CHAPTER XXXI

NESTORIUS HARASSES THE MACEDONIANS

NESTORIUS indeed not only himself acted contrary to the usage of the church, but caused others also to imitate him in this respect, as is evident from what happened during his episcopate. For Antony bishop of Germa, a city of the Hellespont, actuated by the example of Nestorius in his intolerance of heretics, began to persecute the Macedonians, under pretext of carrying out the intentions of the patriarch. For some time that sect endured his annoyance; but when Antony proceeded to farther extremities, unable any longer to bear his harsh treatment, and becoming infuriated by despair, they preferred the adoption of a cruel expedient to justice, and suborned two men to assassinate their tormentor. When the Macedonians had perpetrated this crime, Nestorius took occasion from it to increase his violence of conduct against them, and prevailed on the emperor to take away their churches. They were therefore deprived of not only those which they possessed at Constantinople, before the old walls of the imperial city, but of those also which they had at Cyzicum, and many others that belonged to them in the Hellespont. Many of them therefore at that time came over to the Catholic church, and professed the Homoousian faith. But as the proverb says, drunkards never want wine, nor the contentious strife: and so it fell out with regard to Nestorius, who after having exerted himself to expel others from the church, was himself ejected on the following account.