Ἀκέσιος

Bishop of the Novatians¹ who lived in the time of Constantine the Great.² "And he [Constantine] asked him whether he accepted what had been decided upon in the council, the definition of faith and the regulation of the celebration of Easter, and he [Akesios] expressed his approval. But the emperor then asked why, in that case, he was breaking away. Akesios began to lecture him about what had happened during the persecution under Decius³ and about the precise nature of the strict rule: how it was important not to deem worthy of participation in the holy mysteries those who, after baptism, had committed a sin for which the holy scriptures prescribe death, but instead to lead them toward repentence, and to [teach them to] obtain hope of absolution not from the priests but from God who has the power to forgive sins. When Akesios had said these things the emperor responded, 'put up a ladder, Akesios, and climb up to heaven on it by yourself.' These things are mentioned neither by Eusebios the [spiritual son] of Pamphilos⁴ nor by any other, for those writers omit many things either out of affection for certain parties or in order to please certain individuals." So says Socrates in his Ecclesiastical History.⁵