LIFE OF CONSTANTINE: SELECTIONS

FROM: Medieval Sourcebook:

Eusebius of Caesarea
The Life of the Blessed E!eror Co"sta"ti"e
The emperor Constantine is celebrated as a saint in the Orthodox Church, although not the Western
Church. His great merit, from a Christian point of view, was in legalizing Christianity. His personal
activities in other areas are less appealing.
E#SEBI#S $AM$%IL#S OF CAESAREA
T%E LIFE OF T%E BLESSE& EM$EROR CONSTANTINE
[The Bagster translation, revised by Ernest Cushing Richardson, Ph.D., Librarian and Associate
Professor in artford Theological !e"inary. #ull ref at end.$
BOO' %.
C%A$TER %& Preface.'' (f the Death of Constantine.
ALREAD) *+, have all "an-ind united in celebrating .ith /oyous festivities the co"0letion of the
second and third decennial 0eriod of this great e"0eror1s reign2 already have .e ourselves received hi"
as a triu"0hant con3ueror in the asse"bly of 4od1s "inisters, and greeted hi" .ith the due "ead of
0raise on the t.entieth anniversary of his reign& *5, and still "ore recently .e have .oven, as it .ere,
garlands of .ords, .here.ith .e encircled his sacred head in his o.n 0alace on his thirtieth
anniversary. *6,
But no., .hile % desire *7, to give utterance to so"e of the custo"ary senti"ents, % stand 0er0le8ed
and doubtful .hich .ay to turn, being .holly lost in .onder at the e8traordinary s0ectacle before "e.
#or to .hatever 3uarter % direct "y vie., .hether to the east, or to the .est, or over the .hole .orld,
or to.ard heaven itself, every.here and al.ays % see the blessed one yet ad"inistering the self'sa"e
e"0ire. (n earth % behold his sons, li-e so"e ne. reflectors of his brightness, diffusing every.here the
luster of their father1s character, *9, and hi"self still living and 0o.erful, and governing all the affairs
of "en "ore co"0letely than ever before, being "ulti0lied in the succession of his children. They had
indeed had 0reviously the dignity of Caesars2 *:, but no., being invested .ith his very self, and graced
by his acco"0lish"ents, for the e8cellence of their 0iety they are 0roclai"ed by the titles of !overeign,
Augustus, ;orshi0ful, and E"0eror.
C%A$TER %%& The Preface continued.
And % a" indeed a"a<ed, .hen % consider that he .ho .as but lately visible and 0resent .ith us in his
"ortal body, is still, even after death, .hen the natural thought disclai"s everything su0erfluous as
unsuitable, "ost "arvelously endo.ed .ith the sa"e i"0erial d.ellings, and honors, and 0raises as
heretofore. *+, But farther, .hen % raise "y thoughts even to the arch of heaven, and there conte"0late
his thrice'blessed soul in co""union .ith 4od hi"self, freed fro" every "ortal and earthly vesture,
and shining in a refulgent robe of light, and .hen % 0erceive that it is no "ore connected .ith the
fleeting 0eriods and occu0ations of "ortal life, but honored .ith an ever' bloo"ing cro.n, and an
i""ortality of endless and blessed e8istence, % stand as it .ere .ithout 0o.er of s0eech or thought *5,
and unable to utter a single 0hrase, but conde"ning "y o.n .ea-ness, and i"0osing silence on
"yself, % resign the tas- of s0ea-ing his 0raises .orthily to one .ho is better able, even to hi" .ho,
being the i""ortal 4od and veritable ;ord, alone has 0o.er to confir" his o.n saying. *6,
C%A$TER %%%& o. 4od honors Pious Princes, but destroys Tyrants.
aving given assurance that those .ho glorify and honor hi" .ill "eet .ith an abundant reco"0ense
at his hands, .hile those .ho set the"selves against hi" as ene"ies and adversaries .ill co"0ass the
ruin of their o.n souls, he has already established the truth of these his o.n declarations, having sho.n
on the one hand the fearful end of those tyrants .ho denied and o00osed hi", *+, and at the sa"e ti"e
having "ade it "anifest that even the death of his servant, as .ell as his life, is .orthy of ad"iration
and 0raise, and /ustly clai"s the "e"orial, not "erely of 0erishable, but of i""ortal "onu"ents.
=an-ind, devising so"e consolation for the frail and 0recarious duration of hu"an life, have thought
by the erection of "onu"ents to glorify the "e"ories of their ancestors .ith i""ortal honors. !o"e
have e"0loyed the vivid delineations and colors of 0ainting *5,2 so"e have carved statues fro" lifeless
bloc-s of .ood2 .hile others, by engraving their inscri0tions dee0 on tablets *6, and "onu"ents, have
thought to trans"it the virtues of those .ho" they honored to 0er0etual re"e"brance. All these indeed
are 0erishable, and consu"ed by the la0se of ti"e, being re0resentations of the corru0tible body, and
not e80ressing the i"age of the i""ortal soul. And yet these see"ed sufficient to those .ho had no
.ell'grounded ho0e of ha00iness after the ter"ination of this "ortal life. But 4od, that 4od, % say, .ho
is the co""on !aviour of all, having treasured u0 .ith hi"self, for those .ho love godliness, greater
blessings than hu"an thought has conceived, gives the earnest and first'fruits of future re.ards even
here, assuring in so"e sort i""ortal ho0es to "ortal eyes. The ancient oracles of the 0ro0hets,
delivered to us in the !cri0ture, declare this2 the lives of 0ious "en, .ho shone in old ti"e .ith every
virtue, bear .itness to 0osterity of the sa"e2 and our o.n days 0rove it to be true, .herein Constantine,
.ho alone of all that ever .ielded the Ro"an 0o.er .as the friend of 4od the !overeign of all, has
a00eared to all "an-ind so clear an e8a"0le of a godly life.
C%A$TER %>& That 4od honored Constantine.
And 4od hi"self, .ho" Constantine .orshi0ed, has confir"ed this truth by the clearest "anifestations
of his .ill, being 0resent to aid hi" *+, at the co""ence"ent, during the course, and at the end of his
reign, and holding hi" u0 to the hu"an race as an instructive e8a"0le of godliness. Accordingly, by
the "anifold blessings he has conferred on hi", he has distinguished hi" alone of all the sovereigns of
.ho" .e have ever heard as at once a "ighty lu"inary and "ost clear'voiced herald of genuine 0iety.
C%A$TER >& That he reigned above Thirty )ears, and lived above !i8ty.
;ith res0ect to the duration of his reign, 4od honored hi" .ith three co"0lete 0eriods of ten years,
and so"ething "ore, e8tending the .hole ter" of his "ortal life to t.ice this nu"ber of years. *+, And
being 0leased to "a-e hi" a re0resentative of his o.n sovereign 0o.er, he dis0layed hi" as the
con3ueror of the .hole race of tyrants, and the destroyer of those 4od' defying giants *5, of the earth
.ho "adly raised their i"0ious ar"s against hi", the su0re"e ?ing of all. They a00eared, so to s0ea-,
for an instant, and then disa00eared& .hile the one and only true 4od, .hen he had enabled his servant,
clad in heavenly 0ano0ly, to stand singly against "any foes, and by his "eans had relieved "an-ind
fro" the "ultitude of the ungodly, constituted hi" a teacher of his .orshi0 to all nations, to testify .ith
a loud voice in the hearing of all that he ac-no.ledged the true 4od, and turned .ith abhorrence fro"
the error of the" that are no gods.
C%A$TER >%& That he .as the !ervant of 4od, and the Con3ueror of @ations.
Thus, li-e a faithful and good servant, did he act and testify, o0enly declaring and confessing hi"self
the obedient "inister of the su0re"e ?ing. And 4od forth.ith re.arded hi", by "a-ing hi" ruler and
sovereign, and victorious to such a degree that he alone of all rulers 0ursued a continual course of
con3uest, unsubdued and invincible, and through his tro0hies a greater ruler than tradition records ever
to have been before. !o dear .as he to 4od, and so blessed2 so 0ious and so fortunate in all that he
undertoo-, that .ith the greatest facility he obtained the authority over "ore nations than any .ho had
0receded hi", *+, and yet retained his 0o.er, undisturbed, to the very close of his life.
C%A$TER A& (f the @eed for this istory, and its >alue for Edification.
(;E>ER, hard as it is to s0ea- .orthily of this blessed character, and though silence .ere the safer
and less 0erilous course, nevertheless it is incu"bent on "e, if % .ould esca0e the charge of negligence
and sloth, to trace as it .ere a verbal 0ortraiture, by .ay of "e"orial of the 0ious 0rince, in i"itation
of the delineations of hu"an art. #or % should be asha"ed of "yself .ere % not to e"0loy "y best
efforts, feeble though they be and of little value, in 0raise of one .ho honored 4od .ith such
sur0assing devotion. % thin- too that "y .or- .ill be on other grounds both instructive and necessary,
since it .ill contain a descri0tion of those royal and noble actions .hich are 0leasing to 4od, the
!overeign of all. #or .ould it not be disgraceful that the "e"ory of @ero, and other i"0ious and
godless tyrants far .orse than he, should "eet .ith diligent .riters to e"bellish the relation of their
.orthless deeds .ith elegant language, and record the" in volu"inous histories, and that % should be
silent, to .ho" 4od hi"self has vouchsafed such an e"0eror as all history records not, and has
0er"itted "e to co"e into his 0resence, and en/oy his ac3uaintance and societyB *+,
;herefore, if it is the duty of any one, it certainly is "ine, to "a-e an a"0le 0rocla"ation of his
virtues to all in .ho" the e8a"0le of noble actions is ca0able of ins0iring the love of 4od. #or so"e
.ho have .ritten the lives of .orthless characters, and the history of actions but little tending to the
i"0rove"ent of "orals, fro" 0rivate "otives, either love or en"ity, and 0ossibly in so"e cases .ith
no better ob/ect than the dis0lay of their o.n learning, have e8aggerated unduly their descri0tion of
actions intrinsically base, by a refine"ent and elegance of diction. *5, And thus they have beco"e to
those .ho by the Divine favor had been -e0t a0art fro" evil, teachers not of good, but of .hat should
be silenced in oblivion and dar-ness. But "y narrative, ho.ever une3ual to the greatness of the deeds it
has to describe, .ill yet derive luster even fro" the bare relation of noble actions. And surely the record
of conduct that has been 0leasing to 4od .ill afford a far fro" un0rofitable, indeed a "ost instructive
study, to 0ersons of .ell'dis0osed "inds.
C%A$TER A%& That his Present (b/ect is to record only the Pious Actions of Constantine.
%T is "y intention, therefore, to 0ass over the greater 0art of the royal deeds of this thrice'blessed
0rince2 as, for e8a"0le, his conflicts and engage"ents in the field, his 0ersonal valor, his victories and
successes against the ene"y, and the "any triu"0hs he obtained& li-e.ise his 0rovisions for the
interests of individuals, his legislative enact"ents for the social advantage of his sub/ects, and a
"ultitude of other i"0erial labors .hich are fresh in the "e"ory of all2 the design of "y 0resent
underta-ing being to s0ea- and .rite of those circu"stances only .hich have reference to his religious
character.
And since these are the"selves of al"ost infinite variety, % shall select fro" the facts .hich have co"e
to "y -no.ledge such as are "ost suitable, and .orthy of lasting record, and endeavor to narrate the"
as briefly as 0ossible. encefor.ard, indeed, there is a full and o00ortunity for celebrating in every
.ay the 0raises of this truly blessed 0rince, .hich hitherto .e have been unable to do, oh the ground
that .e are forbidden to /udge any one blessed before his death, *+, because of the uncertain
vicissitudes of life. Let "e i"0lore then the hel0 of 4od, and "ay the ins0iring aid of the heavenly
;ord be .ith "e, .hile % co""ence "y history fro" the very earliest 0eriod of his life.
C%A$TER A%%%& (f Constantius his #ather, .ho refused to i"itate Diocletian, =a8i"ian, and
=a8entius, *+, in their Persecution of the Christians.
At a ti"e .hen four e"0erors *5, shared the ad"inistration of the Ro"an e"0ire, Constantius alone,
follo.ing a course of conduct different fro" that 0ursued by his colleagues, entered into the friendshi0
of the !u0re"e 4od.
#or .hile they besieged and .asted the churches of 4od, leveling the" to the ground, and obliterating
the very foundations of the houses of 0rayer, *6, he -e0t his hands 0ure fro" their abo"inable i"0iety,
and never in any res0ect rese"bled the". They 0olluted their 0rovinces by the indiscri"inate slaughter
of godly "en and .o"en2 but he -e0t his soul free fro" the stain of this cri"e. *7,The involved in the
"a<es of i"0ious idolatry, enthralled first the"selves, and then all under their authority, in bondage to
the errors of evil de"ons, .hile he at the sa"e ti"e originated the 0rofoundest 0eace throughout his
do"inions, and secured to his sub/ects the 0rivilege of celebrating .ithout hindrance the .orshi0 of
4od. %n short, .hile his colleagues o00ressed all "en by the "ost grievous e8actions, and rendered
their lives intolerable, and even .orse than death, Constantius alone governed his 0eo0le .ith a "ild
and tran3uil s.ay, and e8hibited to.ards the" a truly 0arental and fostering care. @u"berless, indeed,
are the other virtues of this "an, .hich are the the"e of 0raise to all2 of these % .ill record one or t.o
instances, as s0eci"ens of the 3uality of those .hich % "ust 0ass by in silence, and then % .ill 0roceed
to the a00ointed order of "y narrative.
