2.30.1 The emperor’s faith leads us to mention another event as well. He was diligently taking precautions for the peace of the church without neglecting any detail. He had invited even the Novatian bishop Acesius and his companions to the council, for they believed in God’s consubstantiality and in the Trinity.

2.30.2 After the council and the emperor had composed and signed the standard of faith, Emperor Constantine asked Acesius whether he agreed with the faith and with his establishment of the festival of Easter.

2.30.3 Acesius replied, “The council has defined no new doctrine, emperor; we all received this standard of faith and the date of the festival of Easter from the beginning, even from the time of the apostles.”

2.30.4 Then the Emperor asked, “Why, then, do you separate yourself from our fellowship?” Acesius described how during the Decian persecution some could not contend to the point of martyrdom but rather refused it. He presented their rigorously strict rule, namely, that the church should not accept those who have sinned after baptism, even if they repent, nor consider them worthy of fellowship in the mysteries in the future.

2.30.5 After Acesius said this, the emperor replied, “Acesius, put up a ladder for yourself and climb up to heaven.”

2.30.6 After this, all the bishops set forth various ecclesiastical rulings:

 

Next Chapter – 2.31 The instructive message of the ecclesiastical principles

Previous Chapter – 2.29 The emperor rises from the throne and offers up words of thanksgiving to God

Click here to read the entire ACH account of the Council of Nicaea (2.5-2.38) side-by-side with the Greek text.

Click here to read Book 1 in its entirety.

 

Created by RR 8-20-21

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