BOOK II.
CHAPTER I.
Secret Persecution by Licinius, who causes Same
Bishops to be put to Death at Amasia of Pontus.
In this manner, he of whom we have spoken continued to rush headlong
towards that destruction which awaits the enemies of God; and once more, with
a fatal emulation of their example whose ruin he had himself witnessed as the
consequence of their impious conduct, he re-kindled the persecution of the
Christians, like a long-extinguished fire, and fanned the unhallowed flame to
a fiercer height than any who had gone before him.
At first, indeed, though breathing fury and threatenings against God, like
some savage beast of prey, or some crooked and wriggling serpent, he dared
not, from fear of Constantine, openly level his attacks against the churches
of God subject to his dominion; but dissembled the virulence of his malice,
and endeavored by secret and limited measures to compass the death of the
bishops, the most eminent of whom he found means to remove, through charges
laid against them by the governors of the several provinces. And the manner in
which they suffered had in it something strange, and hitherto unheard of. At
all events, the barbarities perpetrated at Amasia of Pontus surpassed every
known excess of cruelty.
CHAPTER II.
Demolition of Churches, and Butchery of the
Bishops.
For in that city some of the churches, for the second time since the
commencement of the persecutions, were leveled with the ground, and others
were closed by the governors of the several districts, in order to prevent any
who frequented them from assembling together, or rendering due worship to God.
For he by whose orders these outrages were committed was too conscious of his
own crimes to expect that these services were performed with any view to his
benefit, and was convinced that all we did, and all our endeavors to obtain
the favor of God, were on Constantine's behalf.
These servile governors (1) then, feeling assured that such a course would be
pleasing to the impious tyrant, subjected the most distinguished prelates of
the churches to capital punishment. Accordingly, men who had been guilty of no
crime were led away, without cause (2) punished like murderers: and some
suffered a new kind of death, having their bodies cut piecemeal; and, after
this cruel punishment, more horrible than any named in tragedy, being cast, as
a food to fishes, into the depths of the sea. The result of these horrors was
again, as before, the flight of pious men, and once more the fields and
deserts received the worshipers of God. The tyrant, having thus far succeeded
in his object, he farther determined to raise a general persecution of the
Christians: (3) and he would have accomplished his purpose, nor could anything
have hindered him from carrying his resolution into effect, had not he who
defends his own anticipated the coming evil, and by his special guidance
conducted his servant Constantine to this part of the empire, causing him to
shine forth as a brilliant light in the midst of the darkness and gloomy
night.
CHAPTER III.
How Constantine was stirred in Behalf of the Christians thus in Danger of
Persecution.
He perceiving the evils of which he had heard to be no longer tolerable,
took wise counsel, and tempering the natural clemency of his character with a
certain measure of severity, hastened to succor those who were thus grievously
oppressed. For he judged that it would rightly be deemed a pious and holy task
to secure, by the removal of an individual, the safety of the greater part of
the human race. He judged too, that if he listened to the dictates of clemency
only, and bestowed his pity on one utterly unworthy of it, this would, on the
one hand, confer no real benefit on a man whom nothing would induce to abandon
his evil practices, and whose fury against his subjects would only be likely
to in
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crease; (1) while, on the other hand, those who suffered from his oppression
would thus be forever deprived of all hope of deliverance.
Influenced by these reflections, the emperor resolved without farther
delay to extend a protecting hand to those who had fallen into such an
extremity of distress. He accordingly made the usual warlike preparations, and
assembled his whole forces, both of horse and foot. But before them all was
carried the standard which I have before described, as the symbol of his full
confidence in God.
CHAPTER IV.
That Constantine prepared himself for the War by Prayer: Licinius by the
Practice of Divination.
He took with him also the priests of God, feeling well assured that now,
if ever, he stood in need of the efficacy of prayer, and thinking it right
that they should constantly be near and about his person, as most trusty
guardians of the soul.
Now, as soon as the tyrant understood that Constantine's victories over
his enemies were secured to him by no other means than the co- operation of
God, and that the persons above alluded to were continually with him and about
his person; and besides this, that the symbol of the salutary passion preceded
both the emperor himself and his whole army; he regarded these precautions
with ridicule (as might be expected), at the same time mocking and reviling
the emperor with blasphemous words.
On the other hand, he gathered round himself Egyptian diviners and
soothsayers, with sorcerers and enchanters, and the priests and prophets of
those whom he imagined to be gods. He then, after offering the sacrifices
which he thought the occasion demanded, enquired how far he might reckon on a
successful termination of the war. They replied with one voice, that he would
unquestionably be victorious over his enemies, and triumphant in the war: and
the oracles everywhere held out to him the same prospect in copious and
elegant verses. The soothsayers certified him of favorable omens from the
flight of birds; the priests (1) declared the same to be indicated by the
motion of the entrails of their victims. Elevated, therefore, by these
fallacious assurances, he boldly advanced at the head of his army, and
prepared for battle.
CHAPTER V.
What Licinius, while sacrificing in a Grove, said concerning Idols, and
concerning Christ.
And when he was now ready to engage, he desired the most approved of his
body-guard (1) and his most valued friends to meet him in one of the places
which they consider sacred. It was a well-watered and shady grove, and in it
were several marble statues of those whom he accounted to be gods. After
lighting tapers and performing the usual sacrifices in honor of these, he is
said to have delivered the following speech:
"Friends and fellow-soldiers ! These are our country's gods, and these we
honor with a worship derived from our remotest ancestors. But he who leads the
army now opposed to us has proved false to the religion of his forefathers,
and adopted atheistic sentiments, honoring in his infatuation some strange and
unheard-of Deity, with whose despicable standard he now disgraces his army,
and confiding in whose aid he has taken up arms, and is now advancing, not so
much against us as against those very gods whom he has forsaken. However, the
present occasion shall prove which of us is mistaken in his judgment, and
shall decide between our gods and those whom our adversaries profess to honor.
For either it will declare the victory to be ours, and so most justly evince
that our gods are the true saviours and helpers; or else, if this God of
Constantine's, who comes we know not whence, shall prove superior to our
deities (who are many, and in point of numbers, at least, have the advantage),
let no one henceforth doubt which god he ought to worship, but attach himself
at once to the superior power, and ascribe to him the honors of the victory.
Suppose, then, this strange God, whom we now regard with ridicule, should
really prove victorious; then indeed we must acknowledge and give him honor,
and so bid a long farewell to those for whom we light our tapers in vain. But
if our own gods triumph (as they undoubtedly will), then, as soon as we have
secured the present victory, let us prosecute the war without delay against
these despisers of the gods."
Such were the words he addressed to those then present, as reported not
long after to the writer of this history by some who heard them spoken. (2)
And as soon as he had concluded his speech, he gave orders to his forces to
commence the attack.
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CHAPTER
An Apparition seen in the Cities subject to Licinius, as of Constantine's
Troops passing through them.
WHILE these things were taking place a supernatural appearance is said to
have been observed in the cities subject to the tyrant's rule. Different
detachments of Constantine's army seemed to present themselves to the view,
marching at noonday through these cities, as though they had obtained the
victory. In reality, not a single soldier was anywhere present at the time,
and yet this appearance was seen through the agency of a divine and superior
power, and foreshadowed what was shortly coming to pass. For as soon as the
armies were ready to engage, he who had broken through the ties of friendly
alliance (1) was the first to commence the battle; on which Constantine,
calling on the name of "God the Supreme Saviour," and giving this as the
watchword to his soldiers, overcame him in this first conflict: and not long
after in a second battle he gained a still more important and decisive
victory, the salutary trophy preceding the ranks of his army.
CHAPTER VII.
That Victory everywhere followed the Presence of the Standard of the Cross in
Battle.
Indeed, wherever this appeared, the enemy soon fled before his victorious
troops. And the emperor perceiving this, whenever he saw any part of his
forces hard pressed, gave orders that the salutary trophy should be moved in
that direction, like some triumphant charm (1) against disasters: at which the
combatants were divinely inspired, as it were, with fresh strength and
courage, and immediate victory was the result.
