'd in the Councils of Rome and Sardica. Socra∣tes and Sozomen say, That after this last Council, he was restor'd to his Bishoprick as well as St. Atha∣nasius, but that he could not live there in quiet, because Basil, who was Ordain'd in his room in the Year 336, was in Possession of his See; and what became of him afterwards is not known. St. Hilary and Sulpitius Severus affirm, That St. Athanasius having discover'd that he favour'd the Error of Pho∣tinus, depriv'd him of his Communion; and this Bishop seeing himself condemn'd by his Judgment, refrain'd from coming to the Church-Gate▪ But this Relation is not true; for St. Athanasius does al∣ways speak of him in his Writings as a Catholick Bishop, and we understand by the Letters which St. Basil wrote to St. Athanasius a little before his Death, that this Father continued always in Com∣munion with him. St. Jerom places Marcellus of Ancyra among the number of Ecclesiastical Wri∣ters; and says that he compos'd many Volumes upon different Subjects, but chiefly against the Arians. We have nothing of his Works remaining, but some Fragments recited by Eusebius in the Books which he wrote against this Author: These passages are very intricate, and favour the Error of the Sabellians. Some have accus'd Eusebius, that he took for a positive Assertion what Marcellus had only propos'd by way of Doubt or Objection: but the contrary appears sufficiently from Eusebius's Book, where 'tis plain, that in the greatest part of the passages which he recites, Marcellus of An∣cyra proposes his true Sentiment, which 'tis very difficult to explain in a Catholick Sence. It appears by these Fragments, that Marcellus was a Man that talked much, who had little Wit, or Knowledge, or Eloquence, and was altogether void of good Sence. St. Epiphan. in Haeres. 72. recites a Letter of Marcellus of Ancyra.