Theognis raised his hands

“And now you might be forcing me to deprive them of your presence.” Theognis raised his fingers in a gesture of deprecation. “The duty can now be shifted to youthful shoulders than mine.” Constantine picked up the edict of banishment and held it in order that Theognis might see the house on the backside, the place no signature had but been positioned.

“Affix your title to what you name the anathema,” he advised the previous bishop, “and this edict shall stay unsigned.”

“I’m sorry, Augustus. However it’s a matter of precept.”

“What precept?”

Donatus been in charge of the church

“As soon as I used to be judged by my fellows to be responsible of grave sin in yielding up the Scriptures, however I believe time has proved that I served God’s objective greatest by doing what I did. But had males like Donatus been in charge of the church then, I’d have been anathematized, as Arius and some others are at this time.”

“Then you definately consider Arius is correct?”

“I don’t know, Augustus. However I’m positive he shouldn’t be solid into the outer darkness for daring to query what many settle for as reality. I’m priest sufficient to consider God’s objective will ultimately be revealed to us, even by the acts of fallible males. However I hope I shall all the time be thinker sufficient to maintain on asking questions till I could be positive, and, what’s extra necessary, get up and be counted on the facet of others who ask them too.”

“You recognize you allow me no alternative, don’t you?”

“I ask for no mercy, Augustus. The truth is I shall pray that you’re finishing up God’s will, once you signal the order earlier than you.”

Constantine regarded into the smart previous eyes for a protracted second. Then virtually as if he had been casting a weapon in battle, he picked up the pen and scribbled his signature throughout the underside of the edict of banishment.

“Will you forgive me, whether it is proved that I’m fallacious?” he requested Theognis.

“Forgive, Augustus?” Theognis’ smile was like a heat mantle enveloping him. “Why ought to I forgive, once I don’t condemn?”