CHAPTER VIII.
That Fifty Men were selected to carry the Cross.
ACCORDINGLY, he selected those of his bodyguard who were most
distinguished for personal strength, valor, and piety, and intrusted them with
the sole care and defense of the standard. There were thus no less than fifty
men whose only duty was to surround and vigilantly defend the standard, which
they carried each in turn on their shoulders. These circumstances were related
to the writer of this narrative by the emperor himself in his leisure moments,
long after the occurrence of the events: and he added another incident well
worthy of being recorded.
CHAPTER IX.
That One of the Cross-bearers, who fled from his Post, was slain: while
Another, who faithfully stood his Ground, was preserved.
FoR he said that once, during the very heat of an engagement, a sudden
tumult and panic attacked his army, which threw the soldier who then bore the
standard into an agony of fear, so that he handed it over to another, in order
to secure his own escape from the battle. As soon, however, as his comrade had
received it, and he had withdrawn, and resigned all charge of the standard, he
was struck in the belly by a dart, which took his life. Thus he paid the
penalty of his cowardice and unfaithfulness, and lay dead on the spot: but the
other, who had taken his place as the bearer of the salutary standard, found
it to be the safeguard of his life. For though he was assailed by a continual
shower of darts, the bearer remained unhurt, the staff of the standard
receiving every weapon. It was indeed a truly marvelous circumstance, that the
enemies' darts all fell within and remained in the slender circumference of
this spear, and thus saved the standard-bearer from death; so that none of
those engaged in this service ever received a wound.
This story is none of mine, but for this, (1) too, I am indebted to the
emperor's own authority, who related it in my hearing along with other
matters. And now, having thus through the power of God secured these first
victories, he put his forces in motion and continued his onward march.
CHAPTER X.
Furious Battles, and Constantine's Victories.
The van, however, of the enemy, unable to resist the emperor's first
assault, threw down their arms, and prostrated themselves at his feet. All
these he spared, rejoicing to save human life. But there were others who still
continued in arms, and engaged in battle. These the emperor endeavored to
conciliate by friendly
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overtures, but when these were not accepted he ordered his army to commence
the attack. On this they immediately turned and betook themselves to flight;
and some were overtaken and slain according to the laws of war, while others
fell on each other in the confusion of their flight, and perished by the
swords of their comrades.
CHAPTER XI.
Flight, and Magic Arts of Licinius.
In these circumstances their commander, finding himself bereft of the aid
of his followers, (1) having lost his lately numerous array, both of regular
and allied forces, having proved, too, by experience, how vain his confidence
had been in those whom he thought to be gods, ignominiously took to flight, by
which indeed he effected his escape, and secured his personal safety, for the
pious emperor had forbidden his soldiers to follow him too closely, (2) and
thus allowed him an opportunity for escape. And this he did in the hope that
he might hereafter, on conviction of the desperate state of his affairs, be
induced to abandon his insane and presumptuous ambition, and return to sounder
reason. So Constantine, in his excessive humanity, thought and was willing
patiently to bear past injuries, and extend his forgiveness to one who so ill
deserved it; but Licinius, far from renouncing his evil practices, still added
crime to crime, and ventured on more daring atrocities than ever. Nay, once
more tampering with the detestable arts of magic, he again was presumptuous:
so that it might well be said of him, as it was of the Egyptian tyrant of old,
that God had hardened his heart. (3)
CHAffER XII.
How Constantine, after praying in his Tabernacle, obtained the Victory.222
But while Licinius, giving himself up to these impieties, rushed blindly
towards the gulf of destruction, the emperor on the other hand, when he saw
that he must meet his enemies in a second battle, devoted the intervening time
to his Saviour. He pitched the tabernacle of the cross (1) outside and at a
distance from his camp, and there passed his time in a pure and holy manner,
offering up prayers to God; following thus the example of his ancient prophet,
of whom the sacred oracles testify, that he pitched the tabernacle without the
camp. (2) He was attended only by a few, whose faith and pious devotion he
highly esteemed. And this custom he continued to observe whenever he meditated
an engagement with the enemy. For he was deliberate in his measures, the
better to insure safety, and desired in everything to be directed by divine
counsel. And making earnest supplications to God, he was always honored after
a little with a manifestation of his presence. And then, as if moved by a
divine impulse, he would rush from the tabernacle, and suddenly give orders to
his army to move at once without delay, and on the instant to draw their
swords. On this they would immediately commence the attack, fight vigorously,
so as with incredible celerity to secure the victory, and raise trophies of
victory over their enemies.
CHAPTER XIII.
His Humane Treatment of Prisoners.
Thus the emperor and his army had long been accustomed to act, whenever
there was a prospect of an engagement; for his God was ever present to his
thoughts, and he desired to do everything according to his will, and
conscientiously to avoid any wanton sacrifice of human life. He was anxious
thus for the preservation not only of his own subjects, but even of his
enemies. Accordingly he directed his victorious troops to spare the lives of
their prisoners, admonishing them, as human beings, not to forget the claims
of their common nature. And whenever he saw the passions of his soldiery
excited beyond control, he repressed their fury by a largess of money,
rewarding every man who saved the life of an enemy with a certain weight of
gold. And the emperor's own sagacity led him to discover this inducement to
spare human life, so that great numbers even of the barbarians were thus
saved, and owed their lives to the emperor's gold.
CHAPTER XIV.
A Farther Mention of his Prayers in the
Tabernacle.
Now these, and a thousand such acts as these, were familiarly and
habitually done by the emperor. And on the present occasion he retired, as his
custom was before battle, to the privacy of his tabernacle, and there employed
his time in prayer to God. Meanwhile he strictly ab
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stained from anything like ease, or luxurious living, and disciplined himself
by fasting and bodily mortification, imploring the favor of God by
supplication and prayer, that he might obtain his concurrence and aid, and be
ready to execute whatever he might be pleased to suggest to his thoughts. In
short, he exercised a vigilant care over all alike, and interceded with God as
much for the safety of his enemies as for that of his own subjects.
CHAPTER XV.
Treacherous Friendship, and Idolatrous Practices of Licinius.
And inasmuch as he who had lately fled before him now dissembled his real
sentiments, and again petitioned for a renewal of friendship and alliance, the
emperor thought fit, on certain conditions, to grant his request, (1) in the
hope that such a measure might be expedient, and generally advantageous to the
community. Licinius, however, while he pretended a ready submission to the
terms prescribed, and attested his sincerity by oaths, at this very time was
secretly engaged in collecting a military force, and again meditated war and
strife, inviting even the barbarians to join his standard, (2) and he began
also to look about him for other gods, having been deceived by those in whom
he had hitherto trusted. And, without bestowing a thought on what he had
himself publicly spoken on the subject of false deities, or choosing to
acknowledge that God who had fought on the side of Constantine, he made
himself ridiculous by seeking for a multitude of new gods.
CHAPTER XVI.
How Licinius counseled his Soldiers not to attack
the Standard of the Cross.
Having now learned by experience the Divine and mysterious power which
resided in the salutary trophy, by means of which Constantine's army had
become habituated to victory, he admonished his soldiers never to direct their
attack against this standard, nor even incautiously to allow their eyes to
rest upon it; assuring them that it possessed a terrible power, and was
especially hostile to him; so that they would do well carefully to avoid any
collision with it. And now, having given these directions, he prepared for a
decisive conflict with him whose humanity prompted him still to hesitate, and
to postpone the fate which he foresaw awaited his adversary. The enemy,
however, confident in the aid of a multitude of gods, advanced to the attack
with a powerful array of military force, preceded by certain images of the
dead, and lifeless statues, as their defense. On the other side, the emperor,
secure in the armor of godliness, opposed to the numbers of the enemy the
salutary and life-giving sign, as at once a terror to the foe, and a
protection from every harm. And for a while he paused, and preserved at first
the attitude of forbearance, from respect to the treaty of peace to which he
had given his sanction, that he might not be the first to commence the
contest.
CHAPTER XVII.
Constantine's Victory.
