[Sidenote:  Rise of the Homoeans.]

Here was an opening for a new party.  Semiarians, Nicenes, and Anomoeans were equally unable to settle this interminable controversy.  The Anomoeans indeed almost deserved success for their boldness and activity, but pure Arianism was hopelessly discredited throughout the Empire.  The Nicenes had Egypt and the West, but they could not at present overcome the court and Asia.  The Semiarians might have mediated, but men who began with persecutions and wholesale exiles were not likely to end with peace.  In this deadlock better men than Ursacius and Valens might have been tempted to try some scheme of compromise.  But existing parties left no room for anything but vague and spacious charity.  If we may say neither of one essence nor of like essence, nor yet unlike, the only course open is to say like, and forbid nearer definition.  This was the plan of the new Homoean party formed by Acacius in the East, Ursacius and Valens in the West.

[Sidenote:  New relations of parties.]

Parties began to group themselves afresh.  The Anomoeans leaned to the side of Acacius.  They had no favour to expect from Nicenes or Semiarians, but to the Homoeans they could look for connivance at least.  The Semiarians were therefore obliged to draw still closer to the Nicenes.  Here came in Hilary of Poitiers.  If he had seen in exile the worldliness of too many of the Asiatic bishops, he had also found among them men of a better sort who were in earnest against Arianism, and not so far from the Nicene faith as was supposed.  To soften the mutual suspicions of East and West, he addressed his De Synodis to his Gaulish friends about the end of 358.  In it he reviews the Eusebian creeds to show that they are not indefensible.  He also compares the rival phrases of one essence and of like essence, to shew that either of them may be rightly or wrongly used.  The two, however, are properly identical, for there is no likeness but that of unity, and no use in the idea of likeness but to exclude Sabellian confusion.  Only the Nicene phrase guards against evasion, and the other does not.

[Sidenote:  Summons for a council.]

Now that the Semiarians were forced to treat with their late victims on equal terms, they agreed to hold a general council.  Both parties might hope for success.  If the Homoean influence was increasing at court, the Semiarians were strong in the East, and could count on some help from the Western Nicenes.  But the court was resolved to secure a decision to its own mind.  As a council of the whole Empire might have been too independent, it was divided.  The Westerns were to meet at Ariminum in Italy, the Easterns at Seleucia in Isauria; and in case of disagreement, ten deputies from each side were to hold a conference before the Emperor.  A new creed was also to be drawn up before their meeting and laid before them for acceptance.