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Paulus , bishop of Constantinople, who faithfully maintained
orthodox doctrines, was accused by the unsound Arians of exciting
seditions, and of such other crimes as they usually laid to the charge
of all those who preached true piety. The people, who feared the
machinations of his enemies, would not permit him to go to Sardica.
The Arians, taking advantage of the weakness of the emperor,
procured from him an edict of banishment against Paulus, who was,
accordingly, sent to Cucusus, a little town formerly included in
Cappadocia, but now in Lesser Armenia. But these disturbers of the
public peace were not satisfied with having driven the admirable Paulus
into a desert. They sent the agents of their cruelty to despatch him
by a violent death. St. Athanasius testifies to this fact in the
defence which he wrote of his own flight. He uses the following words
: "They pursued Paulus, bishop of Constantinople, and having
seized him at Cucusus, a city of Cappadocia, they had him
strangled, using as their executioner Philippus the prefect, who was
the protector of their heresy, and the active agent of their most
atrocious projects
Such were the murders to which the blasphemy of Arius gave rise.
Their mad rage against the Only-begotten was matched by cruel deeds
against His servants.
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