But as soon as he perceived that his adversaries persisted in their
resolution, and were already drawing their swords, he gave free scope to his
indignation, and by a single charge (1) overthrew in a moment the entire body
of the enemy, thus triumphing at once over them and their gods.
CHAFFER XVIII.
Death of Licinius, and Celebration of the Event.
He then proceeded to deal with this adversary of God and his followers
according to the laws of war, and consign them to fitting punishment.
Accordingly the tyrant himself, and they whose counsels had supported him in
his impiety, were together subjected to the just punishment of death. After
this, those who had so lately been deceived by their vain confidence in false
deities, acknowledged with unfeigned sincerity the God of Constantine, and
openly professed their belief in him as the true and only God.
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CHAPTER XIX. Rejoicings and Festivities.
And now, the impious being thus removed, the sun once more shone brightly
after the gloomy cloud of tyrannic power. Each separate portion of the Roman
dominion became blended with the rest; the Eastern nations united with those
of the West, and the whole body of the Roman empire was graced as it were by
its head in the person of a single and supreme ruler, whose sole authority
pervaded the whole. Now too the bright rays of the light of godliness
gladdened the days of those who had heretofore been sitting in darkness and
the shadow of death. Past sorrows were no more remembered, for all united in
celebrating the praises of the victorious prince, and avowed their
recognition of his preserver as the only true God. Thus he whose character
shone with all the virtues of piety, the emperor Victor, for he had himself
adopted this name as a most fitting appellation to express the victory which
God had granted him over all who hated or opposed him, (1) assumed the
dominion of the East, and thus singly governed the Roman empire, re-united, as
in former times, under one head. Thus, as he was the first to proclaim to all
the sole sovereignty of God, so he himself, as sole sovereign of the Roman
world, extended his authority over the whole human race. Every apprehension of
those evils under the pressure of which all had suffered was now removed; men
whose heads had drooped in sorrow now regarded each other with smiling
countenances, and looks expressive of their inward joy. With processions and
hymns of praise they first of all, as they were told, ascribed the supreme
sovereignty to God, as in truth the King of kings; and then with continued
acclamations rendered honor to the victorious emperor, and the Caesars, his
most discreet and pious sons. The former afflictions were forgotten, and all
past impieties forgiven: while with the enjoyment of present happiness was
mingled the expectation of continued blessings in the future.
CHAPTER XX.
Constantine's Enactments in Favor of the Confessors.
MOREOVER, the emperor's edicts, permeated with his humane spirit, were
published among us also, as they had been among the inhabitants of the other
division of the empire; and his laws, which breathed a spirit of piety toward
God, gave promise of manifold blessings, since they secured many advantages to
his provincial subjects in every nation, and at the same time prescribed
measures suited to the exigencies of the churches of God. For first of all
they recalled those who, in consequence of their refusal to join in idol
worship, had been driven to exile, or ejected from their homes by the
governors of their respective provinces. In the next place, they relieved from
their burdens those who for the same reason had been adjudged to serve in the
civil courts, and ordained restitution to be made to any who had been deprived
of property. They too, who in the time of trial had signalized themselves by
fortitude of soul in the cause of God, and had therefore been condemned to the
painful labor of the mines, or consigned to the solitude of islands, or
compelled to toil in the public works, all received an immediate release from
these burdens; while others, whose religious constancy had cost them the
forfeiture of their military rank, were vindicated by the emperor's generosity
from this dishonor: for he granted them the alternative either of resuming
their rank, and enjoying their former privileges, or, in the event of their
preferring a more settled life, of perpetual exemption from all service.
Lastly, all who had been compelled by way of disgrace and insult to serve in
the employments of women, (1) he likewise freed with the rest.
CHAPTER XXI.
His Laws concerning Martyrs, and concerning
Ecclesiastical Property.
Such were the benefits secured by the emperor's written mandates to the
persons of those
who had thus suffered for the faith, d his laws made ample provision for their
property also.
With regard to those holy martyrs of God who had laid down their lives in
the confession of His name, he directed that their estates should be enjoyed
by their nearest kindred; and, in default of any of these, that the right of
inheritance should be vested in the churches. Farther, whatever property had
been consigned to other parties from the treasury, whether in the way of sale
or gift, together with that retained in the treasury itself, the generous
mandate of the emperor directed should be restored to the original owners.
Such benefits did his bounty, thus widely diffused, confer on the Church of
God.
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CHAPTER XXII.
How he won the Favor of the People.
But his munificence bestowed still further and more numerous favors on the
heathen peoples and the other nations of his empire. So that the inhabitants
of our [Eastern] regions, who had heard of the privileges experienced in the
opposite portion of the empire, and had blessed the fortunate recipients of
them, and longed for the enjoyment of a similar lot for themselves, now with
one consent proclaimed their own happiness, when they saw themselves in
possession of all these blessings; and confessed that the appearance of such a
monarch to the human race was indeed a marvelous event, and such as the
world's history had never yet recorded. Such were their sentiments.
CHAPTER XXIII.
That he declared God to be the Author of his Prosperity: and concerning his
Rescripts.
AND now that, through the powerful aid of God his Saviour, all nations
owned their subjection to the emperor's authority, he openly proclaimed to all
the name of Him to whose bounty he owed all his blessings, and declared that
He, and not himself, was the author of his past victories. This declaration,
written both in the Latin and Greek languages, he caused to be transmitted
through every province of the empire. Now the excellence of his style of
expression (1) may be known from a perusal of his letters themselves which
were two in number; one addressed to the churches of God; the other to the
heathen population in the several cities of the empire. The latter of these I
think it well to insert here as connected with my present subject, in order on
the one hand that a copy of this document may be recorded as matter of
history, and thus preserved to posterity, and on the other that it may serve
to confirm the truth of my present narrative. It is taken from an authentic
copy of the imperial statute in my own possession and the signature in the
emperor's own handwriting attaches as it were the impress of truth to the
statement I have made.
CHAPTER XXIV.
Law of Constantine respecting Piety towards God, and the Christian Religion.
(1)
"VICTOR CONSTANTINUS, MAXIMUS AUGUSTUS to the inhabitants of the province of
Palestine.
"To all who entertain just and sound sentiments respecting the character
of the Supreme Being, it has long been most clearly evident, and beyond the
possibility of doubt, how vast a difference there has ever been between those
who maintain a careful observance of the hallowed duties of the Christian
religion, and those who treat this religion with hostility or contempt. But at
this present time, we may see by stilt more manifest proofs, and still more
decisive instances, both how unreasonable it were to question this truth, and
how mighty is the power of the Supreme God: since it appears that they who
faithfully observe His holy laws, and shrink from the transgression of His
commandments, are rewarded with abundant blessings, and are endued with
well-grounded hope as well as ample power for the accomplishment of their
undertakings. On the other hand, they who have cherished impious sentiments
have experienced results corresponding to their evil choice. For how is it to
be expected that any blessing would be obtained by one who neither desired to
acknowledge nor duly to worship that God who is the source of all blessing?
Indeed, facts themselves are a confirmation of what I say.
CHAPTER XXV.
An Illustration from Ancient Times.
"FOR certainly any one who will mentally retrace the course of events from
the earliest period down to the present time, and will reflect on what has
occurred in past ages, will find that all who have made justice and probity
the basis of their conduct, have not only carried their undertakings to a
successful issue, but have gathered, as it were, a store of sweet fruit as the
produce of this pleasant root. Again, whoever observes the career of those who
have been bold in the practice of oppression or injustice; who have either
directed their senseless fury against God himself, or have conceived no kindly
feelings towards their fellow-men, but have dared to afflict them with exile,
disgrace, confiscation, massacre, or other miseries of the like kind, and all
this without any sense of compunction, or wish to direct thoughts to a better
course, will find that such men have received a recompense proportioned to
their crimes. And these are results which might naturally and reasonably be
expected to ensue?
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CHAPTER XXVI.
Of Persecuted and Persecutors.
