Section 526
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44 COUNCIL OF NICE. tence for contradiction. But our pious emperor himself was the first to declare, that it was extremely well conceived, and that it expressed his own sentiments, exhorting all to assent to, and sign it, that they might unite in its doctrines, with the addition only of the single word^on^ujbstantialj which he himself explained by asserting that he did not use the term with reference to corpo real affections, and that the Son did not subsist from the Father, either by division or abscission, since it was impossible that an immaterial, intellectual and incorporeal nature could admit of any bodily affection ; but that it must be understood in a divine and mysterious manner. It was thus that our most wise and religious emperor argued on this subject. But the bishops, taking occa sion from the word consubstantial, committed to writing the fol lowing form : — We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things, visible and invisible ; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten of the Father, that is, of the sub stance of the Father ; God of God, light of lightj true God of true God ; begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father, by whom all things were made, both in heaven and in earth ; who for us men, and for our salvation, descended, was incarnate, and was made man, and suffered, and rose again the third day ; he ascend ed into heaven, and shall come to judge the living and the dead : And in the Holy Spirit. But the holy catholic and apostolic Church of God anathematizes those who affirm that there was a time when the Son was not, or that he was not before he was begotten, or that he was made of things not existing ; or who sayr that the Son of God was of any other substance or essence, or created, or liable to change or conversion. When this form was dictated by the prelates, their expressions * The Groeks termed the symbol of faith fja^Tj/ua, because the catechumens learnt it by heart. Leontius Bisantius, in his work concerning sects, calls the Symbol, or Creed of Nice, TO [tadiipa ruv ev Nt/cowp.