Eustathians
Charles Buck Theological Dictionary [1]
A sect in the fourth century, so denominated from their founder, Eustathius, a monk so foolishly fond of his own profession, that he condemned all other conditions of life. Whether this Eustathius were the same with the bishop of Sabastia, and chief of the Semi-arians, is not easy to determine. He excluded married people from salvation; prohibited his followers from praying in their houses, and obliged them to quit all they had, as incompatible with the hopes of heaven. He drew them out of the other assemblies of Christians, to hold secret ones with him, and made them wear a particular habit: he appointed them to fast on Sundays; and taught them that the ordinary fasts of the church were needless after they had attained to a certain degree of purity which he pretended to. He showed great horror for chapels built in honour of martyrs, and the assemblies held therein. He was condemned at the council of Gangra, in Paphlagonia, held between the year 326 and 341.
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [2]
1. Eustathius, bishop of Antioch, was deposed at the Arian Council of A.D. 331. (See Eustathius). The orthodox people of Antioch refused to receive an Arian bishop as his successor, and. kept aloof, thereby gaining the name "Eustathians." In A.D. 360, Meletius (q.v.) was transferred by the Arians from the see of Sebaste to Antioch; but, though he adhered to the Nicene Creed, the "Eustathians" would not recognize him, as they refused to regard an Arian ordination. A moderate party, however, of the orthodox in Antioch did recognize him, and so arose. the opposition of the "Meletians" to the "Eustathians." The schism was made worse by the appointment of Paulinus (A.D. 362) as bishop of the Eustathians. The Western churches, with the Egyptian, recognized Paulinus, while the Orientals recognised Meletius. — Neander, Ch. Hist. Torrey's transl. 2:411; Guericke. Ch. Hist. Shedd's transl. § 85. (See Meletius).
2. A sect in the fourth century, which taught that married people were excluded from salvation, prohibited their followers from praying in their houses, and' obliged them to quit all their possessions as incompatible with the hope of salvation. They wore a particular habit; appointed Sunday as a fast, and taught that the ordinary fasts of the Church are needless after people have attained to a certain degree of purity. The sect probably derived its name from Eustathius semi-Arian bishop of Sebaste (t 380), who was condemned in the Council of Gangra, in Paphlagonia, held between the years 326 and 341. But it has been strongly argued on the other hand that the Eustathius who founded the sect was a different person, an Armenian monk. Walch ([Hist. d. Ketzereien, in, 536) has treated the subject at large. — Murd. Mosheim, Ch. Hist. book 2, c. 4, part 2, chapter 3, § 19, n. 39; Socrates, H.E. 2:43; Sozomen, H.E. 3:14; Neander, Ch. Hist. 2:419; Dupin, Hist. Eccl. cent. 4; Bingham, Orig. Eccl. book 22, Ch. 1, § 8. (See Eustathius Of Sebaste).