"For whoever have addressed themselves with integrity of purpose to any
course of action, keeping the fear of God continually before their thoughts,
and preserving an unwavering faith in him, without allowing present fears or
dangers to outweigh their hope of future blessings--such persons, though for a
season they may have experienced painful trials, have borne their afflictions
lightly, being supported by the belief of greater rewards in store for them;
and their character has acquired a brighter luster in proportion to the
severity of their past suffer-rags. With regard, on the other hand, to those
who have either dishonorably slighted the principles of justice, or refused to
acknowledge the Supreme God themselves, and yet have dared to subject others
who have faithfully maintained his worship to the most cruel insults and
punishments; who have failed equally to recognize their own wretchedness in
oppressing others on such grounds, and the happiness and blessing of those who
preserved their devotion to God even in the midst of such sufferings: with
regard, I say, to such men, many a time have their armies been slaughtered,
many a time have they been put to flight; and their warlike preparations have
ended in total ruin and defeat.
CHAPTER XXVII.
How the Persecution became the Occasion of
Calamities to the Aggressors.
"From the causes I have described, grievous wars arose, and destructive
devastations. Hence followed a scarcity of the common necessaries of life, and
a crowd of consequent miseries: hence, too, the authors of these impieties
have either met a disastrous death of extreme suffering, or have dragged out
an ignominious existence, and confessed it to be worse than death itself, thus
receiving as it were a measure of punishment proportioned to the heinousness
of their crimes. (1) For each experienced a degree of calamity according to
the blind fury with which he had been led to combat, and as he thought, defeat
the Divine will: so that they not only felt the pressure of the ills of this
present life, but were tormented also by a most lively apprehension of
punishment in the future world. (2)
CHAPTER XXVIII.
That God chose Constantine to be the Minister
of Blessing.
"AND now, with such a mass of impiety oppressing the human race, and the
commonwealth in danger of being utterly destroyed, as if by the agency of some
pestilential disease, and therefore needing powerful and effectual aid; what
was the relief, and what the remedy which the Divinity devised for these
evils? (And by Divinity is meant the one who is alone and truly God, the
possessor of almighty and eternal power: and surely it cannot be deemed
arrogance in one who has received benefits from God, to acknowledge them in
the loftiest terms of praise.) I myself, then, was the instrument whose
services He chose, and esteemed suited for the accomplishment of his will.
Accordingly, beginning at the remote Britannic ocean, and the regions where,
according to the law of nature, the sun sinks beneath the horizon, through the
aid of divine power I banished and utterly removed every form of evil which
prevailed, in the hope that the human race, enlightened through my
instrumentality, might be recalled to a due observance of the holy laws of
God, and at the same time our most blessed faith might prosper under the
guidance of his almighty hand.
CHAPTER XXIX.
Constantine's Expressions of Piety towards God; and Praise of the Confessors.
"I said, (1) under the guidance of his hand; for I would desire never to
be forgetful of the gratitude due to his grace. Believing, therefore, that
this most excellent service had been confided to me as a special gift, I
proceeded as far as the regions of the East, which, being under the pressure
of severer calamities, seemed to demand still more effectual remedies at my
hands. At the same time I am most certainly persuaded that I myself owe my
life, my every breath, in short, my very inmost and secret thoughts, entirely
to the favor of the Supreme God. Now I am well aware that they who are
sincere in the pursuit of the heavenly hope, and have fixed this hope in
heaven itself as the peculiar and predominant principle of their lives, have
no need to depend on human favor, but rather have enjoyed higher honors in
proportion as they have separated themselves from the inferior and evil things
of this earthly existence. Nevertheless I deem it
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incumbent on me to remove at once and most completely from all such persons
the hard necessities laid upon them for a season, and the unjust inflictions
under which they have suffered, though free from any guilt or just liability.
For it would be strange indeed, that the fortitude and constancy of soul
displayed by such men should be fully apparent during the reign of those whose
first object it was to persecute them on account of their devotion to God, and
yet that the glory of their character should not be more bright and blessed,
under the administration of a prince who is His servant.
CHAPTER XXX.
A Law granting Release from Exile, from Service in the Courts, and from the
Confiscation of Property.
"LET all therefore who have exchanged their country for a foreign land,
because they would not abandon that reverence and faith toward God to which
they had devoted themselves with their whole hearts, and have in consequence
at different times been subject to the cruel sentence of the courts; together
with any who have been enrolled in the registers of the public courts though
in time past exempt from such office let these, I say, now render thanks to
God the Liberator of all, in that they are restored to their hereditary
property, and their wonted tranquility. Let those also who have been despoiled
of their goods, and have hitherto passed a wretched existence, mourning under
the loss of all that they possessed, once more be restored to their former
homes, their families, and estates, and receive with joy the bountiful
kindness of God.
CHAPTER XXXI.
Release likewise granted to Exiles in the Islands.
"FURTHERMORE, it is our command that all those who have been detained in
the islands against their will should receive the benefit of this present
provision; in order that they who rill now have been surrounded by rugged
mountains and the encircling barrier of the ocean, being now set free from
that gloomy and desolate solitude, may fulfill their fondest wish by
revisiting their dearest friends. Those, too, who have prolonged a miserable
life in the midst of abject and wretched squalor, welcoming their restoration
as an unlooked-for gain, and discarding henceforth all anxious thoughts, may
pass their lives with us in freedom from all fear. For that any one could live
in a state of fear under our government, when we boast and believe ourselves
to be the servants of God, would surely be a thing most extraordinary even to
hear of, and quite incredible; and our mission is to rectify the errors of the
others.
CHAPTER XXXII.
And to those ignominiously employed in the
Mines and_Public Works.
"AGAIN, with regard to those who have been condemned either to the
grievous labor of the mines, or to service in the public works, let them enjoy
the sweets of leisure in place of these long-continued toils, and henceforth
lead a far easier life, and more accordant with the wishes of their hearts,
exchanging the incessant hardships of their tasks for quiet relaxation. And if
any have forfeited the common privilege of liberty, or have unhappily suffered
dishonor, (1) let them hasten back every one to the country of his nativity,
and resume with becoming joy their former positions in society, from which
they have been as it were separated by long residence abroad.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Concerning those Confessors engaged in Military
Service.
"ONCE more, with respect to those who had previously been preferred to any
military distinction, of which they were afterwards deprived, for the cruel
and unjust reason that they chose rather to acknowledge their allegiance to
God than to retain the rank they held; we leave them perfect liberty of
choice, either to occupy their former stations, should they be content again
to engage in military service, or after an honorable discharge, to live in
undisturbed tranquillity. For it is fair and consistent that men who have
displayed such magnanimity and fortitude in meeting the perils to which they
have been exposed, should be allowed the choice either of enjoying peaceful
leisure, or resuming their former rank.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
The Liberation of Free _Persons condemned to labor in the Women's Apartments,
or to Servitude.
"LASTLY, if any have wrongfully been deprived of the privileges of noble
lineage, and subjected to a judicial sentence which has consigned them
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to the women's apartments (1) and to the linen making, there to undergo a
cruel and miserable labor, or reduced them to servitude for the benefit of the
public treasury, without any exemption on the ground of superior birth; let
such persons, resuming the honors they had previously enjoyed, and their
proper dignities, henceforward exult in the blessings of liberty, and lead a
glad life. Let the free man, (2) too, by some injustice and inhumanity, or
even madness, made a slave, who has felt the sudden transition from liberty to
bondage, and ofttimes bewailed his unwonted labors, return to his family once
more a free man in virtue of this our ordinance, and seek those employments
which befit a state of freedom; and let him dismiss from his remembrance those
services which he found so oppressive, and which so ill became his condition.
CHAPTER XXXV.
Of the Inheritance of the Property of Martyrs and Confessors, also of those
who had suffered Banishment or Confiscation of Property.
