MELETIUS, Bishop of Antioch, a famous ecclesiastic, was born about the beginning of the fourth century at Melitene (Malatiah) in Armenia Minor. His first important pastorate, the bishopric of Sebaste, was rendered so intolerable, through the stubborn conduct of the people, that he resigned it shortly after his appointment, and retired to Berea (Aleppo) in Syria. At this time the Arian controversy was engrossing the minds of the Christians of the East, and was fast extinguishing all deep and true piety. The pastors fed their flocks with nothing but the dry formulae of doctrine and the vehement ebullitions of sectarian zeal. But Meletius, keeping ever in view the design of the priesthood, endeavoured, both by his ministrations in the pulpit and by his walk in private life, to recommend to his people the essential doctrines of the gospel. He thus undesignedly secured the respect of both the factions in the church, and was elevated by universal consent to the
Meletius. see of Antioch in 360. The public conduct of Meletius now became more decided. He saw that in his influential position he was bound to act a part in a dispute that was interrupting the concord of the Christian world. Accordingly, in his inaugural discourse in 361, he expressed, in subdued yet unmistakable terms, his sympathy with the orthodox party. This confession awakened the slumbering spirit of controversy in the church of Antioch. The Arians forthwith charged Meletius with Sabellianism and other crimes, and in the course of a month he was banished to his native Melitene by command of the Emperor Constantius. At the same time the orthodox party in the church of Antioch seceded from the communion of the Arians. On the accession of the Emperor Julian in 362 Meletius was recalled from exile. He now bent all his energies to effect a union between the Eustathians and the orthodox section that had separated from the Arians at his own deposition; but the former party, although they had seceded from the church of Antioch on the same grounds as the latter, could not sympathize with the liberal-minded Meletius, and declared that they would recognise no bishop who had been consecrated by Arians. The Council of Alexandria interfered to settle this dissension, and sent Lucifer of Cagliari to Antioch. But that hot-headed bishop was the worst mediator that could have been found; and he immediately destroyed all hope of a reconciliation, by ordaining Paulinus bishop of the Eustathians. Soon after the accession of Valens in 364 Meletius was again banished. He was recalled, along with other exiles, by an edict of Gratian in 378; and not long afterwards he was reinstated in his bishopric. His exertions were again turned towards a union with the Eustathians, but were frustrated by the unrelenting prejudice of their bishop, Paulinus. Meletius died at an advanced age while attending the Council of Constantinople in 381. His body was conveyed to Antioch, and buried with great honour beside the tomb of the martyr Babylas. Gregory of Nyssa pronounced his funeral oration. A part of the inaugural sermon of Meletius at Antioch is printed in the 5th vol. of Galland's Bibliotheca Patrum.