Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (4/222)

They alleged that Marcion was the chief of the apostles and rejected Peter the apostle. Among them were some who declared, “Our Lord is the Messiah”; this was the teaching of Paul the Apostle and of 318 bishops.

He says: When Emperor Constantine heard their various doctrines, he was astonished. He set aside a residence for them, treated them with honour and hospitality, and ordered them to debate among themselves so that he might see who possessed the truth and follow it.

Three hundred and eighteen of them agreed upon one creed and one opinion. They debated the rest of the dissenting bishops, overcame their arguments, and made the upright faith prevail, although the remaining bishops still held divergent religions and views.

The emperor arranged a grand private council for the 318 bishops, sat in its midst, removed his ring, sword, and sceptre, and handed them over to them, saying, “Today I have empowered you over the kingdom so that you may act as you see fit—so that you may do whatever is required to uphold the faith and secure the welfare of the believers.”

They blessed the emperor, girded him with his sword, and said to him, “Proclaim the religion of Christianity and defend it.”

وَزَعَمُوا أَنَّ " مَرْقِيُونَ " رَئِيسُ الْحَوَارِيِّينَ، وَأَنْكَرُوا " بُطْرُسَ " السَّلِيحَ. وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ كَانَ يَقُولُ: رَبُّنَا هُوَ الْمَسِيحُ، وَهِيَ مَقَالَةُ " بُولُسَ " الرَّسُولِ، وَمَقَالَةُ الثَّلَاثُمِائَةِ وَثَمَانِيَةَ عَشَرَ أُسْقُفًّا. قَالَ: فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ " " قُسْطَنْطِينُ " " الْمَلِكُ مَقَالَاتِهِمْ، عَجِبَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَأَخْلَى لَهُمْ دَارَا وَتَقَدَّمَ لَهُمْ بِالْإِكْرَامِ وَالضِّيَافَةِ، وَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يَتَنَاظَرُوا فِيمَا بَيْنَهُمْ لِيَنْظُرَ مَنْ مَعَهُ الْحَقُّ فَيَتَّبِعَهُ. فَاتَّفَقَ مِنْهُمْ ثَلَاثُمِائَةٍ وَثَمَانِيَةَ عَشَرَ أُسْقُفًّا عَلَى دِينٍ وَاحِدٍ وَرَأْيٍ وَاحِدٍ، فَنَاظَرُوا بَقِيَّةَ الْأَسَاقِفَةِ الْمُخْتَلِفِينَ فَأَفْلَجُوا عَلَيْهِمْ حُجَجَهُمْ وَأَظْهَرُوا الدِّينَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ، وَكَانَ أَيْضًا بَاقِي الْأَسَاقِفَةِ مُخْتَلِفِي الْأَدْيَانِ وَالْآرَاءِ. وَصَنَعَ الْمَلِكُ لِلثَّلَاثِمِائَةِ وَالثَمَانِيَةَ عَشَرَ أُسْقُفًّا مَجْلِسًا خَاصًّا عَظِيمًا، وَجَلَسَ فِي وَسَطِهِ، وَأَخَذَ خَاتَمَهُ وَسَيْفَهُ وَقَضِيبَهُ فَدَفَعَهَا إِلَيْهِمْ، وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: قَدْ سَلَّطْتُكُمُ الْيَوْمَ عَلَى الْمَمْلَكَةِ لِتَصْنَعُوا مَا بَدَا لَكُمْ، لِتَصْنَعُوا مَا يَنْبَغِي لَكُمْ أَنْ تَصْنَعُوا مِمَّا فِيهِ قِوَامُ الدِّينِ وَصَلَاحُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. فَبَارَكُوا عَلَى الْمَلِكِ وَقَلَّدُوهُ سَيْفَهُ، وَقَالُوا لَهُ: أَظْهِرْ دِينَ النَّصْرَانِيَّةِ وَذُبَّ عَنْهُ.