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AFTER the death of Sisinnius, on account of the spirit of
ambitious rivalry displayed by the ecclesiastics of Constantinople,
the emperors resolved that none of that church should fill the vacant
bishopric, notwithstanding the fact that many eagerly desired to have
Philip ordained, and no less a number were in favor of the election of
Proclus. They therefore sent for a stranger from Antioch, whose
name was Nestorius, a native of Germanicia, distinguished for his
excellent voice and fluency of speech; qualifications which they judged
important for the instruction of the people. After three months had
elapsed therefore, Nestorius was brought from Antioch, being greatly
lauded by some for his temperance: but what sort of a disposition he
was of in other respects, those who possessed any discernment were able
to perceive from his first sermon. Being ordained on the 10th of
April, under the consulate of Felix and Taurus, he immediately
uttered those famous words, before all the people, in addressing the
emperor, 'Give me, my prince, the earth purged of heretics, and I
will give you heaven as a recompense. Assist me in destroying
heretics, and I will assist you in vanquishing the Persians.' Now
although these utterances were extremely gratifying to some of the
multitude, who cherished a senseless antipathy to the very name of
heretic; yet those, as I have said, who were skillful in predicating
a man's character from his expressions, did not fail to detect his
levity of mind, and violent and vainglorious temperament, inasmuch as
he had burst forth into such vehemence without being able to contain
himself for even the shortest space of time; and to use the proverbial
phrase, 'before he had tasted the water of the city,' showed himself
a furious persecutor. Accordingly on the fifth day after his
ordination, having determined to demolish a chapel in which the Arians
were accustomed to perform their devotions privately, he drove these
people to desperation; for when they saw the work of destruction going
forward in their chapel, they threw fire into it, and the fire
spreading on all sides reduced many of the adjacent buildings also to
ashes. A tumult accordingly arose on account of this throughout the
city, and the Arians burning to revenge themselves, made preparations
for that purpose: but God the Guardian of the city suffered not the
mischief to gather to a climax. From that time, however, they
branded Nestorius as an 'incendiary,' and it was not only the
heretics who did this, but those also of his own faith. For he could
not rest, but seeking every means of harassing those who embraced not
his own sentiments, he continually disturbed the public tranquillity.
He annoyed the Novatians also, being incited to jealousy because
Paul their bishop was everywhere respected for his piety; but the
emperor by his admonitions checked his fury. With what calamities he
visited the Quartodecimans throughout Asia, Lydia, and Caria, and
what multitudes perished in a popular tumult of which he was the cause
at Miletus and Sardis, I think proper to pass by in silence. What
punishment he suffered for all these enormities, and for that unbridled
license of speech in which he indulged himself, I shall mention
somewhat later.
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