" Nor must we omit to notice those estates of which individuals have been
deprived on various pretenses. For if any of those who have engaged with
dauntless and resolute determination in the noble and divine conflict of
martyrdom have also been stripped of their fortunes; or if the same has been
the lot of the confessors, who have won for themselves the hope of eternal
treasures; or if the loss of property has befallen those who were driven from
their native land because they would not yield to the persecutors, and betray
their faith; lastly, if any who have escaped the sentence of death have yet
been despoiled of their worldly goods; we ordain that the inheritances of all
such persons be transferred to their nearest kindred. And whereas the laws
expressly assign this right to those most nearly related, it will be easy to
ascertain to whom these inheritances severally belong. And it is evidently
reasonable that the succession in these cases should belong to those who would
have stood in the place of nearest affinity, had the deceased experienced a
natural death.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
The Church is declared Heir of those who leave no Kindred; and the Free Gifts
of such Persons Confirmed.
"But should there be no surviving relation to succeed in due course to the
property of those above-mentioned, I mean the martyrs, or confessors, or those
who for some such cause have been banished from their native land; in such
cases we ordain that the church locally nearest in each instance shall succeed
to the inheritance. And surely it will be no wrong to the departed that that
church should be their heir, for whose sake they have endured every extremity
of suffering. We think it necessary to add this also, that in case any of the
above-mentioned persons have donated any part of their property in the way of
free gift, possession of such property shall be assured, as is reasonable, to
those who have thus received it.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
Lands, Gardens, or Houses, but not Actual Produce from them, are to be given
back.
"AND that there may be no obscurity in this our ordinance, but every one
may readily apprehend its requirements, let all men hereby know that if they
are now maintaining themselves in possession of a piece of land, or a house,
or garden, or anything else which had appertained to the before-mentioned
persons, it will be good and advantageous for them to acknowledge the fact,
and make restitution with the least possible delay. On the other hand,
although it should appear that some individuals have reaped abundant profits
from this unjust possession, we do not consider that justice demands the
restitution of such profits. They must, however, declare explicitly what
amount of benefit they have thus derived, and from what sources, and entreat
our pardon for this offense; in order that their past covetousness may in some
measure be atoned for, and that the Supreme God may accept this compensation
as a token of contrition, and be pleased graciously to pardon the sin.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
In what Manner Requests should be made for
these.
"BUT it is possible that those who have become masters of such property
(if it be right or possible to allow them such a title) will assure us by way
of apology for their conduct, that it was not in their power to abstain from
this appropriation at a time when a spectacle of misery in all its forms
everywhere met the view; when men were cruelly driven from their homes,
slaughtered without mercy, thrust forth without remorse: when the confiscation
of the property of innocent persons was a common thing, and
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when persecutions and property seizures were unceasing. If any defend their
conduct by such reasons as these, and still persist in their avaricious
temper, they shall be made sensible that such a course will bring punishment
on themselves, and all the more because this correction of evil is the very
characteristic of our service to the Supreme God. So that it will henceforth
be dangerous to retain what dire necessity may in time past have compelled men
to take; especially because it is in any case incumbent on us to discourage
covetous desires, both by persuasion, and by warning exam-pies.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
The Treasury must restore Lands, Gardens, and Houses to the Churches.
"Nor shall the treasury itself, should it have any of the things we have
spoken of, be permitted to keep them; but, without venturing as it were to
raise its voice against the holy churches, it shall justly relinquish in their
favor what it has for a time unjustly retained. We ordain, therefore, that all
things whatsoever which shall appear righteously to belong to the churches,
whether the property consist of houses or fields and gardens, or whatever the
nature of it may be, shall be restored in their full value and integrity, and
with undiminished right of possession.
CHAPTER XL.
The Tombs of Martyrs and the Cemeteries to be transferred to the Possession of
the Churches.
"Again, with respect to those places which are honored in being the
depositories of the remains of martyrs, and continue to be memorials of their
glorious departure; how can we doubt that they rightly belong to the churches,
or refrain from issuing our injunction to that effect? For surely there can be
no better liberality, no labor more pleasing or profitable, than to be thus
employed under the guidance of the Divine Spirit, in order that those things
which have been appropriated on false pretenses by unjust and wicked men, may
be restored, as justice demands, and once more secured to the holy churches.
CHAPTER XLI.
Those who have purchased Property belonging to the Church, or received it as a
Gift, are to restore it.
"AND since it would be wrong in a provision intended to include all cases,
to pass over those who have either procured any such property by right of
purchase from the treasury, or have retained it when conveyed to them in the
form of a gift; let all who have thus rashly indulged their insatiable thirst
of gain be assured that, although by daring to make such purchases they have
done all in their power to alienate our clemency from themselves, they shall
nevertheless not fail of obtaining it, so far as is possible and consistent
with propriety in each case. So much then is determined.
CHAPTER XLII.
An Earnest Exhortation to worship God.
"AND now, since it appears by the clearest and most convincing evidence,
that the miseries which erewhile oppressed the entire human race are now
banished from every part of the world, through the power of Almighty God, and
at the same time the counsel and aid which he is pleased on many occasions to
administer through our agency; it remains for all, both individually and
unitedly, to observe and seriously consider how great this power and how
efficacious this grace are, which have annihilated and utterly destroyed this
generation, as I may call them, of most wicked and evil men; have restored joy
to the good, and diffused it over all countries; and now guarantee the fullest
authority both to honor the Divine law as it should be honored, with all
reverence, and pay due observance to those who have dedicated themselves to
the service of that law. These rising as from some dark abyss and, with an
enlightened knowledge of the present course of events, will henceforward
render to its precepts that becoming reverence and honor which are consistent
with their pious character.
Let this ordinance be published in our Eastern provinces." (1)
CHAPTER XLIII.
How the Enactments of Constantine were carried into Effect.
Such were the injunctions contained in the first letter which the emperor
addressed to us. And the provisions of this enactment were speedily carried
into effect, everything being conducted in a manner quite different from the
atrocities which had but lately been daringly perpetrated during the cruel
ascendancy of the tyrants. Those persons also who were legally entitled to it,
received the benefit of the emperor's liberality.
CHAPTER XLIV.
That he promoted Christians to Offices of Government, and forbade Gentiles in
Such Stations to offer Sacrifice.
After this the emperor continued to address himself to matters of high
importance, and first he sent governors to the several provinces, mostly such
as were devoted to the saving faith; and if any appeared inclined to adhere to
Gentile worship, he forbade them to offer sacrifice. This law applied also to
those who surpassed the provincial governors in rank and dignity, (1) and even
to those who occupied the highest station, and held the authority of the
Praetorian Praefecture. (2) If they were Christians, they were free to act
consistently with their profession; if otherwise, the law required them to
abstain from idolatrous sacrifices.
CHAPTER XLV.
Statutes which forbade Sacrifice, and enjoined
the Building of Churches.
Soon after this, two laws were promulgated about the same time; one of
which was intended to restrain the idolatrous abominations which in time past
had been practiced in every city and country; and it provided that no one
should erect images, or practice divination and other false and foolish arts,
or offer sacrifice in any way. (1) The other statute commanded the heightening
of the oratories, and the enlargement in length and breadth of the churches of
God; as though it were expected that, now the madness of polytheism was wholly
removed, pretty nearly all mankind would henceforth attach themselves to the
service of God. His own personal piety induced the emperor to devise and write
these instructions to the governors of the several provinces: and the law
farther admonished them not to spare the expenditure of money, but to draw
supplies from the imperial treasury itself. Similar instructions were written
also to the bishops of the several churches; and the emperor was pleased to
transmit the same to myself, being the first letter which he personally
addressed to me.
CHAPTER XLVI.
Constantine's Letter to Eusebius and Other Bishops, respecting the Building of
Churches, with Instructions to repair the Old, and erect New Ones on a Larger
Scale, with the Aid of the Provincial Governors.
"VICTOR CONSTANTINUS, MAXIMUS AUGUSTUS, to Eusebius.
"Forasmuch as the unholy and willful rule of tyranny has persecuted the
servants of our Saviour until this present time, I believe and have fully
satisfied myself, best beloved brother, that the buildings belonging to all
the churches have either become ruinous through actual neglect, or have
received inadequate attention from the dread of the violent spirit of the
times.
