of the Holy Spirit is shown by many convergent lines of evidence, but it was still an open question whether that divinity amounts to co-essential and co-equal deity.  Thus Origen leans to some theory of subordination, while Hilary limits himself with the utmost caution to the words of Scripture.  If neither of them lays down in so many words that the Holy Spirit is God, much less does either of them class him with the creatures, like Eunomius.  The difficulty was the same as with the person of the Lord, that while the Scriptural data clearly pointed to his deity, its admission involved the dilemma of either Sabellian confusion or polytheistic separation.  Now, however, it was beginning to be seen that the theory of hypostatic distinctions must either be extended to the Holy Spirit or entirely abandoned.  Athanasius took one course, the Anomoeans the other, but the Semiarians endeavoured to draw a distinction between the Lord’s deity and that of the Holy Spirit.  In truth, the two are logically connected.  Athanasius pointed this out in the letters of his exile to Serapion, and the council of Alexandria condemned ’those who say that the Holy Spirit is a creature and distinct from the essence of the Son.’  But logical connection is one thing, formal enforcement another.  Athanasius and Basil to the last refused to make it a condition of communion.  If any one saw the error of his Arian ways, it was enough for him to confess the Nicene creed.  Thus the question remained open for the present.

[Sidenote:  Council of Lampsacus (364).]

Thus the Semiarians were free to do what they could against the Homoeans.  Under the guidance of Eleusius of Cyzicus, they held a council at Lampsacus in the summer of 364.  It sat two months, and reversed the acts of the Homoeans at Constantinople four years before.  Eudoxius was deposed (in name) and the Semiarian exiles restored to their sees.  With regard to doctrine, they adopted the formula like according to essence, on the ground that while likeness was needed to exclude a Sabellian (they mean Nicene) confusion, its express extension to essence was needed against the Arians.  Nor did they forget to re-issue the Lucianic creed for the acceptance of the churches.  They also discussed without result the deity of the Holy Spirit.  Eustathius of Sebastia for one was not prepared to commit himself either way.  The decisions were then laid before Valens.

[Sidenote:  The Homoean policy of Valens.]

But Valens was already falling into bad hands.  Now that Julian was dead, the courtiers were fast recovering their influence, and Eudoxius had already secured the Emperor’s support.  The deputies of Lampsacus were ordered to hold communion with the bishop of Constantinople, and exiled on their refusal.