Of the SYNODS held by the Semi-Arians.
THE Bishops who are call'd Semi-Arians, assembled many Councils after the Synod of Lampsa∣cus: * 1.1 They held one at Smyrna composed of the Bishops of Asia, one in the Province of Pam∣phylia, another in Isauria, and one in Lycia. These Councils wrote Letters not now extant, that were carried to Pope Liberius by Eustathius the Deputy of these Bishops, who sent him into the West to make a Reconciliation with those who made Profession of adhering to the Nicene Creed. Eusta∣thius discharged his Deputation, approv'd the Nicene Creed, and obtained Letters of Commendation from Liberius. He brought these Letters to a Synod which was held in Sicily, wherein the Faith of the Consubstantiality was approved; and returning afterwards into the East, he receiv'd the Letters of a Synod of Illyricum held in the Year 367, which declared the Trinity to be Consubstantial, and par∣ticularly established the Divinity of the Holy Spirit. The Letter of this Council is related by Theodoret B. IV. of his History. About the end of this Letter the Bishops of this Council exhort those of the East to choose for filling up the vacant Bishopricks, either the Children of Bishops which were dead, if they found them capable, or the ancient Priests, and not to Ordain for Priests or Dea∣cons such Persons as came out of the Palace or the Army, but to take them out of the inferiour Clergy. The Decision of this Synod was confirm'd by an Edict of the Emperour, address'd to the Asiaticks, wherein he declares that the Term Consubstantial, signifies not only that the Son is like to his Father, but that he is of the same Nature and the same Substance.