"But now, that liberty is restored, and that serpent (1) driven from the
administration of public affairs by the providence of the Supreme God, and our
instrumentality, we trust that all can see the efficacy of the Divine power,
and that they who through fear of persecution or through unbelief have fallen
into any errors, will now acknowledge the true God, and adopt in future that
course of life which is according to truth and rectitude. With respect,
therefore, to the churches over which you yourself preside, as well as the
bishops, presbyters, and deacons of other churches with whom you are
acquainted, do you admonish all to be zealous in their attention to the
buildings of the churches, and either to repair or enlarge those which at
present exist, or, in cases of necessity, to erect new ones.
"We also empower you, and the others through you, to demand what is
needful for the work, both from the provincial governors and from the
Praetorian Praefect. For they have received instructions to be most diligent
in obedience to your Holiness's orders. God preserve you, beloved brother." A
copy of this charge was transmitted throughout all the provinces to the
bishops of the several churches: the provincial governors received directions
accordingly, and the imperial statute was speedily carried into effect.
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CHAPTER XLVII.
That he wrote a Letter in Condemnation of
Idolatry.
MOREOVER, the emperor, who continually made progress in piety towards God,
dispatched an admonitory letter to the inhabitants of every province,
respecting the error of idolatry into which his predecessors in power bad
fallen, in which he eloquently exhorts his subjects to acknowledge the Supreme
God, and openly to profess their allegiance to his Christ as their Saviour.
This letter also, which is in his own handwriting, I have judged it necessary
to translate from the Latin for the present work, in order that we may hear,
as it were, the voice the emperor himself uttering these sentiments in the
audience of all mankind.
CHAPTER XLVIII.
Constantine's Edict to the People of the Provinces concerning the Error of
Polytheism, commencing with Some General Remarks on Virtue and Vice.
"VICTOR CONSTANTINUS, MAXIMUS AUGUSTUS, to the people of the Eastern
provinces.
"Whatever is comprehended under the sovereign (1) laws of nature, seems to
convey to all men an adequate idea of the forethought and intelligence of the
divine order. Nor can any, whose minds are directed in the true path of
knowledge to the attainment of that end, entertain a doubt that the just
perceptions of sound l reason, as well as those of the natural vision itself,
through the sole influence of genuine virtue, lead to the knowledge of God.
Accordingly no wise man will ever be surprised when he sees the mass of
mankind influenced by opposite sentiments. For the beauty of virtue would be
useless (2) and unperceived, did not vice display in contrast with it the
course of perversity and folly. Hence it is that the one is crowned with
reward, while the most high God is himself the administrator of judgment to
the other.
"And now I will endeavor to lay before you all as explicitly as possible,
the nature of my own hopes of future happiness. (3)
CHAPTER XLIX.
Concerning Constantine's Pious Father, and the Persecutors Diocletian and
Maximian.
"The former emperors I have been accustomed to regard as those with whom I
could have no sympathy, (1) on account of the savage cruelty of their
character. Indeed, my father was the only one who uniformly practiced the
duties of humanity, and with admirable piety called for the blessing of God
the Father on all his actions, but the rest, unsound in mind, were more
zealous of cruel than gentle measures; and this disposition they indulged
without restraint, and thus persecuted the true doctrine during the whole
period of their reign. Nay, so violent did their malicious fury become, that
in the midst of a profound peace, as regards both the religious and ordinary
interests of men, they kindled, as it were, the flames of a civil war. (2)
CHAPTER L.
That the Persecution originated an Account of the Oracle of Apollo, who, it
was said, could not give Oracles because of "the Righteous Men."
"About that time it is said that Apollo spoke from a deep and gloomy
cavern, and through the medium of no human voice, and declared that the
righteous men on earth were a bar to his speaking the truth, and accordingly
that the oracles from the tripod were fallacious. Hence it was that he
suffered his tresses to droop in token of grief, (1) and mourned the evils
which the loss of the oracular spirit would entail on mankind. But let us mark
the consequences of this.
CHAPTER LI.
That Constantine, when a Youth, heard from him who wrote the Persecution Edict
that "the Righteous Men" were the Christians.
"I call now on thee, most high God, to witness that, when young, I heard
him who at that time was chief among the Roman emperors, unhappy, truly
unhappy as he was, and laboring under mental delusion, make earnest enquiry of
his attendants as to who these righteous ones on earth were, and that one of
the Pagan priests then
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present replied that they were doubtless the Christians. This answer he
eagerly received, like some honeyed draught, and unsheathed the sword which
was ordained for the punishment of crime, against those whose holiness was
beyond reproach. Immediately, therefore, he issued those sanguinary edicts,
traced, if I may so express myself, with a sword's point dipped in blood; at
the same time commanding his judges to tax their ingenuity for the invention
of new and more terrible punishments.
CHAPTER LII.
The Manifold Forms of Torture and Punishment practiced against the Christians.
"Then, indeed, one might see with what arrogance those venerable
worshipers of God were daily exposed, with continued and relentless cruelty,
to outrages of the most grievous kind, and how that modesty of character (1)
which no enemy had ever treated with disrespect, became the mere sport of
their infuriated fellow-citizens. Is there any punishment by fire, are there
any tortures or forms of torment, which were not applied to all, without
distinction of age or sex? Then, it may be truly said, the earth shed tears,
the all-encircling compass of heaven mourned because of the pollution of
blood; and the very light of day itself was darkened in grief at the
spectacle.
CHAPTER LIII.
That the Barbarians kindly received the
Christians.
"But what is the consequence of this? Why, the barbarians themselves may
boast now of the contrast their conduct presents to these creel deeds; for
they received and kept in gentlest captivity those who then fled from amongst
us, and secured to them not merely safety from danger, but also the free
exercise of their holy religion. And now the Roman people bear that lasting
stain which the Christians, at that time driven from the Roman world, and
taking refuge with the barbarians, have branded on them.
CHAPTER LIV.
What Vengeance overtook those who on Account of the Oracle raised the
Persecution.
"But why need I longer dwell on these lamentable events, and the general
sorrow which in consequence pervaded the world? The perpetrators of this
dreadful guilt are now no more: they have experienced a miserable end, and are
consigned to unceasing punishment in the depths of the lower world. They
encountered each other in civil strife, and have left neither name nor race
behind. And surely this calamity would never have befallen them, had not that
impious deliverance of the Pythian oracle exercised a delusive power over
them. (1)
CHAPTER LV.
Constantine gives Glory to God, makes Grateful Acknowledgment of the Sign of
the Cross, and prays for the Churches and People.
"AND now I beseech thee, most mighty God, to be merciful and gracious to
thine Eastern nations, to thy people in these provinces, worn as they are by
protracted miseries; and grant them healing through thy servant. Not without
cause, O holy God, do I prefer this prayer to thee, the Lord of all. Under thy
guidance have I devised and accomplished measures fraught with blessings:
preceded by thy sacred sign I have led thy armies to victory: and still, on
each occasion of public danger, I follow the same symbol of thy perfections
while advancing to meet the foe. Therefore have I dedicated to thy service a
soul duly attempered by love and fear. For thy name I truly love, while I
regard with reverence that power of which thou hast given abundant proofs, to
the confirmation and increase of my faith. I hasten, then, to devote all my
powers to the restoration of thy most holy dwelling-place, which those profane
and impious men have defiled by the contamination of violence.
CHAPTER LVI.
He prays that All may be Christians, but
compels None.
"MY own desire is, for the common good of the world and the advantage of
all mankind, that thy people should enjoy a life of peace and undisturbed
concord. Let those, therefore, who still delight in error, be made welcome to
the same degree of peace and tranquillity which they have who believe. For it
may be that this restoration of equal privileges to all will prevail to lead
them into the straight path. Let no one molest another, but let every one do
as his soul desires. Only let men of sound judgment be assured of this, that
those only can live a life of holiness and purity, whom thou callest to a
reli
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ance on thy holy laws. With regard to those who will hold themselves aloof
from us, let them have, if they please, their temples (1) of lies: we have the
glorious edifice of thy truth, which thou hast given us as our native home.