C%A$TER A>%& o. Constantius, feigning %dolatry, e80elled those .ho consented to offer
!acrifice, but retained in his Palace all .ho .ere .illing to confess Christ.
(n the other hand, Constantius conceived an e80edient full of sagacity, and did a thing .hich sounds
0arado8ical, but in fact .as "ost ad"irable.
e "ade a 0ro0osal to all the officers of his court, including even those in the highest stations of
authority, offering the" the follo.ing alternative& either that they should offer sacrifice to de"ons, and
thus be 0er"itted to re"ain .ith hi", and en/oy their usual honors2 or, in case of refusal, that they
should be shut out fro" all access to his 0erson, and entirely dis3ualified fro" ac3uaintance and
association .ith hi". Accordingly, .hen they had individually "ade their choice, so"e one .ay and
so"e the other2 and the choice of each had been ascertained, then this ad"irable 0rince disclosed the
secret "eaning of his e80edient, and conde"ned the co.ardice and selfishness of the one 0arty, .hile
he highly co""ended the other for their conscientious devotion to 4od. e declared, too, that those
.ho had been false to their 4od "ust be un.orthy of the confidence of their 0rince2 for ho. .as it
0ossible that they should 0reserve their fidelity to hi", .ho had 0roved the"selves faithless to a higher
0o.erB e deter"ined, therefore, that such 0ersons should be re"oved altogether fro" the i"0erial
court, .hile, on the other hand, declaring that those "en .ho, in bearing .itness for the truth, had
0roved the"selves to be .orthy servants of 4od, .ould "anifest the sa"e fidelity to their -ing, he en'
trusted the" .ith the guardianshi0 of his 0erson and e"0ire, saying that he .as bound to treat such
0ersons .ith s0ecial regard as his nearest and "ost valued friends, and to estee" the" far "ore highly
than the richest treasures.
C%A$TER A>%%& (f his Christian =anner of Life.
The father of Constantine, then, is said to have 0ossessed such a character as .e have briefly described.
And .hat -ind of death .as vouchsafed to hi" in conse3uence of such devotion to 4od, and ho. far
he .ho" he honored "ade his lot to differ fro" that of his colleagues in the e"0ire, "ay be -no.n to
any one .ho .ill give his attention to the circu"stances of the case. #or after he had for a long ti"e
given "any 0roofs of royal virtue, in ac-no.ledging the !u0re"e 4od alone, and conde"ning the
0olytheis" of the ungodly, and had fortified his household by the 0rayers of holy "en, *+, he 0assed
the re"ainder of his life in re"ar-able re0ose and tran3uillity, in the en/oy"ent of .hat is counted
blessedness, ''neither "olesting others nor being "olested ourselves.
Accordingly, during the .hole course of his 3uiet and 0eaceful reign, he dedicated his entire household,
his children, his .ife, and do"estic attendants, to the (ne !u0re"e 4od& so that the co"0any
asse"bled .ithin the .alls of his 0alace differed in no res0ect fro" a church of 4od2 .herein .ere
also to be found his "inisters, .ho offered continual su00lications on behalf of their 0rince, and this at
a ti"e .hen, .ith "ost,*5, it .as not allo.able to have any dealings .ith the .orshi0ers of 4od, even
so far as to e8change a .ord .ith the".
C%A$TER AA%& Death of Constantius, .ho leaves his !on Constantine E"0eror. *+,
%==ED%ATEL), therefore, on his esca0e fro" the 0lots .hich had been thus insidiously laid for hi",
he "ade his .ay .ith all haste to his father, and arrived at length at the very ti"e that he .as lying at
the 0oint of death. *5, As soon as Constantius sa. his son thus une80ectedly in his 0resence, he lea0ed
fro" his couch, e"braced hi" tenderly, and, declaring that the only an8iety .hich had troubled hi" in
the 0ros0ect of death, na"ely, that caused by the absence of his son, .as no. re"oved, he rendered
than-s to 4od, saying that he no. thought death better than the longest life, *6, and at once co"0leted
the arrange"ent of his 0rivate affairs. Then, ta-ing a final leave of the circle of sons and daughters by
.ho" he .as surrounded, in his o.n 0alace, and on the i"0erial couch, he be3ueathed the e"0ire,
according to the la. of nature, *7, to his eldest son, and breathed his last.
C%A$TER AA%%& o., after the Burial of Constantius, Constantine .as 0roclai"ed Augustus by
the Ar"y.
@or did the i"0erial throne re"ain long unoccu0ied& for Constantine invested hi"self .ith his father1s
0ur0le, and 0roceeded fro" his father1s 0alace, 0resenting to all a rene.al, as it .ere, in his o.n
0erson, of his father1s life and reign. e then conducted the funeral 0rocession in co"0any .ith his
father1s friends, so"e 0receding, others follo.ing the train, and 0erfor"ed the last offices for the 0ious
deceased .ith an e8traordinary degree of "agnificence, and all united in honoring this thrice blessed
0rince .ith accla"ations and 0raises, and .hile .ith one "ind and voice, they glorified the rule of the
son as a living again of hi" .ho .as dead, they hastened at once to hail their ne. sovereign by the
titles of %"0erial and ;orshi0ful Augustus, .ith /oyful shouts. *+, Thus the "e"ory of the deceased
e"0eror received honor fro" the 0raises besto.ed u0on his son, .hile the latter .as 0ronounced
blessed in being the successor of such a father. All the nations also under his do"inion .ere filled .ith
/oy and ine80ressible gladness at not being even for a "o"ent de0rived of the benefits of a .ell
ordered govern"ent.
%n the instance of the E"0eror Constantius, 4od has "ade "anifest to our generation .hat the end of
those is .ho in their lives have honored and loved hi".
C%A$TER AA%>& %t .as by the ;ill of 4od that Constantine beca"e 0ossessed of the E"0ire.
Thus then the 4od of all, the !u0re"e 4overnor of the .hole universe, by his o.n .ill a00ointed
Constantine, the descendant of so reno.ned a 0arent, to be 0rince and sovereign& so that, .hile others
have been raised to this distinction by the election of their fello.' "en, he is the only one to .hose
elevation no "ortal "ay boast of having contributed.
C%A$TER AA>%%& That after reflecting on the Da.n fall of those .ho had .orshi0ed %dols, he
"ade Choice of Christianity.
Being convinced, ho.ever, that he needed so"e "ore 0o.erful aid than his "ilitary forces could
afford hi", on account of the .ic-ed and "agical enchant"ents .hich .ere so diligently 0racticed by
the tyrant, *+, he sought Divine assistance, dee"ing the 0ossession of ar"s and a nu"erous soldiery of
secondary i"0ortance, but believing the co'o0erating 0o.er of Deity invincible and not to be sha-en.
e considered, therefore, on .hat 4od he "ight rely for 0rotection and assistance. ;hile engaged in
this en3uiry, the thought occurred to hi", that, of the "any e"0erors .ho had 0receded hi", those .ho
had rested their ho0es in a "ultitude of gods, and served the" .ith sacrifices and offerings, had in the
first 0lace been deceived by flattering 0redictions, and oracles .hich 0ro"ised the" all 0ros0erity, and
at last had "et .ith an unha00y end, .hile not one of their gods had stood by to .arn the" of the
i"0ending .rath of heaven2 .hile one alone .ho had 0ursued an entirely o00osite course, .ho had
conde"ned their error, and honored the one !u0re"e 4od during his .hole life, had for"al % hi" to be
the !aviour and Protector of his e"0ire, and the 4iver of every good thing. Reflecting on this, and .ell
.eighing the fact that they .ho had trusted in "any gods had also fallen by "anifold for"s of death,
.ithout leaving behind the" either fa"ily or offs0ring, stoc-, na"e, or "e"orial a"ong "en& .hile
the 4od of his father had given to hi", on the other hand, "anifestations of his 0o.er and very "any
to-ens& and considering farther that those .ho had already ta-en ar"s against the tyrant, and had
"arched to the battle'field under the 0rotection of a "ultitude of gods, had "et .ith a dishonorable end
*for one of the" *5, had sha"efully retreated fro" the contest .ithout a blo., and the other, *6, being
slain in the "idst of his o.n troo0s, beca"e, as it .ere, the "ere s0ort of death *7, ,2 revie.ing, % say,
all these considerations, he /udged it to be folly indeed to /oin in the idle .orshi0 of those .ho .ere no
gods, and, after such convincing evidence, to err fro" the truth2 and therefore felt it incu"bent on hi"
to honor his father1s 4od alone.
C%A$TER AA>%%%& o., .hile he .as 0raying, 4od sent hi" a >ision of a Cross of Light in the
eavens at =id'day, .ith an %nscri0tion ad"onishing hi" to con3uer by that.
ACC(RD%@4L) he called on hi" .ith earnest 0rayer and su00lications that he .ould reveal to hi"
.ho he .as, and stretch forth his right hand to hel0 hi" in his 0resent difficulties. And .hile he .as
thus 0raying .ith fervent entreaty, a "ost "arvelous sign a00eared to hi" fro" heaven, the account of
.hich it "ight have been hard to believe had it been related by any other 0erson. But since the
victorious e"0eror hi"self long after.ards declared it to the .riter of this history, *+, .hen he .as
honored .ith his ac3uaintance and society, and confir"ed his state"ent by an oath, .ho could hesitate
to accredit the relation, es0ecially since the testi"ony of after' ti"e has established its truthB e said
that about noon, .hen the day .as already beginning to decline, he sa. .ith his o.n eyes the tro0hy
of a cross of light in the heavens, above the sun, and bearing the inscri0tion, C(@CDER B) T%!. At
this sight he hi"self .as struc- .ith a"a<e"ent, and his .hole ar"y also, .hich follo.ed hi" on this
e80edition, and .itnessed the "iracle. *5,
C%A$TER AA%A& o. the Christ of 4od a00eared to hi" in his !lee0, and co""anded hi" to use
in his ;ars a !tandard "ade in the #or" of the Cross.
e said, "oreover, that he doubted .ithin hi"self .hat the i"0ort of this a00arition could be. And
.hile he continued to 0onder and reason on its "eaning, night suddenly ca"e on2 then in his slee0 the
Christ of 4od a00eared to hi" .ith the sa"e sign .hich he had seen in the heavens, and co""anded
hi" to "a-e a li-eness of that sign .hich he had seen in the heavens, and to use it as a safeguard in all
engage"ents .ith his ene"ies.
C%A$TER AAA& The =a-ing of the !tandard of the Cross.
AT da.n of day he arose, and co""unicated the "arvel to his friends& and then, calling together the
.or-ers in gold and 0recious stones, he sat in the "idst of the", and described to the" the figure of the
sign he had seen, bidding the" re0resent it in gold and 0recious stones. And this re0resentation %
"yself have had an o00ortunity of seeing.
C%A$TER AAA%& A Descri0tion of the !tandard of the Cross, .hich the Ro"ans no. call the
Labaru". *+,
@o. it .as "ade in the follo.ing "anner. A long s0ear, overlaid .ith gold, for"ed the figure of the
cross by "eans of a transverse bar laid over it. (n the to0 of the .hole .as fi8ed a .reath of gold and
0recious stones2 and .ithin this, *5, the sy"bol of the !aviour1s na"e, t.o letters indicating the na"e
of Christ by "eans of its initial characters, the letter P being intersected by A in its centre& *6, and these
letters the e"0eror .as in the habit of .earing on his hel"et at a later 0eriod. #ro" the cross'bar of the
s0ear .as sus0ended a cloth, *7, a royal 0iece, covered .ith a 0rofuse e"broidery of "ost brilliant
0recious stones2 and .hich, being also richly interlaced .ith gold, 0resented an indescribable degree of
beauty to the beholder. This banner .as of a s3uare for", and the u0right staff, .hose lo.er section
.as of great length,*9, bore a golden half'length 0ortrait *:, of the 0ious e"0eror and his children on
its u00er 0art, beneath the tro0hy of the cross, and i""ediately above the e"broidered banner.
The e"0eror constantly "ade use of this sign of salvation as a safeguard against every adverse and
hostile 0o.er, and co""anded that others si"ilar to it should be carried at the head of all his ar"ies.
C%A$TER AAA%%& o. Constantine received %nstruction, and read the !acred !cri0tures.
These things .ere done shortly after.ards. But at the ti"e above s0ecified, being struc- .ith
a"a<e"ent at the e8traordinary vision, and resolving to .orshi0 no other 4od save i" .ho had
a00eared to hi", he sent for those .ho .ere ac3uainted .ith the "ysteries of is doctrines, and
en3uired .ho that 4od .as, and .hat .as intended by the sign of the vision he had seen. They
affir"ed that e .as 4od, the only begotten !on of the one and only 4od& that the sign .hich had
a00eared .as the sy"bol of i""ortality, *+, and the tro0hy of that victory over death .hich e had
gained in ti"e 0ast .hen so/ourning on earth. They taught hi" also the causes of is advent, and
e80lained to hi" the true account of is incarnation. Thus he .as instructed in these "atters, and .as
i"0ressed .ith .onder at the divine "anifestation .hich had been 0resented to his sight. Co"0aring,
therefore, the heavenly vision .ith the inter0retation given, he found his /udg"ent confir"ed2 and, in
the 0ersuasion that the -no.ledge of these things had been i"0arted to hi" by Divine teaching, he
deter"ined thenceforth to devote hi"self to the reading of the %ns0ired .ritings.
=oreover, he "ade the 0riests of 4od his counselors, and dee"ed it incu"bent on hi" to honor the
4od .ho had a00eared to hi" .ith all devotion. And after this, being fortified by .ell'grounded ho0es
in i", he hastened to 3uench the threatening fire of tyranny.
