LUTHER 1527 The Council of Nicaea, 325

LUTHER 1527

In the same way when Oecolampadius skips over the Scriptures confronting him, God help us, how gaily he leaps and dances with his notion, asking:
What purpose does it serve?
Why didn’t the disciples worship the bread?
Why does Scripture indicate no miracle here?
How does it help if Christ is invisibly present?
Why must Christians believe such a difficult thing?
What sense does it make that the King of glory permits such wicked fellows to trifle with him?
In particular, however, it is his blasphemous words that portray his heart best, when he calls our God a baked God, a bread-God, a meat-God, and many, many other names. Who can possibly fail to understand now what they think in their hearts? If the Scriptures moved them, they would surely have done with such obscenities and deal with Scriptures.

The Council of Nicaea, 325.

How great the contrast between this position of the church and the time of her persecution but scarcely passed! What a revolution of opinion in bishops who had once feared the Roman emperor as the worst enemy of the church, and who now greeted the same emperor in his half barbarous attire as an angel of God from heaven, and gave him, though not yet even baptized, the honorary presidency of the highest assembly of the church!
After a brief salutatory address from the bishop on the right of the emperor, by which we are most probably to understand Eusebius of Caesarea, the emperor himself delivered with a gentle voice in the official Latin tongue the opening address, which was immediately after translated into Greek, and runs thus:
“It was my highest wish, my friends, that I might be permitted to enjoy your assembly. I must thank God that, in addition to all other blessings, he has shown me this highest one of all: to see you all gathered here in harmony and with one mind. May no malicious enemy rob us of this happiness, and after the tyranny of the enemy of Christ [Licinius and his
army] is conquered by the help of the Redeemer, the wicked demon shall not persecute the divine law with new blasphemies. Discord in the church I consider more fearful and painful than any other war. As soon as I by the help of God had overcome my enemies, I believed that nothing more was now necessary than to give thanks to God in common joy with those whom I had liberated. But when I heard of your division, I was convinced that this matter should by no means be neglected, and in the desire to assist by my service, I have summoned you without delay. I shall, however, feel my desire fulfilled only when I see the minds of all united in that peaceful harmony which you, as the anointed of God, must preach to others. Delay not therefore, my friends, delay not, servants of God; put away all causes of strife, and loose all knots of discord by the laws of peace. Thus shall you accomplish the work most pleasing to God, and confer upon me, your fellow servant, an exceeding great joy.”
HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH Schaff Volume 3 NICENE AND POST-NICENE CHRISTIANTY A.D. 311-600
(Pages 625-626)