(2) We pray, however, that they too may receive the same blessing, and thus
experience that heartfelt joy which unity of sentiment inspires.
CHAPTER LVII.
gives Glory to God, who has given Light by his Son to those who were in Error.
"And truly our worship is no new or recent thing, but one which thou hast
ordained for thine own due honor, from the time when, as we believe, this
system of the universe was first established. And, although mankind have
deeply fallen, and have been seduced by manifold errors, yet hast thou
revealed a pure light in the person of thy Son, that the power of evil should
not utterly prevail, and hast thus given testimony to all men concerning
thyself.
CHAPTER LVIII.
He glorifies him again for his Government of
the Universe.
"THE truth of this is assured to us by thy works. It is thy power which
removes our guilt, and makes us faithful. The sun and the moon have their
settled course. The stars move in no uncertain orbits round this terrestrial
globe. The revolution of the seasons recurs according to unerring laws. The
solid fabric of the earth was established by thy word: the winds receive their
impulse at appointed times; and the course of the waters continues with
ceaseless flow, (1) the ocean is circumscribed by an immovable barrier, and
whatever is comprehended within the compass of earth and sea, is all contrived
for wondrous and important ends.
"Were it not so, were not all regulated by the determination of thy will,
so great a diversity, so manifold a division of power, would unquestionably
have brought ruin on the whole race and its affairs. For those agencies which
have maintained a mutual strife (2) would thus have carried to a more deadly
length that hostility against the human race which they even now exercise,
though unseen by mortal eyes.
CHAPTER LIX.
He gives Glory to God, as the Constant Teacher
of Good.
"ABUNDANT thanks, most mighty God, and Lord of all, be rendered to thee,
that, by so much as our nature becomes known from the diversified pursuits of
man, by so much the more are the precepts of thy divine doctrine confirmed to
those whose thoughts are directed aright, and who are sincerely devoted to
true virtue. As for those who will not allow themselves to be cured of their
error, let them not attribute this to any but themselves. For that remedy
which is of sovereign and healing virtue is openly placed within the reach of
all. Only let not any one inflict an injury on that religion which experience
itself testifies to be pure and undefiled. Henceforward, therefore, let us all
enjoy in common the privilege placed within our reach, I mean the blessing of
peace, endeavoring to keep our conscience pure from all that is contrary.
CHAPTER LX.
An Admonition at the Close of the Edict, that No One should trouble his
Neighbor.
"ONCE more, let none use that to the detriment of another which he may
himself have received on conviction of its truth; but let every, one, if it be
possible, apply what he has understood and known to the benefit of his
neighbor; if otherwise, let him relinquish the attempt. For it is one thing
voluntarily to undertake the conflict for immortality, another to compel
others to do so from the fear of punishment.
"These are our words; and we have enlarged on these topics more than our
ordinary clemency would have dictated, because we were unwilling to dissemble
or be false to the true faith; and the more so, since we understand there are
some who say that the rites of the heathen temples, and the power of darkness,
have been entirely removed. We should indeed have earnestly
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recommended such removal to all men, were it not that the rebellious spirit of
those wicked errors still continues obstinately fixed in the minds of some, so
as to discourage the hope of any general restoration of mankind to the ways of
truth." (1)
CHAPTER LXI.
How Controversies originated at Alexandria through Matters relating to Arius.
(1)
In this manner the emperor, like a powerful herald of God, addressed
himself by his own letter to all the provinces, at the same time warning his
subjects against superstitious 2 error, and encouraging them in the pursuit of
true godliness. But in the midst of his joyful anticipations of the success of
this measure, he received tidings of a most serious disturbance which had
invaded the peace of the Church. This intelligence he heard with deep concern,
and at once endeavored to devise a remedy for the evil. The origin of this
disturbance may be thus described. The people of God were in a truly
flourishing state, and abounding in the practice of good works. No terror from
without assailed them, but a bright and most profound peace, through the favor
of God, encompassed his Church on every side. Meantime, however, the spirit of
envy was watching to destroy our blessings, which at first crept in
unperceived, but soon revelled in the midst of the assemblies of the saints.
At length it reached the bishops themselves, and arrayed them in angry
hostility against each other, on pretense of a jealous regard for the
doctrines of Divine truth. Hence it was that a mighty fire was kindled as it
were from a little spark, and which, originating in the first instance in the
Alexandrian church, (3) overspread the whole of Egypt and Libya, and the
further Thebaid. Eventually it extended its ravages to the other provinces and
cities of the empire; so that not only the prelates of the churches might be
seen encountering each other in the strife of words, but the people themselves
were completely divided, some adhering to one faction and others to another.
Nay, so notorious did the scandal of these proceedings become, that the sacred
matters of inspired teaching were exposed to the most shameful ridicule in the
very theaters of the unbelievers.
CHAPTER LXII.
Concerning the Same Arius, and the Melitians. (1)
Some thus at Alexandria maintained an obstinate conflict on the highest
questions. Others throughout Egypt and the Upper Thebaid, were at variance on
account of an earlier controversy: so that the churches were everywhere
distracted by divisions. The body therefore being thus diseased, the whole of
Libya caught the contagion; and the rest of the remoter provinces became
affected with the same disorder. For the disputants at Alexandria sent
emissaries to the bishops of the several provinces, who accordingly ranged
themselves as partisans on either side, and shared in the same spirit of
discord.
CHAFFER LXIII.
How Constantine sent a Messenger and a Letter
concerning Peace.
As soon as the emperor was informed of these facts, which he heard with
much sorrow of heart, considering them in the light of a calamity personally
affecting himself, he forthwith selected from the Christians in his train one
whom he well knew to be approved for the sobriety and genuineness of his
faith, (1) and who had before this time distinguished himself by the boldness.
of his religious profession, and sent him to negotiate peace (2) between the
dissentient parties at Alexandria. He also made him the bearer of a most
needful and appropriate letter to the original movers of the strife: and this
letter, as exhibiting a specimen of his watchful care over God's people, it
may be well to introduce into this our narrative of his life. Its purport was
as follows.
CHAPTER LXIV.
Constantine's Letter to Alexander the Bishop,
and Arius the Presbyter.
" VICTOR CONSTANTINUS, MAXIMUS AUGUSTUS, to Alexander and
Arius.
"I call that God to witness, as well I may, who is the helper of my
endeavors, and the Preserver of all men, that I had a twofold reason for
undertaking that duty which I have
now performed.
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CHAPTER LXV.
His Continual Anxiety for Peace.
"MY design then was, first, to bring the diverse judgments formed by all
nations respecting the Deity to a condition, as it were, of settled
uniformity; and, secondly, to restore to health the system of the world, then
suffering under the malignant power of a grievous distemper. Keeping these
objects in view, I sought to accomplish the one by the secret eye of thought,
while the other I tried to rectify by the power of military authority. For I
was aware that, if I should succeed in establishing, according to my hopes, a
common harmony of sentiment among all the servants of God, the general course
of affairs would also experience a change correspondent to the pious desires
of them all.
CHAPTER LXVI.
That he also adjusted the Controversies which
had arisen in Africa.
"Finding, then, that the whole of Africa was pervaded by an intolerable
spirit of mad folly, through the influence of those who with heedless
frivolity had presumed to rend the religion of the people into diverse sects;
I was anxious to check this disorder, and could discover no other remedy equal
to the occasion, except in sending some of yourselves to aid in restoring
mutual harmony among the disputants, after I had removed that common enemy (1)
of mankind who had interposed his lawless sentence for the prohibition of your
holy synods.
CHAFFER LXVII.
That Religion began in the East.
"For since the power of Divine light, and the law of sacred worship,
which, proceeding in the first instance, through the favor of God, from the
bosom, as it were, of the East, have illumined the world, by their sacred
radiance, I naturally believed that you would be the first to promote the
salvation of other nations, and resolved with all energy of thought and
diligence of enquiry to seek your aid. As soon, therefore, as I had secured my
decisive victory and unquestionable triumph over my enemies, my first enquiry
was concerning that object which I felt to be of paramount interest and
importance.
