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100 CredibilUy of the Gospel History.
in the church of the Novatians, and had been appointed preceptor
in polite literature to the emperor's daughters Anastasia
and Carosa. In regard to him therefore the churches
of the Novatians, which for some while had been shut up,
were opened again. Nevertheless, even after this, the*
Novatians were not quite void of disturbance from the
Arians. So writes Socrates : and to the same purpose
Sozomen, who^ adds, that Agelius was soon recalled from
his banishment, and officiated in the churches as before.
In the year" 383, Theodosius had a synod, or conference,
at Constantinople, for putting an end to those dissensions
which there were in the empire by reason of different sects
of religion. And^ Socrates says that the emperor Avas so
well pleased Avith the orthodoxy of the Novatians, in holding-
the doctrine of the consubstantiality, that he gave them leave
to assemble for divine worship in cities ; and appointed that
their churches should enjoy the same privileges with those
of his own sentiments.
Tillemont"' observes that the Novatians are never named
in the laws of Theodosius against heretics, though they were
put in that rank, in 381, by an oecumenical council. He"
adds that y Socrates, to prove the affection which Theodosius
had for this people, says, that emperor pardoned Symmachus
at the request of Leontius, bishop of the church of the Novatians
at Rome, about the year 388.
Socrates' speaks of their sees at Constantinople, Nice,
Nicomedia, and Cotieeus in Phrygia, as the chief sees of
that sect in the fourth century ; in the east at least, for
he supposeth them to be besides very numerous in '^ the
West.
What were their numbers in these cities does not appear.
Socrates^ seems to say they had three churches within Constantinople,
beside that which was destroyed : but perhaps
he means no inore than that they had three in all.
The pieces written against them by *^ St. x4mbrose,'^ Pacian,
the*" anonymous author of the Questions out of the Old and
' Socrat. ib. p. 218. B. C. ' Sozom. 1. vi. cap. 9. p. 649. C.
" Vid. Basa. 283. n. vi. et Tillemont, Les Novatiens, Art. 5. p. 98, 99.
» Vid. Socrat. 1. 5. cp. 10. p. 269. B.C. cap. 22. p. 280. B. etConf. Sozom.
1. viii. cap. 1. p. 754. D. " Tillem. Les Novatiens, p. 99.
« Ibid. y Socrat. 1. v. cap. 14. p. 273. C.
" Socrat. 1. iv. cap. 28. p. 246. Conf. Sozom. 1. vi. cap. 24.
* 1. vii. cap. 11. Conf. cap. 9.
''
e'tg ct toq aWag rptiQ {roaavrac
yap tvrog rrjc TroXtwg tXHOiv oi tojv 'Savariavwv ikkXtjuiuc) (ruvtp\o}iivot
aWrjXoic uvvjjvxovTo. Socr. 1. ii. cap. 38. p. 144. A.
' Ambr. de PcEnit. hbri duo. ^ Pacian. ad Sympron. Epist. tres.
^ Qu. cii. ap. Augustin. Tom. iii. in app. Bened.