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GEORGE of Laodicea.
THIS GEORGE was a Priest of the Church of Alexandria, in the time of Arius. He espous'd the Interests of this Heretick, and making a show of being Mediator between Alexander * 1.1 and him, he maintain'd his Impiety. We have in Athanasius's Book of Synods, Two Letters of this Man's, one written to Alexander, wherein he would persuade him, that we may say, That there had been a time when the Son of God was not; and the other to the Followers of Arius, wherein he coun∣sels them to acknowledge, That the Son was of the Father, and of God, since all things are of God. Alexander cast him out of the Church, not only because of his Heresy, but also upon some other Ac∣count. Being Excommunicated at Alexandria, he endeavour'd to procure a Reception among the Clergy of Antioch; but Eustathius refusing him, he retir'd to Arethusa, and was there receiv'd; for Con∣stantine calls him the Priest of Arethusa. He was afterwards Ordain'd Bishop of Laodicea, and assisted the Eusebians at the Council of Tyre and Antioch. The Western Bishops pronounc'd Sentence of Deposition against him in the Council of Sardica. Afterwards he declar'd himself an Enemy of the Eunomians, and the Head of the Party of the Semi-Arians. 'Twas he that wrote a Circular Letter to the Bishops of his own Country, against Aetius and Eudoxus, set down by Sozomen, Ch. 14. of B. IV. of his History, wherein he exhorts them to Assem∣ble * 1.2 themselves, that they may condemn those impious Men, as they had done in the Council of Ancyra, in the Year 358; soon after this George died. He past in those ancient times for a very able Man in Philosophy. Theodoret testi∣fies, That he had written against the Manichees, and Socrates, quotes a Book which he compos'd of the Life of Eusebius Emisenus.