C%A$TER AL& (f the !tatue of Constantine holding a Cross, and its %nscri0tion.
=(RE(>ER, by loud 0rocla"ation and "onu"ental inscri0tions he "ade -no.n to all "en the
salutary sy"bol, setting u0 this great tro0hy of victory over his ene"ies in the "idst of the i"0erial
city, and e80ressly causing it to be engraved in indelible characters, that the salutary sy"bol .as the
safeguard of the Ro"an govern"ent and of the entire e"0ire. Accordingly, he i""ediately ordered a
lofty s0ear in the figure of a cross to be 0laced beneath the hand of a statue re0resenting hi"self, in the
"ost fre3uented 0art of Ro"e, and the follo.ing inscri0tion to be engraved on it in the Latin language&
B) >%RTDE (# T%! !ALDTAR) !%4@, ;%C %! TE TRDE TE!T (# >AL(R, % A>E
PRE!ER>ED A@D L%BERATED )(DR C%T) #R(= TE )(?E (# T)RA@@). % A>E AL!(
!ET AT L%BERT) TE R(=A@ !E@ATE A@D PE(PLE, A@D RE!T(RED TE= T( TE%R
A@C%E@T D%!T%@CT%(@ A@D !PLE@D(R. *+,
C%A$TER AL%%& The onors conferred u0on Bisho0s, and the Building of Churches.
The e"0eror also 0ersonally inviting the society of 4od1s "inisters, distinguished the" .ith the
highest 0ossible res0ect and honor, sho.ing the" favor in deed and .ord as 0ersons consecrated to the
service of his 4od. Accordingly, they .ere ad"itted to his table, though "ean in their attire and
out.ard a00earance2 yet not so in his esti"ation, since he thought he sa. not the "an as seen by the
vulgar eye, but the 4od in hi". e "ade the" also his co"0anions in travel, believing that e .hose
servants they .ere .ould thus hel0 hi". Besides this, he gave fro" his o.n 0rivate resources costly
benefactions to the churches of 4od, both enlarging and heightening the sacred edifices, *+, and
e"bellishing the august sanctuaries *5, of the church .ith abundant offerings.
C%A$TER AL%%%& Canstantine1s Liberality to the Poor.
e li-e.ise distributed "oney largely to those .ho .ere in need, and besides these sho.ing hi"self
0hilanthro0ist and benefactor even to the heathen, .ho had no clai" on hi"2 *+, and even for the
beggars in the foru", "iserable and shiftless, he 0rovided, not .ith "oney only, or necessary food, but
also decent clothing. But in the case of those .ho had once been 0ros0erous, and had e80erienced a
reverse of circu"stances, his aid .as still "ore lavishly besto.ed. (n such 0ersons, in a truly royal
s0irit, he conferred "agnificent benefactions2 giving grants of land to so"e, and honoring others .ith
various dignities. (r0hans of the unfortunate he cared for as a father, .hile he relieved the destitution
of .ido.s, and cared for the" .ith s0ecial solicitude. @ay, he even gave virgins, left un0rotected by
their 0arents1 death, in "arriage to .ealthy "en .ith .ho" he .as 0ersonally ac3uainted. But this he
did after first besto.ing on the brides such 0ortions as it .as fitting they should bring to the
co""union of "arriage. *5, %n short, as the sun, .hen he rises u0on the earth, liberally i"0arts his rays
of light to all, so did Constantine, 0roceeding at early da.n fro" the i"0erial 0alace, and rising as it
.ere .ith the heavenly lu"inary, i"0art the rays of his o.n beneficence to all .ho ca"e into his
0resence. %t .as scarcely 0ossible to be near hi" .ithout receiving so"e benefit, nor did it ever ha00en
that any .ho had e80ected to obtain his assistance .ere disa00ointed in their ho0e. *6,
C%A$TER AL%>& o. he .as 0resent at the !ynods of Bisho0s.
!DC, then, .as his general character to.ards all. But he e8ercised a 0eculiar care over the church of
4od& and .hereas, in the several 0rovinces there .ere so"e .ho differed fro" each other in /udg"ent,
he, li-e so"e general bisho0 constituted by 4od, convened synods of his "inisters. @or did he disdain
to be 0resent and sit .ith the" in their asse"bly, but bore a share in their deliberations, "inistering to
all that 0ertained to the 0eace of 4od. e too- his seat, too, in the "idst of the", as an individual
a"ongst "any, dis"issing his guards and soldiers, and all .hose duty it .as to defend his 0erson2 but
0rotected by the fear of 4od, and surrounded by the guardianshi0 of his faithful friends. Those .ho"
he sa. inclined to a sound /udg"ent, and e8hibiting a cal" and conciliatory te"0er, received his high
a00robation, for he evidently delighted in a general har"ony of senti"ent2 .hile he regarded the
unyielding .ills aversion. *+,
C%A$TER L%%%& Edict that ;o"en should not "eet .ith the =en in the Churches.
ACC(RD%@4L) he 0assed a second la., .hich en/oined that "en should not a00ear in co"0any .ith
.o"en in the houses of 0rayer, and forbade .o"en to attend the sacred schools of virtue, or to receive
instruction fro" the bisho0s, directing the a00oint"ent of .o"en to be teachers of their o.n se8.
These regulations being received .ith general ridicule, he devised other, "eans for effecting the ruin of
the churches. e ordered that the usual congregations of the 0eo0le should be held in the o0en country
outside the gates, alleging that the o0en air .ithout the city .as far "ore suitable for a "ultitude than
the houses of 0rayer .ithin the .alls.
BOO' II.
C%A$TER %%%& o. Constantine .as stirred in Behalf of the Christians thus in Danger of
Persecution.
e 0erceiving the evils of .hich he had heard to be no longer tolerable, too- .ise counsel, and
te"0ering the natural cle"ency of his character .ith a certain "easure of severity, hastened to succor
those .ho .ere thus grievously o00ressed. #or he /udged that it .ould rightly be dee"ed a 0ious and
holy tas- to secure, by the re"oval of an individual, the safety of the greater 0art of the hu"an race. e
/udged too, that if he listened to the dictates of cle"ency only, and besto.ed his 0ity on one utterly
un.orthy of it, this .ould, on the one hand, confer no real benefit on a "an .ho" nothing .ould
induce to abandon his evil 0ractices, and .hose fury against his sub/ects .ould only be li-ely to
increase2 *+, .hile, on the other hand, those .ho suffered fro" his o00ression .ould thus be forever
de0rived of all ho0e of deliverance.
%nfluenced by these reflections, the e"0eror resolved .ithout farther delay to e8tend a 0rotecting hand
to those .ho had fallen into such an e8tre"ity of distress. e accordingly "ade the usual .arli-e
0re0arations, and asse"bled his .hole forces, both of horse and foot. But before the" all .as carried
the standard .hich % have before described, as the sy"bol of his full confidence in 4od.
C%A$TER >%%& That >ictory every.here follo.ed the Presence of the !tandard of the Cross in
Battle.
%ndeed, .herever this a00eared, the ene"y soon fled before his victorious troo0s. And the e"0eror
0erceiving this, .henever he sa. any 0art of his forces hard 0ressed, gave orders that the salutary
tro0hy should be "oved in that direction, li-e so"e triu"0hant char" *+, against disasters& at .hich
the co"batants .ere divinely ins0ired, as it .ere, .ith fresh strength and courage, and i""ediate
victory .as the result.
C%A$TER >%%%& That #ifty =en .ere selected to carry the Cross.
ACC(RD%@4L), he selected those of his bodyguard .ho .ere "ost distinguished for 0ersonal
strength, valor, and 0iety, and intrusted the" .ith the sole care and defense of the standard. There .ere
thus no less than fifty "en .hose only duty .as to surround and vigilantly defend the standard, .hich
they carried each in turn on their shoulders. These circu"stances .ere related to the .riter of this
narrative by the e"0eror hi"self in his leisure "o"ents, long after the occurrence of the events& and he
added another incident .ell .orthy of being recorded.
C%A$TER %A& That (ne of the Cross'bearers, .ho fled fro" his Post, .as slain& .hile Another,
.ho faithfully stood his 4round, .as 0reserved.
#(R he said that once, during the very heat of an engage"ent, a sudden tu"ult and 0anic attac-ed his
ar"y, .hich thre. the soldier .ho then bore the standard into an agony of fear, so that he handed it
over to another, in order to secure his o.n esca0e fro" the battle. As soon, ho.ever, as his co"rade
had received it, and he had .ithdra.n, and resigned all charge of the standard, he .as struc- in the
belly by a dart, .hich too- his life. Thus he 0aid the 0enalty of his co.ardice and unfaithfulness, and
lay dead on the s0ot& but the other, .ho had ta-en his 0lace as the bearer of the salutary standard, found
it to be the safeguard of his life. #or though he .as assailed by a continual sho.er of darts, the bearer
re"ained unhurt, the staff of the standard receiving every .ea0on. %t .as indeed a truly "arvelous
circu"stance, that the ene"ies1 darts all fell .ithin and re"ained in the slender circu"ference of this
s0ear, and thus saved the standard'bearer fro" death2 so that none of those engaged in this service ever
received a .ound.
This story is none of "ine, but for this, *+, too, % a" indebted to the e"0eror1s o.n authority, .ho
related it in "y hearing along .ith other "atters. And no., having thus through the 0o.er of 4od
secured these first victories, he 0ut his forces in "otion and continued his on.ard "arch.
C%A$TER A%%& o. Constantine, after 0raying in his Tabernacle, obtained the >ictory.
But .hile Licinius, giving hi"self u0 to these i"0ieties, rushed blindly to.ards the gulf of destruction,
the e"0eror on the other hand, .hen he sa. that he "ust "eet his ene"ies in a second battle, devoted
the intervening ti"e to his !aviour. e 0itched the tabernacle of the cross *+, outside and at a distance
fro" his ca"0, and there 0assed his ti"e in a 0ure and holy "anner, offering u0 0rayers to 4od2
follo.ing thus the e8a"0le of his ancient 0ro0het, of .ho" the sacred oracles testify, that he 0itched
the tabernacle .ithout the ca"0. *5, e .as attended only by a fe., .hose faith and 0ious devotion he
highly estee"ed. And this custo" he continued to observe .henever he "editated an engage"ent .ith
the ene"y. #or he .as deliberate in his "easures, the better to insure safety, and desired in everything
to be directed by divine counsel. And "a-ing earnest su00lications to 4od, he .as al.ays honored
after a little .ith a "anifestation of his 0resence. And then, as if "oved by a divine i"0ulse, he .ould
rush fro" the tabernacle, and suddenly give orders to his ar"y to "ove at once .ithout delay, and on
the instant to dra. their s.ords. (n this they .ould i""ediately co""ence the attac-, fight
vigorously, so as .ith incredible celerity to secure the victory, and raise tro0hies of victory over their
ene"ies
C%A$TER A%A& Re/oicings and #estivities.
And no., the i"0ious being thus re"oved, the sun once "ore shone brightly after the gloo"y cloud of
tyrannic 0o.er. Each se0arate 0ortion of the Ro"an do"inion beca"e blended .ith the rest2 the
Eastern nations united .ith those of the ;est, and the .hole body of the Ro"an e"0ire .as graced as
it .ere by its head in the 0erson of a single and su0re"e ruler, .hose sole authority 0ervaded the
.hole. @o. too the bright rays of the light of godliness gladdened the days of those .ho had
heretofore been sitting in dar-ness and the shado. of death. Past sorro.s .ere no "ore re"e"bered,
for all united in celebrating the 0raises of the victorious 0rince, and avo.ed their recognition of his
0reserver as the only true 4od. Thus he .hose character shone .ith all the virtues of 0iety, the e"0eror
>ictor, for he had hi"self ado0ted this na"e as a "ost fitting a00ellation to e80ress the victory .hich
4od had granted hi" over all .ho hated or o00osed hi", *+, assu"ed the do"inion of the East, and
thus singly governed the Ro"an e"0ire, re'united, as in for"er ti"es, under one head. Thus, as he .as
the first to 0roclai" to all the sole sovereignty of 4od, so he hi"self, as sole sovereign of the Ro"an
.orld, e8tended his authority over the .hole hu"an race. Every a00rehension of those evils under the
0ressure of .hich all had suffered .as no. re"oved2 "en .hose heads had droo0ed in sorro. no.
regarded each other .ith s"iling countenances, and loo-s e80ressive of their in.ard /oy. ;ith
0rocessions and hy"ns of 0raise they first of all, as they .ere told, ascribed the su0re"e sovereignty to
4od, as in truth the ?ing of -ings2 and then .ith continued accla"ations rendered honor to the
victorious e"0eror, and the Caesars, his "ost discreet and 0ious sons. The for"er afflictions .ere
forgotten, and all 0ast i"0ieties forgiven& .hile .ith the en/oy"ent of 0resent ha00iness .as "ingled
the e80ectation of continued blessings in the future.
C%A$TER AA& Constantine1s Enact"ents in #avor of the Confessors.
