s, from the rank of deacon.

St. Meletius, on his being promoted to the see of Antioch, about the
year 361, raised these both to the priesthood, and they took care of
that church, as his delegates, during his banishment by Constantius.
Thus they continued together their zealous labors till Diodorus was
made bishop of Tarsus. In 381, St. Meletius took Flavian with him to
the general council which was assembled at Constantinople; but dying
in that capital, Flavian was chosen to succeed him. His life was a
perfect copy of the eminent episcopal virtues, and especially of the
meekness, the candor, and affability of his worthy predecessor.

Unhappily the schism, which for a long time had divided the church
of Antioch, was not yet extinguished. The occasion was this: after
the death of St. Eustathius, they could not agree in the choice of
his successor; those who were most attached to this holy prelate,
with St. Athanasius and the West, followed Paulinus: the
Apollinarists declared for Vitalis: and the greatest body of the
orthodox of Antioch, with Flavian, Diodorus, and all the East,
adhered to St. Meletius, who, as we have seen already, was succeeded
by Flavian. Paulinus, bishop of that part of the Catholics called
Eustathians, from their attachment to that prelate, though long
since dead, still disputed that see with Flavian; but dying in 383,
the schism of Antioch must have ended, had not his abettors kept
open the breach by choosing Evagrius in his room; though it does not
appear that he had one bishop in communion with him, Egypt and the
West being now neuter, and the East all holding communion with
Flavian. Evagrius dying in 395, the Eustathians, though now without
a pastor, still continued their separate meetings, and kept up the
schism several years longer. St. Chrysostom being raised to the see
of Constantinople, in 398, labored hourly to abolish this fatal
schism, which was brought about soon after by commissioners
constituted for this purpose by the West, Egypt, and all the other
parties concerned, and the Eustathians received Flavian as their
bishop. In the year 404, when St. Chrysostom was banished, Flavian
testified his indignation against so unjust a proceeding, and wrote
upon that subject to the clergy of Constantinople. But he did not
live to be witness of all the sufferi