History of the First Council of Nice/Chapter 6
CHAPTER VI.
THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF NICE.—THE EMPEROR CONVOKES THE BISHOPS FROM ALL CHRISTENDOM.
The Emperor Constantine, who possessed the most profound wisdom, had no sooner heard of the troubles of the church, than he endeavored to put a stop to them.
He, therefore, despatched a messenger of considerable sagacity [Hosius, bishop of Cordova] to Alexandria with letters, hoping thereby to reconcile the disputants.[1] But, not succeeding, he proceeded to summon the celebrated Council of Nice;[2] and commanded that the bishops, and those connected with them, should be mounted on the asses, mules, and horses belonging to the public, in order to repair thither. When all those who were capable of enduring the fatigue of the journey, had arrived at Nice, he went thither himself, as much from the wish of seeing the bishops, as from the desire of preserving unanimity amongst them. He arranged that all their wants should be liberally supplied. Three hundred and eighteen bishops were assembled. The bishop of Rome, on account of his very advanced age, was necessarily absent; but he sent two presbyters[3] to the Council, for the purpose of taking part in all the transactions. At this period, individuals were richly endowed with apostolical gifts; and many, like the holy apostles, bore in their bodies the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ.[4]
James, bishop of Antioch, a city of Mygdonia, which is called Nisbis by the Syrians and Assyrians, had power to raise the dead, and to restore them to life; he performed many wonderful miracles. Paul, bishop of Neo-Cæsarea, a fortress situated on the banks of the Euphrates, had suffered much from the cruelty of Licinius. He had been deprived of the use of both hands by the application of a red-hot iron, by which the nerves which give motion to the muscles had been contracted and destroyed. Some had the right eye torn out; others had lost the right arm. Among the latter sufferers was Paphnutius,[5] of Egypt. In short, this was an assembly of martyrs. Yet this holy and celebrated assembly was not free from those of a contentious spirit; there were certainly few of this class, yet they were as dangerous as sunken rocks, for they concealed the evil, while they profanely coincided in the blasphemy of Arius.
- ↑ Socrates is more explicit on this head. He says, "When the emperor was made acquainted with these disorders, he was very deeply grieved. …… He sent a letter to Alexander and Arius, by a trustworthy person named Hosius, who was bishop of Cordova, in Spain, and whom the emperor loved and held in the highest estimation." The letter began thus: "Victor Constantine Maximus Augustus to Alexander and Arius. Your present controversy, I am informed, originated thus: When yon, Alexander, inquired of your presbyters what were the sentiments of each on a certain inexplicable passage of the written Word, thereby moving a subject improper for discussion, you, Arius, rashly gave expression to a view of the matter, such as ought, either never to have been conceived, or if, indeed, it had been suggested to your mind, it became you to bury in silence.
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For, indeed, how few are capable either of adequately expounding, or even accurately understanding the import of matters so vast and profound! Who can grapple with the subtilties of such investigations, without danger of lapsing into excessive error? Let there be one faith, one sentiment, and one covenant of the Godhead.
But respecting those minute investigations, which ye enter into among yourselves with so much nicety, even if ye should not concur in one judgment, it becomes you to confine them to your own reflections, and to keep them in the secret recesses of the mind. …… Resume the exercise of mutual friendship and grace."
However, neither Alexander nor Arius was softened by this appeal; and, moreover, there was incessant strife and tumult among the people. But another source of disquietude had pre-existed there, which served to trouble the churches, though it was confined to the eastern parts. This arose from some desiring to keep the Feast of the Passover, or Easter, more in accordance with the customs of the Jews, while others preferred the mode of celebration used by the Christians in general throughout the world. These were the causes which led Constantine to convoke the Council of Nice.
- ↑ Nice, anciently called Nicæa, was a city of Bithynia. It is now called Izneek, or Iznik, and is a village and ruined city on the eastern extremity of Lake Izneek, in Asia Minor, between Ismeed and Brusa. It was the first conquest of the Crusaders in the East, A.D. 1097.
- ↑ Vito and Vincentius were their names, says Sozomen and other historians.
- ↑ Of the ten persecutions, the first was that of Nero, A.D. 64; the second, of Domitian, A.D. 95; the third, of Trajan, 107; the fourth, of Adrian, 118; the fifth, of Caracalla, 212; the sixth, of Maximin, 235; the seventh, of Decius, 230; the eighth, of Valerian, 257; the ninth, of Aurelian, 274; and the tenth, and most severe, was begun on Christmas Day, A.D. 303, under Diocletian, when the emperor ordered the doors of the Christian church of Nicomedia to be barred, and then burnt the edifice with every soul within, the number being six hundred. Nicomedia, the chief city of Bithynia, was then the seat of the imperial court, Constantinople not being made such until A.D. 328.
- ↑ According to other authors, he had suffered his right eye to be cut out. Perhaps the word "latter" refers to only part of the last clause, not to that respecting his arm.