2.25.1 When the Holy Spirit had thus pronounced this through our holy fathers assembled at the holy council, the whole audience which had gathered glorified God.

2.25.2 The God-loving emperor, who also attended most of the council, was himself in the audience. Greatly pleased, he glorified God on hearing such godly doctrine. Rejoicing at the agreement of our bishops, he was overjoyed in the Spirit. It was his ambition that no one, great or small, would disagree with this saving confession.

2.25.3 Therefore, after extensive pious deliberation finished, all our people saw the need to define God’s consubstantiality [τὸ ὁμοούσιον] within the church’s faith, as our holy fathers who came after the apostles also passed down this faith, namely, confessing that the Son and the Holy Spirit have the same essence as the Father.

2.25.4 All the holy bishops assembled at Nicaea affirmed this faith. The assembled holy priests and confessors, the praiseworthy, God-loving emperor, and the whole multitude of believers who were gathered there gladly accepted the confession of faith.

2.25.5 But the seventeen bishops about whom we have spoken above did not. Arius seemed to be delighted with them. He was convicted with them, his followers, for they said with him that God created the Son from substances which did not exist, as something exterior, and that the Son was not begotten from the divine essence of the Father.

 

Next Chapter – 2.26 The synod jointly agrees to excommunicate the ungodly Arius and those on his side

Previous Chapter – 2.24 And the philosopher

Click here to read Book 1 in its entirety.

 

Created by RR 8-20-21

No Responses yet