=(RE(>ER, the e"0eror1s edicts, 0er"eated .ith his hu"ane s0irit, .ere 0ublished a"ong us also,
as they had been a"ong the inhabitants of the other division of the e"0ire2 and his la.s, .hich
breathed a s0irit of 0iety to.ard 4od, gave 0ro"ise of "anifold blessings, since they secured "any
advantages to his 0rovincial sub/ects in every nation, and at the sa"e ti"e 0rescribed "easures suited
to the e8igencies of the churches of 4od. #or first of all they recalled those .ho, in conse3uence of
their refusal to /oin in idol .orshi0, had been driven to e8ile, or e/ected fro" their ho"es by the
governors of their res0ective 0rovinces. %n the ne8t 0lace, they relieved fro" their burdens those .ho
for the sa"e reason had been ad/udged to serve in the civil courts, and ordained restitution to be "ade
to any .ho had been de0rived of 0ro0erty. They too, .ho in the ti"e of trial had signali<ed the"selves
by fortitude of soul in the cause of 4od, and had therefore been conde"ned to the 0ainful labor of the
"ines, or consigned to the solitude of islands, or co"0elled to toil in the 0ublic .or-s, all received an
i""ediate release fro" these burdens2 .hile others, .hose religious constancy had cost the" the
forfeiture of their "ilitary ran-, .ere vindicated by the e"0eror1s generosity fro" this dishonor& for he
granted the" the alternative either of resu"ing their ran-, and en/oying their for"er 0rivileges, or, in
the event of their 0referring a "ore settled life, of 0er0etual e8e"0tion fro" all service. Lastly, all .ho
had been co"0elled by .ay of disgrace and insult to serve in the e"0loy"ents of .o"en, *+, he
li-e.ise freed .ith the rest.
C%A$TER AA%& is La.s concerning =artyrs, and concerning Ecclesiastical Pro0erty.
!uch .ere the benefits secured by the e"0eror1s .ritten "andates to the 0ersons of those .ho had thus
suffered for the faith, d his la.s "ade a"0le 0rovision for their 0ro0erty also.
;ith regard to those holy "artyrs of 4od .ho had laid do.n their lives in the confession of is na"e,
he directed that their estates should be en/oyed by their nearest -indred2 and, in default of any of these,
that the right of inheritance should be vested in the churches. #arther, .hatever 0ro0erty had been
consigned to other 0arties fro" the treasury, .hether in the .ay of sale or gift, together .ith that
retained in the treasury itself, the generous "andate of the e"0eror directed should be restored to the
original o.ners. !uch benefits did his bounty, thus .idely diffused, confer on the Church of 4od.
C%A$TER AA%%%& That he declared 4od to be the Author of his Pros0erity& and concerning his
Rescri0ts.
A@D no. that, through the 0o.erful aid of 4od his !aviour, all nations o.ned their sub/ection to the
e"0eror1s authority, he o0enly 0roclai"ed to all the na"e of i" to .hose bounty he o.ed all his
blessings, and declared that e, and not hi"self, .as the author of his 0ast victories. This declaration,
.ritten both in the Latin and 4ree- languages, he caused to be trans"itted through every 0rovince of
the e"0ire. @o. the e8cellence of his style of e80ression *+, "ay be -no.n fro" a 0erusal of his
letters the"selves .hich .ere t.o in nu"ber2 one addressed to the churches of 4od2 the other to the
heathen 0o0ulation in the several cities of the e"0ire. The latter of these % thin- it .ell to insert here as
connected .ith "y 0resent sub/ect, in order on the one hand that a co0y of this docu"ent "ay be
recorded as "atter of history, and thus 0reserved to 0osterity, and on the other that it "ay serve to
confir" the truth of "y 0resent narrative. %t is ta-en fro" an authentic co0y of the i"0erial statute in
"y o.n 0ossession and the signature in the e"0eror1s o.n hand.riting attaches as it .ere the i"0ress
of truth to the state"ent % have "ade.
C%A$TER AA%>& La. of Constantine res0ecting Piety to.ards 4od, and the Christian Religion. *+,
E>%CT(R C(@!TA@T%@D!, =AA%=D! AD4D!TD! to the inhabitants of the 0rovince of Palestine.
ETo all .ho entertain /ust and sound senti"ents res0ecting the character of the !u0re"e Being, it has
long been "ost clearly evident, and beyond the 0ossibility of doubt, ho. vast a difference there has
ever been bet.een those .ho "aintain a careful observance of the hallo.ed duties of the Christian
religion, and those .ho treat this religion .ith hostility or conte"0t. But at this 0resent ti"e, .e "ay
see by stilt "ore "anifest 0roofs, and still "ore decisive instances, both ho. unreasonable it .ere to
3uestion this truth, and ho. "ighty is the 0o.er of the !u0re"e 4od& since it a00ears that they .ho
faithfully observe is holy la.s, and shrin- fro" the transgression of is co""and"ents, are
re.arded .ith abundant blessings, and are endued .ith .ell' grounded ho0e as .ell as a"0le 0o.er
for the acco"0lish"ent of their underta-ings. (n the other hand, they .ho have cherished i"0ious
senti"ents have e80erienced results corres0onding to their evil choice. #or ho. is it to be e80ected that
any blessing .ould be obtained by one .ho neither desired to ac-no.ledge nor duly to .orshi0 that
4od .ho is the source of all blessingB %ndeed, facts the"selves are a confir"ation of .hat % say.
C%A$TER AA>%& (f Persecuted and Persecutors.
E#or .hoever have addressed the"selves .ith integrity of 0ur0ose to any course of action, -ee0ing the
fear of 4od continually before their thoughts, and 0reserving an un.avering faith in hi", .ithout
allo.ing 0resent fears or dangers to out.eigh their ho0e of future blessings''such 0ersons, though for a
season they "ay have e80erienced 0ainful trials, have borne their afflictions lightly, being su00orted by
the belief of greater re.ards in store for the"2 and their character has ac3uired a brighter luster in
0ro0ortion to the severity of their 0ast suffer'rags. ;ith regard, on the other hand, to those .ho have
either dishonorably slighted the 0rinci0les of /ustice, or refused to ac-no.ledge the !u0re"e 4od
the"selves, and yet have dared to sub/ect others .ho have faithfully "aintained his .orshi0 to the
"ost cruel insults and 0unish"ents2 .ho have failed e3ually to recogni<e their o.n .retchedness in
o00ressing others on such grounds, and the ha00iness and blessing of those .ho 0reserved their
devotion to 4od even in the "idst of such sufferings& .ith regard, % say, to such "en, "any a ti"e have
their ar"ies been slaughtered, "any a ti"e have they been 0ut to flight2 and their .arli-e 0re0arations
have ended in total ruin and defeat.
C%A$TER AA>%%& o. the Persecution beca"e the (ccasion of Cala"ities to the Aggressors.
E#ro" the causes % have described, grievous .ars arose, and destructive devastations. ence follo.ed a
scarcity of the co""on necessaries of life, and a cro.d of conse3uent "iseries& hence, too, the authors
of these i"0ieties have either "et a disastrous death of e8tre"e suffering, or have dragged out an
igno"inious e8istence, and confessed it to be .orse than death itself, thus receiving as it .ere a
"easure of 0unish"ent 0ro0ortioned to the heinousness of their cri"es. *+, #or each e80erienced a
degree of cala"ity according to the blind fury .ith .hich he had been led to co"bat, and as he
thought, defeat the Divine .ill& so that they not only felt the 0ressure of the ills of this 0resent life, but
.ere tor"ented also by a "ost lively a00rehension of 0unish"ent in the future .orld. *5,
C%A$TER AA>%%%& That 4od chose Constantine to be the =inister of Blessing.
EA@D no., .ith such a "ass of i"0iety o00ressing the hu"an race, and the co""on.ealth in danger
of being utterly destroyed, as if by the agency of so"e 0estilential disease, and therefore needing
0o.erful and effectual aid2 .hat .as the relief, and .hat the re"edy .hich the Divinity devised for
these evilsB *And by Divinity is "eant the one .ho is alone and truly 4od, the 0ossessor of al"ighty
and eternal 0o.er& and surely it cannot be dee"ed arrogance in one .ho has received benefits fro"
4od, to ac-no.ledge the" in the loftiest ter"s of 0raise., % "yself, then, .as the instru"ent .hose
services e chose, and estee"ed suited for the acco"0lish"ent of his .ill. Accordingly, beginning at
the re"ote Britannic ocean, and the regions .here, according to the la. of nature, the sun sin-s
beneath the hori<on, through the aid of divine 0o.er % banished and utterly re"oved every for" of evil
.hich 0revailed, in the ho0e that the hu"an race, enlightened through "y instru"entality, "ight be
recalled to a due observance of the holy la.s of 4od, and at the sa"e ti"e our "ost blessed faith "ight
0ros0er under the guidance of his al"ighty hand.
C%A$TER AA%A& Constantine1s E80ressions of Piety to.ards 4od2 and Praise of the Confessors.
E% said, *+, under the guidance of his hand2 for % .ould desire never to be forgetful of the gratitude due
to his grace. Believing, therefore, that this "ost e8cellent service had been confided to "e as a s0ecial
gift, % 0roceeded as far as the regions of the East, .hich, being under the 0ressure of severer cala"ities,
see"ed to de"and still "ore effectual re"edies at "y hands. At the sa"e ti"e % a" "ost certainly
0ersuaded that % "yself o.e "y life, "y every breath, in short, "y very in"ost and secret thoughts,
entirely to the favor of the !u0re"e 4od. @o. % a" .ell a.are that they .ho are sincere in the 0ursuit
of the heavenly ho0e, and have fi8ed this ho0e in heaven itself as the 0eculiar and 0redo"inant
0rinci0le of their lives, have no need to de0end on hu"an favor, but rather have en/oyed higher honors
in 0ro0ortion as they have se0arated the"selves fro" the inferior and evil things of this earthly
e8istence. @evertheless % dee" it incu"bent on "e to re"ove at once and "ost co"0letely fro" all
such 0ersons the hard necessities laid u0on the" for a season, and the un/ust inflictions under .hich
they have suffered, though free fro" any guilt or /ust liability. #or it .ould be strange indeed, that the
fortitude and constancy of soul dis0layed by such "en should be fully a00arent during the reign of
those .hose first ob/ect it .as to 0ersecute the" on account of their devotion to 4od, and yet that the
glory of their character should not be "ore bright and blessed, under the ad"inistration of a 0rince .ho
is is servant. .
C%A$TER AAA>& (f the %nheritance of the Pro0erty of =artyrs and Confessors, also of those .ho
had suffered Banish"ent or Confiscation of Pro0erty.
E @or "ust .e o"it to notice those estates of .hich individuals have been de0rived on various
0retenses. #or if any of those .ho have engaged .ith dauntless and resolute deter"ination in the noble
and divine conflict of "artyrdo" have also been stri00ed of their fortunes2 or if the sa"e has been the
lot of the confessors, .ho have .on for the"selves the ho0e of eternal treasures2 or if the loss of
0ro0erty has befallen those .ho .ere driven fro" their native land because they .ould not yield to the
0ersecutors, and betray their faith2 lastly, if any .ho have esca0ed the sentence of death have yet been
des0oiled of their .orldly goods2 .e ordain that the inheritances of all such 0ersons be transferred to
their nearest -indred. And .hereas the la.s e80ressly assign this right to those "ost nearly related, it
.ill be easy to ascertain to .ho" these inheritances severally belong. And it is evidently reasonable
that the succession in these cases should belong to those .ho .ould have stood in the 0lace of nearest
affinity, had the deceased e80erienced a natural death.
C%A$TER AL.
The To"bs of =artyrs and the Ce"eteries to be transferred to the Possession of the Churches.
EAgain, .ith res0ect to those 0laces .hich are honored in being the de0ositories of the re"ains of
"artyrs, and continue to be "e"orials of their glorious de0arture2 ho. can .e doubt that they rightly
belong to the churches, or refrain fro" issuing our in/unction to that effectB #or surely there can be no
better liberality, no labor "ore 0leasing or 0rofitable, than to be thus e"0loyed under the guidance of
the Divine !0irit, in order that those things .hich have been a00ro0riated on false 0retenses by un/ust
and .ic-ed "en, "ay be restored, as /ustice de"ands, and once "ore secured to the holy churches.
C%A$TER AL%%& An Earnest E8hortation to .orshi0 4od.
EA@D no., since it a00ears by the clearest and "ost convincing evidence, that the "iseries .hich
ere.hile o00ressed the entire hu"an race are no. banished fro" every 0art of the .orld, through the
0o.er of Al"ighty 4od, and at the sa"e ti"e the counsel and aid .hich he is 0leased on "any
occasions to ad"inister through our agency2 it re"ains for all, both individually and unitedly, to
observe and seriously consider ho. great this 0o.er and ho. efficacious this grace are, .hich have
annihilated and utterly destroyed this generation, as % "ay call the", of "ost .ic-ed and evil "en2
have restored /oy to the good, and diffused it over all countries2 and no. guarantee the fullest authority
both to honor the Divine la. as it should be honored, .ith all reverence, and 0ay due observance to
those .ho have dedicated the"selves to the service of that la.. These rising as fro" so"e dar- abyss
and, .ith an enlightened -no.ledge of the 0resent course of events, .ill hencefor.ard render to its
0rece0ts that beco"ing reverence and honor .hich are consistent .ith their 0ious character.
Let this ordinance be 0ublished in our Eastern 0rovinces.E *+,
C%A$TER L>%& e 0rays that All "ay be Christians, but co"0els @one.
E=) o.n desire is, for the co""on good of the .orld and the advantage of all "an-ind, that thy
0eo0le should en/oy a life of 0eace and undisturbed concord. Let those, therefore, .ho still delight in
error, be "ade .elco"e to the sa"e degree of 0eace and tran3uillity .hich they have .ho believe. #or
it "ay be that this restoration of e3ual 0rivileges to all .ill 0revail to lead the" into the straight 0ath.
