96 Jesus, Prophet of IslamConstantine accordingly decided to cali a meeting of Christian
bishops in order to settle the matter once and for all. His position
as a pagan, he said, was a great advantage since by virtue of his
not belonging to any sect or either party, he would make an impar
tial judge. This would resolve the problem which had faced the
bishops up until then, for they had not been able to agree on any
one Christian to preside over such a meeting as their arbitrator.
This gathering of the bishops under Constantine is known today
as the Council of Nicea (which is now in Turkey):
The Council of Nicea: 325 AD
Invitations were despatched, and ali expenses paid for by Con
stantine from the imperial state treasury. Apart from the leaders of
the two contending parties, the majority of those who were invited
were not on the whole very knowledgeable.1t is significant that no
one from the Church of Donatus was asked to attend - although
Cacealian,Donatus's chiefopponent,was invited. Among the more
important bishops who participated in the council were:Eusebius of Caesaria
Eusebius of Caesaria is the father of ecclesiastical history. His book
is the chief repository of the traditions which link the lst century
AD with the 4th century AD of the Christian era. Apart from his
extensive knowledge, the degree of his influence rested on the fact
that he alone of the Eastern prelates could often tell what was go
ing on in the mind of the Emperor. This was partIy because he was
the interpreter and nominal chaplain and confessor of the Emperor,
He was at heart an Arian, and enjoyed the support of most of the
bishops in Palestine.Eusebius of Nicomedia
Eusebius of Nicomedia came from an aristocratie farnily, and was
a follower of Lucian at the same time as Arius. His spiritual emi
nence was universaliy recognised. Thus, there were two important
men of God in this age who bore the same name, a fact which has
caused much confusion in sorne of the minds of the historians of
this period.http://www.islamicbulletin.com