The Emperor Constantine, who lifted Christianity into power, murdered
his wife Fausta and his eldest son Crispus the same year that he
convened the council of Nice to decide whether Jesus Christ was a man or
the son of God. The council decided that Christ was substantial with
the Father. This was in the year 325. We are thus indebted to a wife
murderer for settling the vexed question of the divinity of the Savior.
Theodosius called a council at Constantinople in 381, and this council
decided that the Holy Ghost proceeded from the Father. Theodosius,
the younger, assembled another council at Ephesus to ascertain who the
Virgin Mary really was, and it was solemnly decided in the year 431 that
she was the mother of God. In 451 it was decided by a council held at
Chalcedon, called together by the Emperor Marcian, that Christ had two
natures--the human and divine. In 680, in another general council, held
at Constantinople, convened by order of Pognatius, it was also decided
that Christ had two wills, and in the year 1274 it was decided at the
council of Lyons that the Holy Ghost proceeded not only from the Father,
but from the Son as well. Had it not been for these councils we might
have been without a trinity even unto this day. When we take into
consideration the fact that a belief in the trinity is absolutely
essential to salvation, how unfortunate it was for the world that this
doctrine was not established until the year 1274. Think of the millions
that dropped into hell while these questions were being discussed.