Let no one "olest another, but let every one do as his soul desires. (nly let "en of sound /udg"ent be
assured of this, that those only can live a life of holiness and 0urity, .ho" thou callest to a reliance on
thy holy la.s. ;ith regard to those .ho .ill hold the"selves aloof fro" us, let the" have, if they
0lease, their te"0les *+, of lies& .e have the glorious edifice of thy truth, .hich thou hast given us as
our native ho"e. *5, ;e 0ray, ho.ever, that they too "ay receive the sa"e blessing, and thus
e80erience that heartfelt /oy .hich unity of senti"ent ins0ires.
C%A$TER L>%%& e gives 4lory to 4od, .ho has given Light by his !on to those .ho .ere in
Error.
EAnd truly our .orshi0 is no ne. or recent thing, but one .hich thou hast ordained for thine o.n due
honor, fro" the ti"e .hen, as .e believe, this syste" of the universe .as first established. And,
although "an-ind have dee0ly fallen, and have been seduced by "anifold errors, yet hast thou revealed
a 0ure light in the 0erson of thy !on, that the 0o.er of evil should not utterly 0revail, and hast thus
given testi"ony to all "en concerning thyself.
C%A$TER LA%& o. Controversies originated at Ale8andria through =atters relating to Arius. *+,
%n this "anner the e"0eror, li-e a 0o.erful herald of 4od, addressed hi"self by his o.n letter to all the
0rovinces, at the sa"e ti"e .arning his sub/ects against su0erstitious 5 error, and encouraging the" in
the 0ursuit of true godliness. But in the "idst of his /oyful antici0ations of the success of this "easure,
he received tidings of a "ost serious disturbance .hich had invaded the 0eace of the Church. This
intelligence he heard .ith dee0 concern, and at once endeavored to devise a re"edy for the evil. The
origin of this disturbance "ay be thus described. The 0eo0le of 4od .ere in a truly flourishing state,
and abounding in the 0ractice of good .or-s. @o terror fro" .ithout assailed the", but a bright and
"ost 0rofound 0eace, through the favor of 4od, enco"0assed his Church on every side. =eanti"e,
ho.ever, the s0irit of envy .as .atching to destroy our blessings, .hich at first cre0t in un0erceived,
but soon revelled in the "idst of the asse"blies of the saints. At length it reached the bisho0s
the"selves, and arrayed the" in angry hostility against each other, on 0retense of a /ealous regard for
the doctrines of Divine truth. ence it .as that a "ighty fire .as -indled as it .ere fro" a little s0ar-,
and .hich, originating in the first instance in the Ale8andrian church, *6, overs0read the .hole of
Egy0t and Libya, and the further Thebaid. Eventually it e8tended its ravages to the other 0rovinces and
cities of the e"0ire2 so that not only the 0relates of the churches "ight be seen encountering each other
in the strife of .ords, but the 0eo0le the"selves .ere co"0letely divided, so"e adhering to one faction
and others to another. @ay, so notorious did the scandal of these 0roceedings beco"e, that the sacred
"atters of ins0ired teaching .ere e80osed to the "ost sha"eful ridicule in the very theaters of the
unbelievers.
C%A$TER LA%%& Concerning the !a"e Arius, and the =elitians. *+,
!o"e thus at Ale8andria "aintained an obstinate conflict on the highest 3uestions. (thers throughout
Egy0t and the D00er Thebaid, .ere at variance on account of an earlier controversy& so that the
churches .ere every.here distracted by divisions. The body therefore being thus diseased, the .hole
of Libya caught the contagion2 and the rest of the re"oter 0rovinces beca"e affected .ith the sa"e
disorder. #or the dis0utants at Ale8andria sent e"issaries to the bisho0s of the several 0rovinces, .ho
accordingly ranged the"selves as 0artisans on either side, and shared in the sa"e s0irit of discord.
C%A$TER LA%%%& o. Constantine sent a =essenger and a Letter concerning Peace.
As soon as the e"0eror .as infor"ed of these facts, .hich he heard .ith "uch sorro. of heart,
considering the" in the light of a cala"ity 0ersonally affecting hi"self, he forth.ith selected fro" the
Christians in his train one .ho" he .ell -ne. to be a00roved for the sobriety and genuineness of his
faith, *+, and .ho had before this ti"e distinguished hi"self by the boldness. of his religious
0rofession, and sent hi" to negotiate 0eace *5, bet.een the dissentient 0arties at Ale8andria. e also
"ade hi" the bearer of a "ost needful and a00ro0riate letter to the original "overs of the strife& and
this letter, as e8hibiting a s0eci"en of his .atchful care over 4od1s 0eo0le, it "ay be .ell to introduce
into this our narrative of his life. %ts 0ur0ort .as as follo.s.
C%A$TER LA%>& Constantine1s Letter to Ale8ander the Bisho0, and Arius the Presbyter.
E>%CT(R C(@!TA@T%@D!, =AA%=D! AD4D!TD!, to Ale8ander and Arius.
E% call that 4od to .itness, as .ell % "ay, .ho is the hel0er of "y endeavors, and the Preserver of all
"en, that % had a t.ofold reason for underta-ing that duty .hich % have no. 0erfor"ed.
C%A$TER LA>& is Continual An8iety for Peace.
E=) design then .as, first, to bring the diverse /udg"ents for"ed by all nations res0ecting the Deity to
a condition, as it .ere, of settled unifor"ity2 and, secondly, to restore to health the syste" of the .orld,
then suffering under the "alignant 0o.er of a grievous diste"0er. ?ee0ing these ob/ects in vie., %
sought to acco"0lish the one by the secret eye of thought, .hile the other % tried to rectify by the 0o.er
of "ilitary authority. #or % .as a.are that, if % should succeed in establishing, according to "y ho0es, a
co""on har"ony of senti"ent a"ong all the servants of 4od, the general course of affairs .ould also
e80erience a change corres0ondent to the 0ious desires of the" all.
C%A$TER LA>%& That he also ad/usted the Controversies .hich had arisen in Africa.
E#inding, then, that the .hole of Africa .as 0ervaded by an intolerable s0irit of "ad folly, through the
influence of those .ho .ith heedless frivolity had 0resu"ed to rend the religion of the 0eo0le into
diverse sects2 % .as an8ious to chec- this disorder, and could discover no other re"edy e3ual to the
occasion, e8ce0t in sending so"e of yourselves to aid in restoring "utual har"ony a"ong the
dis0utants, after % had re"oved that co""on ene"y *+, of "an-ind .ho had inter0osed his la.less
sentence for the 0rohibition of your holy synods.
C%A$TER LA>%%& That Religion began in the East.
E#or since the 0o.er of Divine light, and the la. of sacred .orshi0, .hich, 0roceeding in the first
instance, through the favor of 4od, fro" the boso", as it .ere, of the East, have illu"ined the .orld,
by their sacred radiance, % naturally believed that you .ould be the first to 0ro"ote the salvation of
other nations, and resolved .ith all energy of thought and diligence of en3uiry to see- your aid. As
soon, therefore, as % had secured "y decisive victory and un3uestionable triu"0h over "y ene"ies, "y
first en3uiry .as concerning that ob/ect .hich % felt to be of 0ara"ount interest and i"0ortance.
C%A$TER LA>%%%& Being grieved by the Dissension, he counsels Peace.
EBDT, ( glorious Providence of 4odF ho. dee0 a .ound did not "y ears only, but "y very heart
receive in the re0ort that divisions e8isted a"ong yourselves "ore grievous still than those .hich
continued in that countryF *+, so that you, through .hose aid % had ho0ed to 0rocure a re"edy for the
errors of others, are in a state .hich needs healing even "ore than theirs. And yet, having "ade a
careful en3uiry into the origin and foundation of these differences, % find the cause to be of a truly
insignificant character, and 3uite un.orthy of such fierce contention. #eeling "yself, therefore,
co"0elled to address you in this letter, and to a00eal at the sa"e ti"e to your unani"ity *5, and
sagacity, % call on Divine Providence to assist "e in the tas-, .hile % interru0t your dissension in the
character of a "inister of 0eace. And .ith reason& for if % "ight e80ect, .ith the hel0 of a higher Po.er,
to be able .ithout difficulty, by a /udicious a00eal to the 0ious feelings of those .ho heard "e, to recall
the" to a better s0irit, even though the occasion of the disagree"ent .ere a greater one, ho. can %
refrain fro" 0ro"ising "yself a far easier and "ore s0eedy ad/ust"ent of this difference, .hen the
cause .hich hinders general har"ony of senti"ent is intrinsically trifling and of little "o"entB
C%A$TER LA%A& (rigin of the Controversy bet.een Ale8ander and Arius, and that these Cuestions
ought not to have been discussed.
E% D@DER!TA@D, then, that the origin of the 0resent controversy is this. ;hen you, Ale8ander,
de"anded of the 0resbyters .hat o0inion they severally "aintained res0ecting a certain 0assage in the
Divine la., *+, or rather, % should say, that you as-ed the" so"ething connected .ith an un0rofitable
3uestion, then you, Arius, inconsiderately insisted on *5, .hat ought never to have been conceived at
all, or if conceived, should have been buried in 0rofound silence. ence it .as that a dissension arose
bet.een you, fello.shi0 .as .ithdra.n, *6, and the holy 0eo0le, rent into diverse 0arties, no longer
0reserved the unity of the one body. @o., therefore, do ye both e8hibit an e3ual degree of forbearance,
*7, and receive the advice .hich your fello.'servant righteously gives. ;hat then is this adviceB %t .as
.rong in the first instance to 0ro0ose such 3uestions as these, or to re0ly to the" .hen 0ro0ounded.
#or those 0oints of discussion .hich are en/oined by the authority of no la., but rather suggested by
the contentious s0irit .hich is fostered by "isused leisure, even though they "ay be intended "erely as
an intellectual e8ercise, ought certainly to be confined to the region of our o.n thoughts, and not
hastily 0roduced in the 0o0ular asse"blies, nor unadvisedly intrusted to the general ear. #or ho. very
fe. are there able either accurately to co"0rehend, or ade3uately to e80lain sub/ects so subli"e and
abstruse in their natureB (r, granting that one .ere fully co"0etent for this, ho. "any 0eo0le .ill he
convinceB (r, .ho, again, in dealing .ith 3uestions of such subtle nicety as these, can secure hi"self
against a dangerous declension fro" the truthB %t is incu"bent therefore on us in these cases to be
s0aring of our .ords, lest, in case .e ourselves are unable, through the feebleness of our natural
faculties, to give a clear e80lanation of the sub/ect before us, or, on the other hand, in case the slo.ness
of our hearers1 understandings disables the" fro" arriving at an accurate a00rehension of .hat .e say,
fro" one or other of these causes the 0eo0le be reduced to the alternative either of blas0he"y or
schis".
C%A$TER LAA& An E8hortation to Dnani"ity.
ELET therefore both the unguarded 3uestion and the inconsiderate ans.er receive your "utual
forgiveness. *+, #or the cause of your difference has not been any of the leading doctrines or 0rece0ts
of the Divine la., nor has any ne. heresy res0ecting the .orshi0 of 4od arisen a"ong you. )ou are in
truth of one and the sa"e /udg"ent& *5, you "ay therefore .ell /oin in co""union and fello.shi0.
C%A$TER LAA%& There should be no Contention in =atters .hich are in the"selves of Little
=o"ent.
E#or as long as you continue to contend about these s"all and very insignificant 3uestions, it is not
fitting that so large a 0ortion of 4od1s 0eo0le should be under the direction of your /udg"ent, since you
are thus divided bet.een yourselves. % believe it indeed to be not "erely unbeco"ing, but 0ositively
evil, that such should be the case. But % .ill refresh your "inds by a little illustration, as follo.s. )ou
-no. that 0hiloso0hers, though they all adhere to one syste", are yet fre3uently at issue on certain
0oints, and differ, 0erha0s, in their degree of -no.ledge& yet they are recalled to har"ony of senti"ent
by the uniting 0o.er of their co""on doctrines. %f this be true, is it not far "ore reasonable that you,
.ho are the "inisters of the !u0re"e 4od, should be of one "ind res0ecting the 0rofession of the sa"e
religionB But let us still "ore thoughtfully and .ith closer attention e8a"ine .hat % have said, and see
.hether it be right that, on the ground of so"e trifling and foolish verbal difference bet.een ourselves,
brethren should assu"e to.ards each other the attitude of ene"ies, and the august "eeting of the
!ynod be rent by 0rofane disunion, because of you .ho .rangle together on 0oints so trivial and
altogether unessentialB This is vulgar, and rather characteristic of childish ignorance, than consistent %
.ith the .isdo" of 0riests and "en of sense. Let us .ithdra. ourselves .ith a good .ill fro" these
te"0tations of the devil. (ur great 4od and co""on !aviour of all has granted the sa"e light to us all.
