Eusebius, Bishop, said: ‘But you are under an obligation to express frankly the faith you claim the right to hold. If a heathen were to ask of you in what way you believe in Christ, you would be bound not to be ashamed to confess.’
10. SABINUS, Bishop, said: ‘It was your own request that we would answer: we come together this day accordingto your wish, and upon your own solicitation, and we have not waited for our other brethren, who might have come. It is therefore not open to you to wander from the subject. Do you say that Christ was created? or do you say that the Son of God is everlasting?’
Palladius said: ‘I have told you already: we said we would come and prove that you have not done well to take advantage of the Emperor.’
Ambrose, Bishop, said: ‘Let Palladius’s letter be read to shew whether he sent us this message, and it will appear that even now he is deceiving.’
Palladius said: ‘Let it be read by all means.’
The Bishops said: ‘When you saw the Emperor at Sirmium, did you address him, or was it he that pressed you?’ And they added: ‘What do you answer to this?’
Palladius answered: ‘He said to me, “Go.” We said: “Are the Eastern Bishops summoned to attend?” He said, “They are.” Should we have come if the Eastern Bishops had not been summoned?’
11. AMBROSE, Bishop, said: ‘Let the matter of the Eastern Bishops stand over. I enquire at present into your sentiments. Arius’s letter has been read to you: you are in the habit of denying that you are an Arian. Either condemn Arius now, or defend him.’
Palladius said: ‘It is not within the compass of your authority to ask this of me.’
Eusebius, Bishop, said: ‘We do not believe that the religious Emperor said other than he wrote. He has ordered the Bishops to meet: it is impossible that he said to you and no one else contrary to his own letter, that the case was not to be discussed without the presence of the Eastern Bishops.’