Jesus, Prophet of Islam - The Islamic Bulletin

Early Unitarians in Christianity 93

made a pointed reference to Eusebius, mentioning him by name
and accusing him of believing 'that the welfare of the Church de­
pended on his nod.' 16 He added that Eusebius supported Arius,
not because he sincerely believed in Arian doctrine, but in order to
further his own ambitious interests. Thus the ecclesiastical contro­
versy degeneratedinto apersonalconflictbetweenthe Easternand
Western bishops.
The questions in issue spread from the circle of the bishops out
among the common people. Gregory of Nyssea writes:

Every corner of Constantinople was full of their discus­

sions: the streets, the market place, the shops of the

money-changers, the victuallers. Ask a tradesman how

many obols he wants for sorne article in his shop, and

he replies with the disquisition on generated and

ungenerated being. Ask the priee of bread today and

the baker tells you: 'The son is subordinate to the fa­

ther.' Ask your servant ifthe bath is ready and he makes

an answer: 'The son arose out of nothing.' 'Great is the

only Begotten,' declared the Catholics, and the Arians

rejoined: 'But greater is He that begot.' 17

The arguments ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous, until
people would even ask women whether a son could exist before
hewasbom.The debate in the higher ecclesiastie circlewasequally
hot and bitter. It is recorded that 'in every city, bishops were en­
gaged in obstinate conflict with bishops. People were against peo­
pie ... and came into violent collision with each other.' lB
As far as Constantine was concemed, things were going from
bad to worse. He was obliged to intervene and addressed a letter
to beth Alexander and Arius. He said that his consuming passion
was for unity of religions opinion, since it was the best guarantee
of peace in the realm. Deeply disappointed by the events in North
Africa, he had hoped for better things from the 'bosom of the East'
whence had arisen the'dawn of Divine Light'. He then continues:

But Ah!Gloriousand Divine Providence, whata wound

was inflicted not àlone on my ears but on my heart, when

1 heard that divisions existed among yourselves even

more grievous than those in Afriea; 50 that you, whose

agency 1 hoped to bring healing to others, need a rem­