Per"it "e, .ho a" his servant, to bring "y tas- to a successful issue, under the direction of his
Providence, that % "ay be enabled, through "y e8hortations, and diligence, and earnest ad"onition, to
recall his 0eo0le to co""union and fello.shi0. #or since you have, as % said, but one faith, and one
senti"ent res0ecting our religion, and since the Divine co""and"ent in all its 0arts en/oins on us all
the duty of "aintaining a s0irit of concord, let not the circu"stance .hich has led to a slight difference
bet.een you, since it does not affect the validity of the .hole, cause any division or schis" a"ong
you. And this % say .ithout in any .ay desiring to force you to entire unity of /udg"ent in regard to this
truly idle 3uestion, .hatever its real nature "ay be. #or the dignity of your synod "ay be 0reserved,
and the co""union of your .hole body "aintained unbro-en, ho.ever .ide a difference "ay e8ist
a"ong you as to uni"0ortant "atters. #or .e are not all of us li-e'"inded on every sub/ect, nor is
there such a thing as one dis0osition and /udg"ent co""on to all ali-e. As far, then, as regards the
Divine Providence, let there be one faith, and one understanding a"ong you, one united /udg"ent in
reference to 4od. But as to your subtle dis0utations on 3uestions of little or no significance, though you
"ay be unable to har"oni<e in senti"ent, such differences should be consigned to the secret custody of
your o.n "inds and thoughts. And no., let the 0reciousness of co""on affection, let faith in the truth,
let the honor due to 4od and to the observance of his la. continue i""ovably a"ong you. Resu"e,
then, your "utual feelings of friendshi0, love, and regard& restore to the 0eo0le their .onted
e"bracings2 and do ye yourselves, having 0urified your souls, as it .ere, once "ore ac-no.ledge one
another. #or it often ha00ens that .hen a reconciliation is effected by the re"oval of the causes of
en"ity, friendshi0 beco"es even s.eeter than it .as before.

BOO' III.
C%A$TER %>& A #arther @otice of the Controversies raised in Egy0t by Arius.
%@ such occu0ations as these he e"0loyed hi"self .ith 0leasure& but the effects of that envious s0irit
.hich so troubled the 0eace of the churches of 4od in Ale8andria, together .ith the Theban and
Egy0tian schis", continued to cause hi" no little disturbance of "ind. #or in fact, in every city bisho0s
.ere engaged in obstinate conflict .ith bisho0s, and 0eo0le rising against 0eo0le2 and al"ost li-e the
fabled !y"0legades, *+, co"ing into violent collision .ith each other. @ay, so"e .ere so far
trans0orted beyond the bounds of reason as to be guilty of rec-less and outrageous conduct, and even to
insult the statues of the e"0eror. This state of things had little 0o.er to e8cite his anger, but rather
caused in hi" sorro. of s0irit2 for he dee0ly de0lored the folly thus e8hibited by deranged "en.
C%A$TER >& (f the Disagree"ent res0ecting the Celebration of Easter.
BDT before this ti"e another "ost virulent disorder had e8isted, and long afflicted the Church2 % "ean
the difference res0ecting the salutary feast of Easter. *+, #or .hile one 0arty asserted that the Ge.ish
custo" should be adhered to, the other affir"ed that the e8act recurrence of the 0eriod should be
observed .ithout follo.ing the authority of those .ho .ere in error, and strangers to gos0el grace.
Accordingly, the 0eo0le being thus in every 0lace divided in res0ect of this, *+, and the sacred
observances of religion confounded for a long 0eriod *inso"uch that the diversity of /udg"ent in
regard to the ti"e for celebrating one and the sa"e feast caused the greatest disagree"ent bet.een
those .ho -e0t it, so"e afflicting the"selves .ith fastings and austerities, .hile others devoted their
ti"e to festive rela8ation,, no one a00eared .ho .as ca0able of devising a re"edy for the evil, because
the controversy continued e3ually balanced bet.een both 0arties. To 4od alone, the Al"ighty, .as the
healing of these differences an easy tas-2 and Constantine a00eared to be the only one on earth ca0able
of being his "inister for this good end. #or as soon as he .as "ade ac3uainted .ith the facts .hich %
have described, and 0erceived that his letter to the Ale8andrian Christians had failed to 0roduce its due
effect, he at once aroused the energies of his "ind, and declared that he "ust 0rosecute to the ut"ost
this .ar also against the secret adversary .ho .as disturbing the 0eace of the Church.
C%A$TER >%& o. he ordered a Council to be held at @icaea.
TE@ as if to bring a divine array against this ene"y, he convo-ed a general council, and invited the
s0eedy attendance of bisho0s fro" all 3uarters, in letters e80ressive of the honorable esti"ation in
.hich he held the". @or .as this "erely the issuing of a bare co""and but the e"0eror1s good .ill
contributed "uch to its being carried into effect& for he allo.ed so"e the use of the 0ublic "eans of
conveyance, .hile he afforded to others an a"0le su00ly of horses *+, for their trans0ort. The 0lace,
too, selected for the synod, the city @icaea in Bithynia *na"ed fro" E>ictoryE,, .as a00ro0riate to the
occasion. *5, As soon then as the i"0erial in/unction .as generally "ade -no.n, all .ith the ut"ost
.illingness hastened thither, as though they .ould outstri0 one another in a race2 for they .ere
i"0elled by the antici0ation of a ha00y result to the conference, by the ho0e of en/oying 0resent 0eace,
and the desire of beholding so"ething ne. and strange in the 0erson of so ad"irable an e"0eror. @o.
.hen they .ere all asse"bled, it a00eared evident that the 0roceeding .as the .or- of 4od, inas"uch
as "en .ho had been "ost .idely se0arated, not "erely in senti"ent but also 0ersonally, and by
difference of country, 0lace, and nation, .ere here brought together, and co"0rised .ithin the .alls of
a single city, for"ing as it .ere a vast garland of 0riests, co"0osed of a variety of the choicest flo.ers.
C%A$TER >%%& (f the 4eneral Council, at .hich Bisho0s fro" all @ations .ere Present. *+,
%@ effect, the "ost distinguished of 4od1s "inisters fro" all the churches .hich abounded in Euro0e,
Lybia, *5, and Asia .ere here asse"bled. And a single house of 0rayer, as though divinely enlarged,
sufficed to contain at once !yrians and Cilicians, Phoenicians and Arabians, delegates fro" Palestine,
and others fro" Egy0t2 Thebans and Libyans, .ith those .ho ca"e fro" the region of =eso0ota"ia. A
Persian bisho0 too .as 0resent at this conference, nor .as even a !cythian found .anting to the
nu"ber. *6, Pontus, 4alatia, and Pa"0hylia, Ca00adocia, Asia, and Phrygia, furnished their "ost
distinguished 0relates2 .hile those .ho d.elt in the re"otest districts of Thrace and =acedonia, of
Achaia and E0irus, .ere not.ithstanding in attendance. Even fro" !0ain itself, one .hose fa"e .as
.idely s0read too- his seat as an individual in the great asse"bly. *7, The 0relate of the i"0erial city
*9, .as 0revented fro" attending by e8tre"e old age2 but his 0resbyters .ere 0resent, and su00lied his
0lace. Constantine is the first 0rince of any age .ho bound together such a garland as this .ith the
bond of 0eace, and 0resented it to his !aviour as a than-'offering for the victories he had obtained over
every foe, thus e8hibiting in our o.n ti"es a si"ilitude of the a0ostolic co"0any.
C%A$TER >%%%& That the Asse"bly .as co"0osed, as in the days of the A0ostles, of %ndividuals
fro" >arious @ations.
#(R it is said *+, that in the A0ostles1 age, there .ere gathered Edevout "en fro" every nation under
heavenE2 a"ong .ho" .ere Parthians, and =edes, and Ela"ites, and the d.ellers in =eso0ota"ia, in
Gudea, and Ca00adocia, in Pontus and Asia, in Phrygia and Pa"0hylia, in Egy0t, and the 0arts of Libya
about Cyrene2 and so/ourners fro" Ro"e, both Ge.s and 0roselytes, Cretans and Arabians. But that
asse"bly .as less, in that not all .ho co"0osed it .ere "inisters of 4od2 but in the 0resent co"0any,
the nu"ber of bisho0s e8ceeded t.o hundred and fifty, *5, .hile that of the 0resbyters and deacons in
their train, and the cro.d of acolytes and other attendants .as altogether beyond co"0utation.
C%A$TER %A& (f the >irtue and Age of the T.o undred and #ifty Bisho0s.
(f these "inisters of 4od, so"e .ere distinguished by .isdo" and elo3uence, others by the gravity of
their lives, and by 0atient fortitude of character, .hile others again united in the"selves all these
graces. *+, There .ere a"ong the" "en .hose years de"anded veneration& others .ere younger, and
in the 0ri"e of "ental vigor2 and so"e had but recently entered on the course of their "inistry. #or the
"aintenance of all a"0le 0rovision .as daily furnished by the e"0eror1s co""and.
C%A$TER A& Council in the Palace. Constantine, entering, too- his !eat in the Asse"bly.
@o. .hen the a00ointed day arrived on .hich the council "et for the final solution of the 3uestions in
dis0ute, each "e"ber .as 0resent for this in the central building of the 0alace, *+, .hich a00eared to
e8ceed the rest in "agnitude. (n each side of the interior of this .ere "any seats dis0osed in order,
.hich .ere occu0ied by those .ho had been invited to attend, according to their ran-. As soon, then, as
the .hole asse"bly had seated the"selves .ith beco"ing orderliness, a general silence 0revailed, in
e80ectation of the e"0eror1s arrival. And first of all, three of his i""ediate fa"ily entered in
succession, then others also 0receded his a00roach, not of the soldiers or guards .ho usually
acco"0anied hi", but only friends in the faith. And no., all rising at the signal .hich indicated the
e"0eror1s entrance, at last he hi"self 0roceeded through the "idst of the asse"bly, li-e so"e heavenly
"essenger of 4od, clothed in rai"ent .hich glittered as it .ere .ith rays of light, reflecting the
glo.ing radiance of a 0ur0le robe, and adorned .ith the brilliant s0lendor of gold and 0recious stones.
!uch .as the e8ternal a00earance of his 0erson2 and .ith regard to his "ind, it .as evident that he .as
distinguished by 0iety and godly fear. This .as indicated by his do.ncast eyes, the blush on his
countenance, and his gait. #or the rest of his 0ersonal e8cellencies, he sur0assed all 0resent in height of
stature and beauty of for", as .ell as in "a/estic dignity of "ien, and invincible strength and vigor. All
these graces, united to a suavity of "anner, and a serenity beco"ing his i"0erial station, declared the
e8cellence of his "ental 3ualities to be above all 0raise. *5, As soon as he had advanced to the u00er
end of the seats, at first he re"ained standing, and .hen a lo. chair of .rought gold had been set for
hi", he .aited until the bisho0s had bec-oned to hi", and then sat do.n, and after hi" the .hole
asse"bly did the sa"e.
C%A$TER A%& !ilence of the Council, after !o"e ;ords by the Bisho0 Eusebius.
The bisho0 .ho occu0ied the chief 0lace in the right division of the asse"bly *+, then rose, and,
addressing the e"0eror, delivered a concise s0eech, in a strain of than-sgiving to Al"ighty 4od on his
behalf. ;hen he had resu"ed his seat, silence ensued, and all regarded the e"0eror .ith fi8ed
attention2 on .hich he loo-ed serenely round on the asse"bly .ith a cheerful as0ect, and, having
collected his thoughts, in a cal" and gentle tone gave utterance to the follo.ing .ords.
C%A$TER A%%& Constantine1s Address to the Council concerning Peace.*+,
E%t .as once "y chief desire, dearest friends, to en/oy the s0ectacle of your united 0resence2 and no.
that this desire is fulfilled, % feel "yself bound to render than-s to 4od the universal ?ing, because, in
addition to all his other benefits, he has granted "e a blessing higher than all the rest, in 0er"itting "e
to see you not only all asse"bled together, but all united in a co""on har"ony of senti"ent. % 0ray
therefore that no "alignant adversary "ay henceforth interfere to "ar our ha00y state2 % 0ray that, no.
the i"0ious hostility of the tyrants has been forever re"oved by the 0o.er of 4od our !aviour, that
s0irit .ho delights in evil "ay devise no other "eans for e80osing the divine la. to blas0he"ous
calu"ny2 for, in "y /udg"ent, intestine strife .ithin the Church of 4od, is far "ore evil and dangerous
than any -ind of .ar or conflict2 and these our differences a00ear to "e "ore grievous than any
out.ard trouble. Accordingly, .hen, by the .ill and .ith the co'o0eration of 4od, % had been
victorious over "y ene"ies, % thought that nothing "ore re"ained but to render than-s to hi", and
sy"0athi<e in the /oy of those .ho" he had restored to freedo" through "y instru"entality2 as soon as
% heard that intelligence .hich % had least e80ected to receive, % "ean the ne.s of your dissension, %
/udged it to be of no secondary i"0ortance, but .ith the earnest desire that a re"edy for this evil also
"ight be found through "y "eans, % i""ediately sent to re3uire your 0resence. And no. % re/oice in
beholding your asse"bly2 but % feel that "y desires .ill be "ost co"0letely fulfilled .hen % can see
you all united in one /udg"ent, and that co""on s0irit of 0eace and concord 0revailing a"ongst you
all, .hich it beco"es you, as consecrated to the service of 4od, to co""end to others. Delay not, then,
dear friends& delay not, ye "inisters of 4od, and faithful servants of hi" .ho is our co""on Lord and
!aviour& begin fro" this "o"ent to discard the causes of that disunion .hich has e8isted a"ong you,
and re"ove the 0er0le8ities of controversy by e"bracing the 0rinci0les of 0eace. #or by such conduct
you .ill at the sa"e ti"e be acting in a "anner "ost 0leasing to the su0re"e 4od, and you .ill confer
an e8ceeding favor on "e .ho a" your fello.' servant.E
C%A$TER A%%%& o. he led the Dissentient Bisho0s to ar"ony of !enti"ent.
As soon as the e"0eror had s0o-en these .ords in the Latin tongue, .hich another inter0reted, he gave
0er"ission to those .ho 0resided in the council to deliver their o0inions. (n this so"e began to accuse
their neighbors, .ho defended the"selves, and recri"inated in their turn. %n this "anner nu"berless
assertions .ere 0ut forth by each 0arty, and a violent controversy arose at the very co""ence"ent.
