§ 72 THE BOMAJSr SCHISM. 371
even at that time, tliat tlie distinguished pagan senator, Prtetextatus, said to Pope Damasus : " Make me a bishop of Rome, and I will be a Christian to-morrow." ' The schism presents a mom'nfui example of the violent character of the episcopal elections at Rome. Tliese elections were as important events for the Romans as the elections of the emperors by the Prsetorian soldiers had formerly been. They enlisted and aroused all the passions of the clergy and the people.
The schism originated in the deposition and banishment of the bishop Liberius, for his orthodoxy, and the election of the Arian Felix ' as pope in opposition by the arbitrary will of the emperor Constantius (a. d. 355). Liberius, having in his exile subscribed the Arian creed of Sirmium,^ was in 358 reinstated, and Felix retired, and is said to have subsequently repented his defection to Arianism. The parties, however, continued.
After the death of Liberius in 366, Damasus was, by the party of Felix, and Ursinusby the party of Liberius, elected successor of Peter. It came to repeated bloody encounters ; even the altar of the Prince of Peace was desecrated, and in a church whither Ursinus had betaken himself, a hundred and thirtyseven men lost their lives in one day.* Other provinces also were drawn into the quarrel. It was years before Damasus at last, with the aid of the emperor, obtained undisputed posses-
' This is related even by St. Jerome (comp. above § 53, p. 267, note), and goes to confirm the statements of Ammianus.
' Athanasius (Historia Arianorum ad Monachos, § 75, Opera ed. Bened. i. p. 389), and Socrates (H. E. ii. 37), decidedly condemn him as an Arian. Nevertheless this heretic and anti-pope has been smuggled into the Roman catalogue of saints and martyrs. Gregory XIII. instituted an investigation into the matter, which was terminated by the sudden discovery of his remains, with the inscription : " Pope and Martyr."
* According to Baronius, ad a. 357, the jealousy of Felix was the DelUah, who robbed the catholic Samson (Liberius) of his strength.
* Ammian. Marc. 1. xxvii. c. 3 : " Constat in basilica Sicinini (Sicinii), ubi ritiM Christiar ' , \t conventiculum, uno die cxxxvii. reperta cadavera peremtorum." Then be speaks of the pomp and luxury of the Roman bishopric, on account of which it was the object of so passionate covetousness and ambition, and contrasts with it the Bimplicity and self-denial of the rural clergy. The account is confirmed by Augustine, Brevic. Coll. c. Donat. c. 16, and Hieron. in Chron. an. 367. Socrates iv 29, speaks generally of several fights, in which many lives were lost.
372 THIED PKKIOD. A.D. 311-590
sion of his office, and Ursiiuig was banished. The statements of the two parties are so convicting in regard to tlie priority and legitimacy of election in the two cases, and the authorship of the bloody scenes, that we cannot further determine on which side lay the greater blame. Damasus, who reigned from 307 to 384, is indeed depicted as in other respects a violent man,' but he was a man of learning and literary taste, and did good service by his patrc2iage of Jerome's Latin version of the Bible, and by the introduction of the Latin Psalter into the church song.'
§ Y3. Tlie Meletian Schism at Antioch.
HiKEONTMus : Chron. ad ann. 364, Ohktsostomus : Homilia in S. Patrem nostrum Meletium, archiepiscopum uiagnaa Antiochiaa (delivered a. d. 386 or 387, in Moutfaucon's ed, of Chrysost, Opera, torn. ii. p. 518- 523). Sozomen: H. E. iv. 28; vii. 10,11. Theodok. : H. E. v. 3, 35. Socrates : II. E, iii. 9 ; v. 9, 17. Oomp. Waloh : Ketzerhistorie, part iv. p. 410 sqq.
The Meletian schism at Antioch ' was interwoven with the Arian controversies, and lasted through more than half a century.
In 361 the majority of the Antiochian church elected as bishop Meletius, who had formerly been an Arian, and was ordained by this party, but after his election professed the Nicene orthodoxy. He was a man of rich persuasive eloquence, and of a sweet and amiable disposition, which endeared him to the Catholics and Arians. But his doctrinal indecision offended the extremists of both parties. When he professed the Nicene faith, the Arians deposed him in council, sent him into exile,
* nis opponents also cliarged him with too great familiarity with Roman ladiea The same accusation, however, was made against his friend Jerome, on account of his zeal for the spread of the ascetic life among the Roman matrons.
' Com p. on Damasus his works, edited oy Mercnda, Rome, 1754, several epistles of Jerome, Tillemont, tom. viii. 38G, and Butler's Lives of the Sainta. sub Dec. lltu.
3 Not to ho confounded with the Meletian schism at Alexandria, which arose in the previous period. Comp. vol. ii. ^ 58 (p. 197).