Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume II/Sozomen/Book III/Chapter 4
Chapter IV.—A Sedition was excited on the Ordination of Paul.
The ordination of Paul occasioned a great commotion in the Church of Constantinople.[1]
During the life of Alexander, the Arians did not act very openly; for
the people by being attentive to him were well governed and honored
Divine things, and especially believed that the unexpected occurrence
which befell Arius, whom they believed met such a death, was the Divine
wrath, drawn down by the imprecations of Alexander. After the death of
this bishop, however, the people became divided into two parties, and
disputes and contests concerning doctrines were openly carried on. The
adherents of Arius desired the ordination of Macedonius, while those
who maintained that the Son is consubstantial with the Farther wished
to have Paul as their bishop; and this latter party prevailed. After
the ordination of Paul, the emperor, who chanced to be away from home,
returned to Constantinople, and manifested as much displeasure at what
had taken place as though the bishopric had been conferred upon an
unworthy man. Through the machinations of the enemies of Paul a Synod
was convened, and he was expelled from the Church. It handed over the
Church of Constantinople to Eusebius, bishop of Nicomedia.
Footnotes
[edit]- ↑ Soc. ii. 6, 7.