Macedonius Seizes Constantinople and Persecutes His Opponents

Once Paul had been removed in the way described, Macedonius became ruler of the churches in Constantinople. He gained very great influence over the emperor and stirred up a war among Christians no less grievous than the one the usurpers themselves were waging. He persuaded his sovereign to join him in laying waste the churches, and so he got whatever harmful measures he chose to pursue made law. For this reason an edict was proclaimed in city after city, and a military force was assigned to carry out the imperial decrees. As a result, those who confessed the doctrine of one substance were driven out not only from the churches but also from the cities. At first they were content with expelling them. But as the evil grew they went to the worse extreme of forcing people into communion with them, caring little that this was a desecration of the churches. Their violence was hardly less than that of those who had once forced the Christians to worship idols. They used every kind of flogging, a variety of tortures, and the confiscation of property. Many were punished with exile; some died under torture; and others were put to death while they were being led into exile. [a]

These atrocities were carried out in all the cities of the East, but especially at Constantinople. In this way Macedonius, as soon as he obtained the bishopric, savagely increased the internal strife that had been slight before. The cities of Greece and Illyricum, however, along with those of the western parts, still enjoyed peace, because they kept harmony among themselves and continued to hold to the rule of faith set out by the Council of Nicaea.