 The reign of Constantine established a precedent for the position of the emperor as having great influence and ultimate regulatory authority within the religious discussions involving the early Christian councils of that time , e.g. , most notably the dispute over Arianism , and the nature of God . Constantine himself disliked the risks to societal stability that religious disputes and controversies brought with them , preferring where possible to establish an orthodoxy . One way in which Constantine used his influence over the early Church councils was to seek to establish a consensus over the oft debated and argued issue over the nature of God . 
