Any  suspicion  which  might  arise,  of  the  proceedings
having  been  tainted  by  political  influence,  is  sufficiently
obviated  by  what  remains  of  Constan tine's  own  corre
spondence  at  that  time.  Whether  from  ignorance,  he  being
yet  a  catechumen  and  recent  convert,  or  from  the  habit  of
looking  at  all  things  with  the  eye  of  a  mere  statesman,  or
from  whatever  reason,  he  was  far,  indeed,  from  entering
into  the  views  of  St.  Athanasius  and  those  who  acted  with
him.  His  language  in  the  letter  to  Alexander,  whereby
he  at  first  endeavoured  to  stifle  the  controversy,  was  such
as  thisr :  "  A  certain  empty  question,  which  ought  neither
to  have  been  asked  nor  answered  ...  an  argument
kindled  not  concerning  any  main  point  of  the  Divine  com
mands  ....  no  new  heresy  brought  in  ...
a  dispute  about  matters  trifling  to  an  excess  of  insignificance
.  .  .  you  may  keep  up  communion  with  each  other,
however  decidedly  your  opinions  vary  in  some  minute  point
of  detail."  And  it  is  too  well  known  how  easily  he  was
afterwards  perverted  by  the  arts  of  Eusebius.  The
agreement,  therefore,  among  the  Bishops  was  in  no  sort  the
result  of  state  influence :  it  can  only  be  explained  by  the
fact,  that  such  was  in  reality  the  tenor  of  the  traditional
confessions  of  their  several  Churches.
Now  such  a  harmony  of  statements  all  over  the  world,
even  beyond  the  limits  of  the  Roman  Empire,  (for  the  In
dians  too  are  mentioned  as  allowing  the  Creed8,)  admits  of
no  account  but  a  common  origin ;  and  that  common  origin
can  only  be  the  first  Gospel,  as  it  was  every  where  preached

'  Ap.  Socr.  i.  7.  p.  15.  D.  E  ;  10.  C  ;  17.  C.