@ot.ithstanding this, the e"0eror gave 0atient audience to all ali-e, and received every 0ro0osition
.ith steadfast attention, and by occasionally assisting the argu"ent of each 0arty in turn, he gradually
dis0osed even the "ost vehe"ent dis0utants to a reconciliation. At the sa"e ti"e, by the affability of
his address to all, and his use of the 4ree- language, .ith .hich he .as not altogether unac3uainted, he
a00eared in a truly attractive and a"iable light, 0ersuading so"e, convincing others by his reasonings,
0raising those .ho s0o-e .ell, and urging all to unity of senti"ent, until at last he succeeded in
bringing the" to one "ind and /udg"ent res0ecting every dis0uted 3uestion.
C%A$TER A%>& Dnani"ous Declaration of the Council concerning #aith, and the Celebration of
Easter.
The result .as that they .ere not only united as concerning the faith, but that the ti"e for the
celebration of the salutary feast of Easter .as agreed on by all. Those 0oints also .hich .ere
sanctioned by the resolution of the .hole body .ere co""itted to .riting, and received the signature
of each several "e"ber. *+, Then the e"0eror, believing that he had thus obtained a second victory
over the adversary of the Church, 0roceeded to sole"ni<e a triu"0hal festival in honor of 4od.
C%A$TER A>& o. Constantine entertained the Bisho0s on the (ccasion of his >icennalia.
About this ti"e he co"0leted the t.entieth year of his reign. *+, (n this occasion 0ublic festivals .ere
celebrated by the 0eo0le of the 0rovinces generally, but the e"0eror hi"self invited and feasted .ith
those "inisters of 4od .ho" he had reconciled, and thus offered as it .ere through the" a suitable
sacrifice to 4od. @ot one of the bisho0s .as .anting at the i"0erial ban3uet, *5, the circu"stances of
.hich .ere s0lendid beyond descri0tion. Detach"ents of the body' guard and other troo0s surrounded
the entrance of the 0alace .ith dra.n s.ords, and through the "idst of these the "en of 4od
0roceeded .ithout fear into the inner"ost of the i"0erial a0art"ents, in .hich so"e .ere the
e"0eror1s o.n co"0anions at table, .hile others reclined on couches arranged on either side. *6, (ne
"ight have thought that a 0icture of Christ1s -ingdo" .as thus shado.ed forth, and a drea" rather than
reality.
C%A$TER A>%%& Constantine1s Letter to the Churches res0ecting the Council at @icaea.
EC(@!TA@T%@D! AD4D!TD!, to the Churches. Eaving had full 0roof, in the general 0ros0erity of
the e"0ire, ho. great the favor of 4od has been to.ards us, % have /udged that it ought to be the first
ob/ect of "y endeavors, that unity of faith, sincerity of love, and co""unity of feeling in regard to the
.orshi0 of Al"ighty 4od, "ight be 0reserved a"ong the highly favored "ultitude .ho co"0ose the
Catholic Church. And, inas"uch as this ob/ect could not be effectually and certainly secured, unless all,
or at least the greater nu"ber of the bisho0s .ere to "eet together, and a discussion of all 0articulars
relating to oar "ost holy religion to ta-e 0lace2 for this reason as nu"erous an asse"bly as 0ossible has
been convened, at .hich % "yself .as 0resent, as one a"ong yourselves *and far be it fro" "e to deny
that .hich is "y greatest /oy, that % a" your fello.' servant,, and every 3uestion received due and full
e8a"ination, until that /udg"ent .hich 4od, .ho sees all things, could a00rove, and .hich tended to
unity and concord, .as brought to light, so that no roo" .as left for further discussion or controversy
in relation to the faith.
C%A$TER A>%%%& e s0ea-s of their Dnani"ity res0ecting the #east of Easter, and against the
Practice of the Ge.s.
EAT this "eeting the 3uestion concerning the "ost holy day of Easter .as discussed, and it .as
resolved by the united /udg"ent of all 0resent, that this feast ought to be -e0t by all and in every 0lace
on one and the sa"e day. #or .hat can be "ore beco"ing or honorable to us than that this feast fro"
.hich .e date our ho0es of i""ortality, should be observed unfailingly by all ali-e, according to one
ascertained order and arrange"entB And first of all, it a00eared an un.orthy thing that in the
celebration of this "ost holy feast .e should follo. the 0ractice of the Ge.s, .ho have i"0iously
defiled their hands .ith enor"ous sin, and are, therefore, deservedly afflicted .ith blindness of soul.
#or .e have it in our 0o.er, if .e abandon their custo", to 0rolong the due observance of this
ordinance to future ages, by a truer order, .hich .e have 0reserved fro" the very day of the 0assion
until the 0resent ti"e. Let us then have nothing in co""on .ith the detestable Ge.ish cro.d2 for .e
have received fro" our !aviour a different .ay. A course at once legiti"ate and honorable lies o0en to
our "ost holy religion. Beloved brethren, let us .ith one consent ado0t this course, and .ithdra.
ourselves fro" all 0artici0ation in their baseness. *+, #or their boast is absurd indeed, that it is not in
our 0o.er .ithout instruction fro" the" to observe these things. #or ho. should they be ca0able of
for"ing a sound /udg"ent, .ho, since their 0arricidal guilt in slaying their Lord, have been sub/ect to
the direction, not of reason, but of ungoverned 0assion, and are s.ayed by every i"0ulse of the "ad
s0irit that is in the"B ence it is that on this 0oint as .ell as others they have no 0erce0tion of the
truth, so that, being altogether ignorant of the true ad/ust"ent of this 3uestion, they so"eti"es
celebrate Easter t.ice in the sa"e year. ;hy then should .e follo. those .ho are confessedly in
grievous errorB !urely .e shall never consent to -ee0 this feast a second ti"e in the sa"e year. But
su00osing these reasons .ere not of sufficient .eight, still it .ould be incu"bent on your !agacities
*5, to strive and 0ray continually that the 0urity of your souls "ay not see" in anything to be sullied by
fello.shi0 .ith the custo"s of these "ost .ic-ed "en. ;e "ust consider, too, that a discordant
/udg"ent in a case of such i"0ortance, and res0ecting such religious festival, is .rong. #or our !aviour
has left us one feast in co""e"oration of the day of our deliverance, % "ean the day of his "ost holy
0assion2 and he has .illed that his Catholic Church should be one, the "e"bers of .hich, ho.ever
scattered in "any and diverse 0laces, are yet cherished by one 0ervading s0irit, that is, by the .ill of
4od. And let your olinesses1 sagacity reflect ho. grievous and scandalous it is that on the self'sa"e
days so"e should be engaged in fasting, others in festive en/oy"ent2 and again, that after the days of
Easter so"e should be 0resent at ban3uets and a"use"ents, .hile others are fulfilling the a00ointed
fasts. %t is, then, 0lainly the .ill of Divine Providence *as % su00ose you all clearly see,, that this usage
should receive fitting correction, and be reduced to one unifor" rule.
C%A$TER AA& E8hortation to obey the Decrees of the Council.
ERECE%>E, then, .ith all .illingness this truly Divine in/unction, and regard it as in truth the gift of
4od. #or .hatever is deter"ined in the holy asse"blies of the bisho0s is to be regarded as indicative of
the Divine .ill. As soon, therefore, as you have co""unicated these 0roceedings to all our beloved
brethren, you are bound fro" that ti"e for.ard to ado0t for yourselves, and to en/oin on others the
arrange"ent above "entioned, and the due observance of this "ost sacred day2 that .henever % co"e
into the 0resence of your love, .hich % have long desired, % "ay have it in "y 0o.er to celebrate the
holy feast .ith you on the sa"e day, and "ay re/oice .ith you on all accounts, .hen % behold the cruel
0o.er of !atan re"oved by Divine aid through the agency of our endeavors, .hile your faith, and
0eace, and concord everB .here flourish. 4od 0reserve you, beloved brethren
The e"0eror trans"itted a faithful co0y *+, of this letter to every 0rovince, .herein they .ho read it
"ight discern as in a "irror the 0ure sincerity of his thoughts, and of his 0iety to.ard 4od.
C%A$TER AA%& Reco""endation to the Bisho0s, on their De0arture, to Preserve ar"ony.
A@D no., .hen the council .as on the 0oint of being finally dissolved, he su""oned all the bisho0s
to "eet hi" on an a00ointed day, and on their arrival addressed the" in a fare.ell s0eech, in .hich he
reco""ended the" to be diligent in the "aintenance of 0eace, to avoid contentious dis0utations,
a"ongst the"selves and not to be /ealous, if any one of their nu"ber should a00ear 0re'e"inent for
.isdo" and elo3uence, but to estee" the e8cellence of one a blessing co""on to all. (n the other
hand he re"inded the" that the "ore gifted should forbear to e8alt the"selves to the 0re/udice of their
hu"bler brethren, since it is 4od1s 0rerogative to /udge of real su0eriority. Rather should they
considerately condescend to the .ea-er, re"e"bering that absolute 0erfection in any case is a rare
3uality indeed. Each then, should be .illing to accord indulgence to the other for slight offenses, to
regard charitably and 0ass over "ere hu"an .ea-nesses2 holding "utual har"ony in the highest honor,
that no occasion of "oc-ery "ight be given by their dissensions to those .ho are ever ready to
blas0he"e the .ord of 4od& .ho" indeed .e should do all in our 0o.er to save, and this cannot be
unless our conduct see"s to the" attractive. But you are .ell a.are of the fact that testi"ony is by no
"eans 0roductive of blessing to all, since so"e .ho hear are glad to secure the su00ly of their "ere
bodily necessities, .hile others court the 0atronage of their su0eriors2 so"e fi8 their affection on those
.ho treat the" .ith hos0itable -indness, others again, being honored .ith 0resents, love their
benefactors in return2 but fe. are they .ho really desire the .ord of testi"ony, and rare indeed is it to
find a friend of truth. ence the necessity of endeavoring to "eet the case of all, and, 0hysician'li-e, to
ad"inister to each that .hich "ay tend to the health of the soul, to the end that the saving doctrine "ay
be fully honored by all. (f this -ind .as the for"er 0art of his e8hortation2 *+, and in conclusion he
en/oined the" to offer diligent su00lications to 4od on his behalf. aving thus ta-en leave of the", he
gave the" all 0er"ission to return to their res0ective countries2 and this they did .ith /oy, and
thencefor.ard that unity of /udg"ent at .hich they had arrived in the e"0eror1s 0resence continued to
0revail, and those .ho had long been divided .ere bound together as "e"bers of the sa"e body.
C%A$TER AA>%& That the oly !e0ulchre had been covered .ith Rubbish and .ith %dols by the
Dngodly.
#or it had been in ti"e 0ast the endeavor of i"0ious "en *or rather let "e say of the .hole race of evil
s0irits through their "eans,, to consign to the dar-ness of oblivion that divine "onu"ent of
i""ortality to .hich the radiant angel had descended fro" heaven, and rolled a.ay the stone for those
.ho still had stony hearts, and .ho su00osed that the living (ne still lay a"ong the dead2 and had
declared glad tidings to the .o"en also, and re"oved their stony'hearted unbelief by the conviction
that he .ho" they sought .as alive. This sacred cave, then, certain i"0ious and godless 0ersons had
thought to re"ove entirely fro" the eyes of "en, su00osing in their folly that thus they should be able
effectually to obscure the truth. Accordingly they brought a 3uantity of earth fro" a distance .ith "uch
labor, and covered the entire s0ot2 then, having raised this to a "oderate height, they 0aved it .ith
stone, concealing the holy cave beneath this "assive "ound. Then, as though their 0ur0ose had been
effectually acco"0lished, they 0re0are on this foundation a truly dreadful se0ulchre of souls, by
building a gloo"y shrine of lifeless idols to the i"0ure s0irit .ho" they call >enus, and offering
detestable oblations therein on 0rofane and accursed altars. #or they su00osed that their ob/ect could
not other.ise be fully attained, than by thus burying the sacred cave beneath these foul 0ollutions.
Dnha00y "enF they .ere unable to co"0rehend ho. i"0ossible it .as that their atte"0t should re"ain
un-no.n to hi" .ho had been cro.ned .ith victory over death, any "ore than the bla<ing sun, .hen
he rises above the earth, and holds his .onted course through the "idst of heaven, is unseen by the
.hole race of "an-ind. %ndeed, his saving 0o.er, shining .ith still greater brightness, and illu"ining,
not the bodies, but the souls of "en, .as already filling the .orld .ith the effulgence of its o.n light.
@evertheless, these devices of i"0ious and .ic-ed "en against the truth had 0revailed for a long ti"e,
nor had any one of the governors, or "ilitary co""anders, or even of the e"0erors the"selves ever yet
a00eared, .ith ability to abolish these daring i"0ieties, save only that one .ho en/oyed the favor of the
?ing of -ings. And no., acting as he did under the guidance of the divine !0irit, he could not consent
to see the sacred s0ot of .hich .e have s0o-en, thus buried, through the devices of the adversaries,
under every -ind of i"0urity, and abandoned to forgetfulness and neglect2 nor .ould he yield to the
"alice of those .ho had contracted this guilt, but calling on the divine aid, gave orders that the 0lace
should be thoroughly 0urified, thin-ing that the 0arts .hich had been "ost 0olluted by the ene"y
ought to receive s0ecial to-ens, through his "eans, of the greatness of the divine favor. As soon, then,
as his co""ands .ere issued, these engines of deceit .ere cast do.n fro" their 0roud e"inence to the
very ground, and the d.elling'0laces of error, .ith the statues and the evil s0irits .hich they
re0resented, .ere overthro.n and utterly destroyed.
