A striking similarity between the Meletian/Arian times and Our Time

It was the doctrine of Arianism that Our Lord was a pure creature, made out of nothing, liable to fall, the Son of God by adoption, not by nature, and called God in scripture, not as being really such, but only in name. At the same time (Arius) would not have denied that the Son and the Holy Ghost were creatures transcendently near to God, and immeasurably distant from the rest of creation. The great sea of Alexandria in Egypt, of which Arius was a Priest had for many years before his appearance as a heretic, has been troubled by schism. One of the Suffragan bishops – Meletius by name – had accused his principal of giving way during the persecution; and, declaring all the bishops in one place after another, in opposition to him. Nor did Meletius cease his activities when this particular bishop of Alexandria died. In many places there were soon two sets of Catholic clergy, the traditional line and the “Meletian” line; the confusion was so great and the contest bitter everywhere, the faithful people were as active as their pastors. It was out of the Meletian Schism that Arianism was born and developed. Arius had been a “meletian” in his time, but the new bishop, Alexander, had received him back and had promoted him.

St. Nicholas slaps the heretic, Arius.

The 20 year old meletian schism was settled in council of Niceae, after settling the “Arian problem” i.e promptly sending to exile Arius and a few priest supporters. In Meletian schism, the bishops offered the schimatics very easy terms. Meletius was restored to the see of Lycopolis, but he was not, ever again to confer Holy Orders, and all those whom he had unlawfully ordained were to be reordained before again officiating. Moreover, they were to be subject henceforth to true, i.e. Catholic, bishop of the place of the place. Those whom Meletius had made bishops might be elected to sees in the future, as vacancies arose… always with the consent of the bishop of Alexandria, the traditional head of this extensive episcopate.

(An extract from “History of Church General Councils”)