But I think that even in that council a remarkable deed of the Emperor ought not to be passed over in silence. For when bishops had assembled from almost every place, and (as commonly happens) had brought against one another certain quarrels arising from various causes, he was frequently interrupted by individuals: petitions were presented, faults were alleged, and they gave more attention to these matters than to that for which they had come. But he, seeing that through quarrels of this kind the cause of the supreme business was being frustrated, appointed a fixed day on which each of the bishops, if he seemed to have any grievance, should bring it forward. And when he had taken his seat, he received the petitions from each: holding them all together in his bosom, and not disclosing what was contained in them, he said to the bishops:
"God has appointed you priests, and has given you power to judge even concerning us, and therefore we are rightly judged by you. But you cannot be judged by men. Wherefore await among yourselves the judgment of God alone, and let whatever quarrels there are among you be reserved for that divine examination. For you have been given to us by God as gods, and it is not fitting that man should judge gods; but only He of whom it is written: God stood in the congregation of the gods, and in the midst He judges the gods (Ps. 81:1). And therefore, setting these things aside, settle without any contention of spirits those matters which pertain to the faith of God."
When he had said these things, he ordered all the petitions of complaint to be burned at once, lest the pretense of the priests should become known to any man. But when, for many days in the council of the bishops, the question concerning the faith was being debated, and some held differing opinions and strongly favored the undertakings of Arius, yet there were more who detested the impious enterprise. And since in that same council there was a great number of priests who were Confessors, all of them opposed the novelties of Arius. But those who favored him were men cunning in disputations, and on that account hostile to the simplicity of the faith.