A new history of ecclesiastical writers containing an account of the authors of the several books of the Old and New Testament, of the lives and writings of the primitive fathers, an abridgement and catalogue of their works ... also a compendious history of the councils, with chronological tables of the whole / written in French by Lewis Ellies du Pin.

BASIL of Ancyra.

BASIL, was ordain'd Bishop of Ancyra, in the Year 336, by the Bishops of Eusebius's Party, in the room of Marcellus, whom they had already Deposed: He was Excommunicated, and his * 1.1 Ordination declar'd void in the Council of Sardica, but yet he continued still in the Possession of his See: He Disputed against Photinus in the Council of Sirmium, in the Year 351, and there confound∣ed that Heretick. He was one of the greatest Enemies to the Arians or Anomaeans, that is to say, to those that openly defended the Opinion of Arius, and maintain'd, that the Word was not at all like to the Father: But he was look'd upon, as the Head of that Party, which was afterwards call'd Semi-Arians, who refusing to acknowledge, That the Son was Consubstantial with the Father; af∣firm'd, That he was like him in all things, and even in Substance. Basil, maintain'd this Opinion stoutly, and caus'd it to be Establish'd by the Authority of a Council, which was held at Ancyra, in the Year 358. He defended it at Seleucia and Constantinople, against the Intrigues of the Eudoxians and Acacians, who Depos'd him in the Year 360, after they had charg'd him with many Crimes. St. Jerom, informs us, That Basil of Ancyra, wrote a Book against Marcellus his Predecessor, a Trea∣tise

of Virginity, and some other little Pieces. We have nothing of his extant, but his Conduct and Actions, discover him to have been a Man of Wit, Eloquent, and well-skill'd in Theology. Tho' he is said to be the Head of that Party, who were call'd Semi-Arians, yet 'tis not certain that he was a Heretick; on the contrary, St. Basil speaks of him as a Catholick Bishop, and St. Athanasius, con∣fesses in his Book of Synods, That Basil of Ancyra, and those of his Party, did not differ from them that profess'd the Consubstantiality, but only in words; and therefore St. Hilary and Philastrius, call the Bishops of the Council of Sirmium, that was held against Photinus, whereof Basil of Ancyra was the Chief, Orthodox and Holy Bishops.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Basil of Ancyra.