a. and sb. [ad. L. Eusebiān-us, f. Eusebi-us.] A. adj.
1. Of or pertaining to Eusebius. a. A distinctive epithet applied in the 4th c. to the Arians, from their leader Eusebius, bishop of Nicomedia.
(Mod. writers have often regarded it as referring to his contemporary Eusebius of Cæsarea, whose theology was rather semi-Arian than Arian, and who formed no party.)
1882–3. Schaff, Relig. Encycl., I. 161/2. Gregorius, a bishop of the Eusebian party.
b. Pertaining to Eusebius of Cæsarea, or the historical works written by him. Eusebian Canons: an arrangement of the contents of the four Gospels into ten classes of passages, according as the passages occur in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John alone, or in any one of the nine possible combinations of two or three out of the four. Numerals referring to these canons are often found in MSS. of the Greek N. T. and of the early versions.
1860. Angus, Bible Handbk., 23. To these [Ammonian] sections Eusebius … adapted his tables of references, called from him the Eusebian Canons.
1870. Bp. Chr. Wordsworth, N. Test., I. xxv. The Eusebian Canons of the Four Gospels.
2. Eusebian pear: (the original has chrestien: see Bon-christian under BON.)
a. 1693. Urquhart, Rabelais, III. xiii. (1694), 109. You shall eat good Eusebian and Bergamot-Pears.
B. sb. A member of the Eusebian sect.
1730–6. Bailey (folio), Eusebians, a sect of Arians, so-called on account of the favour shown them by Eusebius, bishop of Cæsarea.
1838. Penny Cycl., X. 95/1 s.v. Eusebius, The party to which he [Eusebius of Cæsarea] attached himself were called Eusebians, from their leader Eusebius of Nicomedia.
Hence Eusebianize v. intr., to incline to Eusebian views. Eusebianizing ppl. a.
1888. T. W. Allies, Holy See, p. vi. The great letter of St. Julius to the Eusebianising bishops at Antioch in 342.