CHAPTER LXVIII.
Being grieved by the Dissension, he counsels
Peace.
"BUT, O glorious Providence of God! how deep a wound did not my ears only,
but my very heart receive in the report that divisions existed among
yourselves more grievous still than those which continued in that country! (1)
so that you, through whose aid I had hoped to procure a remedy for the errors
of others, are in a state which needs healing even more than theirs. And yet,
having made a careful enquiry into the origin and foundation of these
differences, I find the cause to be of a truly insignificant character, and
quite unworthy of such fierce contention. Feeling myself, therefore, compelled
to address you in this letter, and to appeal at the same time to your
unanimity (2) and sagacity, I call on Divine Providence to assist me in the
task, while I interrupt your dissension in the character of a minister of
peace. And with reason: for if I might expect, with the help of a higher
Power, to be able without difficulty, by a judicious appeal to the pious
feelings of those who heard me, to recall them to a better spirit, even though
the occasion of the disagreement were a greater one, how can I refrain from
promising myself a far easier and more speedy adjustment of this difference,
when the cause which hinders general harmony of sentiment is intrinsically
trifling and of little moment?
CHAPTER LXIX.
Origin of the Controversy between Alexander and Arius, and that these
Questions ought not to have been discussed.
"I UNDERSTAND, then, that the origin of the present controversy is this.
When you, Alexander, demanded of the presbyters what opinion they severally
maintained respecting a certain passage in the Divine law, (1) or rather, I
should say, that you asked them something connected with an unprofitable
question, then you, Arius, inconsiderately insisted on (2) what ought never to
have been conceived at all, or if conceived, should have been buried in
profound silence. Hence it was that a dissension arose between you, fellowship
was withdrawn, (3) and
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the holy people, rent into diverse parties, no longer preserved the unity of
the one body. Now, therefore, do ye both exhibit an equal degree of
forbearance, (4) and receive the advice which your fellow-servant righteously
gives. What then is this advice? It was wrong in the first instance to propose
such questions as these, or to reply to them when propounded. For those points
of discussion which are enjoined by the authority of no law, but rather
suggested by the contentious spirit which is fostered by misused leisure, even
though they may be intended merely as an intellectual exercise, ought
certainly to be confined to the region of our own thoughts, and not hastily
produced in the popular assemblies, nor unadvisedly intrusted to the general
ear. For how very few are there able either accurately to comprehend, or
adequately to explain subjects so sublime and abstruse in their nature? Or,
granting that one were fully competent for this, how many people will he
convince? Or, who, again, in dealing with questions of such subtle nicety as
these, can secure himself against a dangerous declension from the truth? It is
incumbent therefore on us in these cases to be sparing of our words, lest, in
case we ourselves are unable, through the feebleness of our natural faculties,
to give a clear explanation of the subject before us, or, on the other hand,
in case the slowness of our hearers' understandings disables them from
arriving at an accurate apprehension of what we say, from one or other of
these causes the people be reduced to the alternative either of blasphemy or
schism.
CHAPTER LXX.
An Exhortation to Unanimity.
"LET therefore both the unguarded question and the inconsiderate answer
receive your mutual forgiveness. (1) For the cause of your difference has not
been any of the leading doctrines or precepts of the Divine law, nor has any
new heresy respecting the worship of God arisen among you. You are in truth of
one and the same judgment: (2) you may therefore well join in communion and
fellowship.
CHAPTER LXXI.
There should be no Contention in Matters which are in themselves of Little
Moment.
"For as long as you continue to contend about these small and very
insignificant questions, it is not fitting that so large a portion of God's
people should be under the direction of your judgment, since you are thus
divided between yourselves. I believe it indeed to be not merely unbecoming,
but positively evil, that such should be the case. But I will refresh your
minds by a little illustration, as follows. You know that philosophers, though
they all adhere to one system, are yet frequently at issue on certain points,
and differ, perhaps, in their degree of knowledge: yet they are recalled to
harmony of sentiment by the uniting power of their common doctrines. If this
be true, is it not far more reasonable that you, who are the ministers of the
Supreme God, should be of one mind respecting the profession of the same
religion? But let us still more thoughtfully and with closer attention examine
what I have said, and see whether it be right that, on the ground of some
trifling and foolish verbal difference between ourselves, brethren should
assume towards each other the attitude of enemies, and the august meeting of
the Synod be rent by profane disunion, because of you who wrangle together on
points so trivial and altogether unessential? This is vulgar, and rather
characteristic of childish ignorance, than consistent I with the wisdom of
priests and men of sense. Let us withdraw ourselves with a good will from
these temptations of the devil. Our great God and common Saviour of all has
granted the same light to us all. Permit me, who am his servant, to bring my
task to a successful issue, under the direction of his Providence, that I may
be enabled, through my exhortations, and diligence, and earnest admonition, to
recall his people to communion and fellowship. For since you have, as I said,
but one faith, and one sentiment respecting our religion, and since the Divine
commandment in all its parts enjoins on us all the duty of maintaining a
spirit of concord, let not the circumstance which has led to a slight
difference between you, since it does not affect the validity of the whole,
cause any division or schism among you. And this I say without in any way
desiring to force you to entire unity of judgment in regard to this truly
idle question, whatever its real nature may be. For the dignity of your synod
may be preserved, and the communion of your whole body maintained unbroken,
however wide a difference may exist among you as to unimportant matters. For
we are not all of us like-minded on every subject,
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nor is there such a thing as one disposition and judgment common to all alike.
As far, then, as regards the Divine Providence, let there be one faith, and
one understanding among you, one united judgment in reference to God. But as
to your subtle disputations on questions of little or no significance, though
you may be unable to harmonize in sentiment, such differences should be
consigned to the secret custody of your own minds and thoughts. And now, let
the preciousness of common affection, let faith in the truth, let the honor
due to God and to the observance of his law continue immovably among you.
Resume, then, your mutual feelings of friendship, love, and regard: restore to
the people their wonted embracings; and do ye yourselves, having purified your
souls, as it were, once more acknowledge one another. For it often happens
that when a reconciliation is effected by the removal of the causes of enmity,
friendship becomes even sweeter than it was before.
CHAPTER LXXII.
The Excess of his Pious Concern caused him to shed Tears; and his Intended
Journey to the East was postponed because of These Things.
"RESTORE me then my quiet days, and untroubled nights, that the joy of
undimmed light, the delight of a tranquil life, may henceforth be my portion.
Else must I needs mourn, with constant tears, nor shall I be able to pass the
residue of my days in peace. For while the people of God, whose fellow-servant
I am, are thus divided amongst themselves by an unreasonable and pernicious
spirit of contention, how is it possible that I shall be able to maintain
tranquillity of mind? And I will give you a proof how great my sorrow has been
on this behalf. Not long since I had visited Nicomedia, and intended forthwith
to proceed from that city to the East. It was while I was hastening towards
you, and had already accomplished the greater part of the distance, that the
news of this matter reversed my plan, that I might not be compelled to see
with my own eyes that which I felt myself scarcely able even to hear. Open
then for me henceforward by your unity of judgment that road to the regions of
the East which your dissensions have closed against me, and permit me speedily
to see yourselves and all other peoples rejoicing together, and render due
acknowledgment to God in the language of praise and thanksgiving for the
restoration of general concord and liberty to all."
CHAPTER LXXIII.
The Controversy continues without Abatement, even after the Receipt of This
Letter.
IN this manner the pious emperor endeavored by means of the foregoing letter
to promote the peace of the Church of God. And the excellent man (1) to whom
it was intrusted performed his part not merely by communicating the letter
itself, but also by seconding the views of him who sent it; for he was, as I
have said, in all respects a person of pious character. The evil, however, was
greater than could be remedied by a single letter, insomuch that the acrimony
of the contending parties continually increased, and the effects of the
mischief extended to all the Eastern provinces. These things jealousy and some
evil spirit who looked with an envious eye on the prosperity of the Church,
wrought.