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Ariminum, Council of

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(Concilium Ariminense), held in 359 by order of the emperor Constantius, at Rimini, or Rimino, in Italy. All the bishops of the West were summoned, the emperor promising to supply them with the means of travelling and subsistence. The whole number present was about four hundred; collected from Italy, Illyria, Africa, Spain, Gaul, and England. Of this number eighty were Arians, headed by Ursaces and Valens. The Catholic bishops wished to anathematize the Arian and all other heresies; but were opposed by Ursaces and Valens, who objected to the use of: the word "consubstantial," maintaining that- it was far better to use the expression "like to the Father in all things." The orthodox bishops then declared the formulary of Valens and Ursaces to be utterly at variance with the true faith, and confirmed the acts of Nicaea, asserting that nothing whatever should be added to them. As Valens and his party refused to acquiesce in this decision, the council proceeded to declare them heretics, and excommunicated and deposed them. This decree was signed by three hundred and twenty bishops; and the doctrine of Arius, as well as that of Photinus and Sabellius, was anathematized. Both parties appealed to the emperor, whose mind had been so prejudiced by the Arians -that when the Catholic deputies arrived at Constantinople they were refused an audience, and were for a long time, upon one pretext or other, kept without any answer; the emperor delaying matters with the hope that the bishops, wearied out and separated from their churches, would at last yield to his wishes and give up the terms "substance" and ." consubstantial." Further, the Arians having compelled the ten deputies of the council, in spite of themselves, to come to. Nice, in Thrace, and having intimidated them by threats and worn them out by violence and illusage, obliged them at last to consent to..abandon the two obnoxious expressions, and to receive a confession conformable to that drawn up at Sirmium two years before. The emperor sent orders 'to the praefect Taurus not to suffer the council to separate until this confession, which entirely suppressed the words οὐσία and ὁμοούσιος, had been subscribed by all the bishops. With the exception of twenty they all gave way, and signed this confession of faith, known as the formulary of Nice or Ariminium. This triumph being won, a deputation, headed by Valens and Ursaces, was sent to Constantius; and the formulary was circulated throughout the eastern part of the empire, with orders- to exile all who should refuse to sign it. St. Hilary says that, the acts of the Council of Ariminium were annulled throughout the world; and pope Liberitus assured the whole East that those who had been deceived or overcome at Ariminium. had since returned to the truth; had anathematized the confession agreed to in that council; and had subscribed the Nicene Creed. See Labbe, Concil. Sacr. ii, 791 sq.