If, due to our sins, these bishops who have been brought from here are admitted into Constantinople, let us not say that they will see the emperor by any means, but rather that they will be restored to their places. They have brought so much money with them that it could blind not only humans but even angels. Therefore, if they are admitted (God forbid), they will speak as many falsehoods in our absence as the devil can invent. For if they have attempted many things in our presence here, and were confounded while the Lord stood with us, how much more will they do in our absence? Therefore, to reveal their maliciousness, command that we be present if it is necessary to come to a hearing because of sins so that it may be clear to everyone that we have been unjustly condemned and that they are working through the advocacy of money.

We are able to prove before the entire senate that they are perfect heretics; then, their deceit will be fully exposed. Also, it must be said: If they are not heretics, how is it that two weeks before we arrived, all the bishops decided together that no one should hold Mass outside the city? From this, all of them, so that a crowd might be gathered for a future sedition and instructed according to their errors. But after they sensed our arrival, they declared that they must hurry with the little ones, lest, should persecution come, the pagan infants die. Then, as if at another Easter, they baptized so many that they surpassed the usual celebration.

Again, it must be said: If they are not heretics, how is it that they have celebrated so many sacraments, distributing full baskets to everyone, lest they could not receive communion in the imminent (as they said) persecution? Also, if they are not heretics, why were they later accused in the records by the noble man Candidus, the vicar of the commander of the Praetorian Guard, in the prefects’ court? And if they foresee the imminent danger, why would they, as if to be condemned again, want to help the little ones once more, conducting so many baptisms that they clearly showed themselves to be heretics, against which the great power of the prefects was gravely indignant?

Again, if they are not heretics, how did it happen that when we were hiding in the baptistery, they held a council at night and, pretending to save us from danger, wanted to put us on a ship, so that by this pretext we might be thrown into the sea? When we replied through the deacons Demetrius and Andrew, ‘Everyone knows that we are with you; how can we sail at night? But if you have truly planned for our safety, secretly summon five or six senators tomorrow, who fear for their property or lives, along with the commanders of the army and the vicar Count Candidus. Let them also know where we are being transferred, and we will do as they command. But if it is to be done secretly with only a few, we will not do it.’ Then, failing to achieve their purpose, they remained silent for the moment, but on another day, they again stirred up the people’s sedition, from which, with God’s will, we barely escaped.