C%A$TER AL%A& Re0resentation of the Cross in the Palace, and of Daniel at the Public #ountains.
(n the other hand one "ight see the fountains in the "idst of the "ar-et 0lace graced .ith figures
re0resenting the good !he0herd, .ell -no.n to those .ho study the sacred oracles, and that of Daniel
also .ith the lions, forged in brass, and res0lendent .ith 0lates of gold. %ndeed, so large a "easure of
Divine love 0ossessed the e"0eror1s soul, that in the 0rinci0al a0art"ent of the i"0erial 0alace itself,
on a vast tablet *+, dis0layed in the center of its gold'covered 0aneled ceiling, he caused the sy"bol of
our !aviour1s Passion to be fi8ed, co"0osed of a variety of 0recious stones richly in.rought .ith gold.
This sy"bol he see"ed to have intended to be as it .ere the safeguard of the e"0ire itself.
C%A$TER L& That he erected Churches in @ico"edia, and in (ther Cities.
A>%@4 thus e"bellished the city .hich bore his na"e, he ne8t distinguished the ca0ital of Bithynia
*+, by the erection of a stately and "agnificent church, being desirous of raising in this city also, in
honor of his !aviour and at his o.n charges, a "e"orial of his victory over his o.n ene"ies and the
adversaries of 4od. e also decorated the 0rinci0al cities of the other 0rovinces .ith sacred edifices of
great beauty2 as, for e8a"0le, in the case of that "etro0olis of the East .hich derived its na"e fro"
Antiochus, in .hich, as the head of that 0ortion of the e"0ire, he consecrated to the service of 4od a
church of un0aralleled si<e and beauty. The entire building .as enco"0assed by an enclosure of great
e8tent, .ithin .hich the church itself rose to a vast elevation, being of an octagonal for", and
surrounded on all sides by "any cha"bers, courts, and u00er and lo.er a0art"ents2 the .hole richly
adorned .ith a 0rofusion of gold, brass, and other "aterials of the "ost costly -ind.
C%A$TER L%>& Destruction of %dol Te"0les and %"ages every.here.
ALL these things the e"0eror diligently 0erfor"ed to the 0raise of the saving 0o.er of Christ, and thus
"ade it his constant ai" to glorify his !aviour 4od. (n the other hand he used every "eans to rebu-e
the su0erstitious errors of the heathen. ence the entrances of their te"0les in the several cities .ere
left e80osed to the .eather, being stri00ed of their doors at his co""and2 the tiling of others .as
re"oved, and their roofs destroyed. #ro" others again the venerable statues of brass, of .hich the
su0erstition of anti3uity had boasted for a long series of years, .ere e80osed to vie. in all the 0ublic
0laces of the i"0erial city& so that here a Pythian, there a !"inthian A0ollo, e8cited the conte"0t of the
beholder& .hile the Del0hic tri0ods .ere de0osited in the hi00odro"e and the =uses of elicon in the
0alace itself. %n short, the city .hich bore his na"e .as every.here filled .ith bra<en statues of the
"ost e83uisite .or-"anshi0, .hich had been dedicated in every 0rovince, and .hich the deluded
victi"s of su0erstition had long vainly honored as gods .ith nu"berless victi"s and burnt sacrifices,
though no. at length they learnt to renounce their error, .hen the e"0eror held u0 the very ob/ects of
their .orshi0 to be the ridicule and s0ort of all beholders. ;ith regard to those i"ages .hich .ere of
gold, he dealt .ith the" in a different "anner. #or as soon as he understood that the ignorant
"ultitudes .ere ins0ired .ith a vain and childish dread of these bugbears of error, .rought in gold and
silver, he /udged it right to re"ove these also, li-e stu"bling'stones thro.n in the .ay of "en .al-ing
in the dar-, and hencefor.ard to o0en a royal road, 0lain and unobstructed to all. aving for"ed this
resolution, he considered no soldiers or "ilitary force of any sort needful for the su00ression of the
evil& a fe. of his o.n friends sufficed for this service, and these he sent by a si"0le e80ression of his
.ill to visit each several 0rovince. Accordingly, sustained by confidence in the e"0eror1s 0ious
intentions and their o.n 0ersonal devotion to 4od, they 0assed through the "idst of nu"berless tribes
and nations, abolishing this ancient error in every city and country. They ordered the 0riests
the"selves, a"idst general laughter and scorn, to bring their gods fro" their dar- recesses to the light
of day& they then stri00ed the" of their orna"ents, and e8hibited to the ga<e of all the unsightly reality
.hich had been hidden beneath a 0ainted e8terior. Lastly, .hatever 0art of the "aterial a00eared
valuable they scra0ed off and "elted in the fire to 0rove its .orth, after .hich they secured and set
a0art .hatever they /udged needful for their 0ur0ose, leaving to the su0erstitious .orshi0ers that .hich
.as altogether useless, as a "e"orial of their sha"e. =ean.hile our ad"irable 0rince .as hi"self
engaged in a .or- si"ilar to .hat .e have described. #or at the sa"e ti"e that these costly i"ages of
the dead .ere stri00ed, as .e have said, of their 0recious "aterials, he also attac-ed those co"0osed of
brass2 causing those to be dragged fro" their 0laces .ith ro0es and as it .ere carried a.ay ca0tive,
.ho" the dotage of "ythology had estee"ed as gods.
C%A$TER L>& (verthro. of an %dol Te"0le, and Abolition of Licentious Practices, at A0haca in
Phoenicia.
TE e"0eror1s ne8t care .as to -indle, as it .ere, a brilliant torch, by the light of .hich he directed his
i"0erial ga<e around, to see if any hidden vestiges of error "ight still e8ist. And as the -een'sighted
eagle in its heaven.ard flight is able to descry fro" its lofty height the "ost distant ob/ects on the
earth, so did he, .hile residing in the i"0erial 0alace of his o.n fair city, discover as fro" a .atch'
to.er a hidden and fatal snare of souls in the 0rovince of Phoenicia. This .as a grove and te"0le, not
situated in the "idst of any city, nor in any 0ublic 0lace, as for s0lendor of effect is generally the case,
but a0art fro" the beaten and fre3uented road, at A0haca, on 0art of the su""it of =ount Lebanon,
and dedicated to the foul de"on -no.n by the na"e of >enus. %t .as a school of .ic-edness for all the
votaries of i"0urity, and such as destroyed their bodies .ith effe"inacy. ere "en undeserving of the
na"e forgot the dignity of their se8, and 0ro0itiated the de"on by their effe"inate conduct2 here too
unla.ful co""erce of .o"en and adulterous intercourse, .ith other horrible and infa"ous 0ractices,
.ere 0er0etrated in this te"0le as in a 0lace beyond the sco0e and restraint of la.. =eanti"e these
evils re"ained unchec-ed by the 0resence of any observer, since no one of fair character ventured to
visit such scenes. These 0roceedings, ho.ever, could not esca0e the vigilance of our august e"0eror,
.ho, having hi"self ins0ected the" .ith characteristic forethought, and /udging that such a te"0le .as
unfit for the light of heaven, gave orders that the building .ith its offerings should be utterly destroyed.
Accordingly, in obedience to the i"0erial co""and, these engines of an i"0ure su0erstition .ere
i""ediately abolished, and the hand of "ilitary force .as "ade instru"ental in 0urging the 0lace. And
no. those .ho had heretofore lived .ithout restraint learned self'control through the e"0eror1s threat
of 0unish"ent, as li-e.ise those su0erstitious 4entiles .ise in their o.n conceit, .ho no. obtained
e80eri"ental 0roof of their o.n folly.
C%A$TER L>%& Destruction of the Te"0le of Aescula0ius at Aegae.*+,
#(R since a .ide's0read error of these 0retenders to .isdo" concerned the de"on .orshi0ed in
Cilicia, .ho" thousands regarded .ith reverence as the 0ossessor of saving and healing 0o.er, .ho
so"eti"es a00eared to those .ho 0assed the night in his te"0le, so"eti"es restored the diseased to
health, though on the contrary he .as a destroyer of souls, .ho dre. his easily deluded .orshi0ers
fro" the true !aviour to involve the" in i"0ious error, the e"0eror, consistently .ith his 0ractice, and
desire to advance the .orshi0 of hi" .ho is at once a /ealous 4od and the true !aviour, gave directions
that this te"0le also should be ra<ed to the ground. %n 0ro"0t obedience to this co""and, a band of
soldiers laid this building, the ad"iration of noble 0hiloso0hers, 0rostrate in the dust, together .ith its
unseen in"ate, neither de"on nor god, but rather a deceiver of souls, .ho had seduced "an-ind for so
long a ti"e through various ages. And thus he .ho had 0ro"ised to others deliverance fro" "isfortune
and distress, could find no "eans for his o.n security, any "ore than .hen, as is told in "yth, he .as
scorched by the lightning1s stro-e. *5, (ur e"0eror1s 0ious deeds, ho.ever, had in the" nothing
fabulous or feigned2 but by virtue of the "anifested 0o.er of his !aviour, this te"0le as .ell as others
.as so utterly overthro.n, that not a vestige of the for"er follies .as left behind.
C%A$TER L>%%& o. the 4entiles abandoned %dol ;orshi0, and turned to the ?no.ledge of 4od.
E@CE it .as that, of those .ho had been the slaves of su0erstition, .hen they sa. .ith their o.n
eyes the e80osure of their delusion, and beheld the actual ruin of the te"0les and i"ages in every 0lace,
so"e a00lied the"selves to the saving doctrine of Christ2 .hile others, though they declined to ta-e
this ste0, yet re0robated the folly .hich they had received fro" their fathers, and laughed to scorn .hat
they had so long been accusto"ed to regard as gods. %ndeed, .hat other feelings could 0ossess their
"inds, .hen they .itnessed the thorough uncleanness concealed beneath the fair e8terior of the ob/ects
of their .orshi0B Beneath this .ere found either the bones of dead "en or dry s-ulls, fraudulently
adorned by the arts of "agicians, *+, or filthy rags full of abo"inable i"0urity, or a bundle of hay or
stubble. (n seeing all these things hea0ed together .ithin their lifeless i"ages, they denounced their
fathers1 e8tre"e folly and their o.n, es0ecially .hen neither in the secret recesses of the te"0les nor in
the statues the"selves could any in"ate be found2 neither de"on, nor utterer of oracles, neither god nor
0ro0het, as they had heretofore su00osed& nay, not even a di" and shado.y 0hanto" could be seen.
Accordingly, every gloo"y cavern, every hidden recess, afforded easy access to the e"0eror1s
e"issaries& the inaccessible and secret cha"bers, the inner"ost shrines of the te"0les, .ere tra"0led
by the soldiers1 feet2 and thus the "ental blindness .hich had 0revailed for so "any ages over the
gentile .orld beca"e clearly a00arent to the eyes of all.
BOO' I(.
C%A$TER >%%%& That he .rote also to the ?ing of Persia *+, .ho had sent hi" an E"bassy, on
Behalf of the Christians in his Real".
TE -ing of the Persians also having testified a desire to for" an alliance .ith Constantine, by sending
an e"bassy and 0resents as assurances of 0eace and friendshi0, the e"0eror, in negotiating this treaty,
far sur0assed the "onarch .ho had first done hi" honor, in the "agnificence .ith .hich he
ac-no.ledged his gifts. aving heard, too, that there .ere "any churches of 4od in Persia, and that
large nu"bers there .ere gathered into the fold of Christ, full of /oy at this intelligence, he resolved to
e8tend his an8iety for the general .elfare to that country also, as one .hose ai" it .as to care for all
ali-e in every nation.
C%A$TER %A& Letter of Constantine Augustus to !a0or, ?ing of the Persians, containing a truly
Pious Confession of 4od and Christ.
Co0y of his Letter to the ?ing of Persia.
EBy -ee0ing the Divine faith, % a" "ade a 0arta-er of the light of truth& guided by the light of truth, %
advance in the -no.ledge of the Divine faith. ence it is that, as "y actions the"selves evince, %
0rofess the "ost holy religion2 and this .orshi0 % declare to be that .hich teaches "e dee0er
ac3uaintance .ith the "ost holy 4od2 aided by .hose Divine 0o.er, beginning fro" the very borders
of the ocean, % have aroused each nation of the .orld in succession to a .ell'grounded ho0e of security2
so that those .hich, groaning in servitude to the "ost cruel tyrants and yielding to the 0ressure of their
daily sufferings, had .ell nigh been utterly destroyed, have been restored through "y agency to a far
ha00ier state. This 4od % confess that % hold in unceasing honor and re"e"brance2 this 4od % delight to
conte"0late .ith 0ure and guileless thoughts in the height of his glory.
EA@D it is surely a ha00y circu"stance that the 0unish"ent of such 0ersons as % have described should
have been 0ublicly "anifested in our o.n ti"es. #or % "yself have .itnessed the end of those .ho
lately harassed the .orshi0ers of 4od by their i"0ious edict. And for this abundant than-sgivings are
due to 4od that through his e8cellent Providence all "en .ho observe his holy la.s are gladdened by
the rene.ed en/oy"ent of 0eace. ence % a" fully 0ersuaded that everything is in the best and safest
0osture, since 4od is vouchsafing, through the influence of their 0ure and faithful religious service, and
their unity of /udg"ent res0ecting his Divine character, to gather all "en to hi"self.
C%A$TER AA%>& That he described hi"self to be a Bisho0, in Charge of Affairs E8ternal to the
Church.
E@CE it .as not .ithout reason that once, on the occasion of his entertaining a co"0any of bisho0s,
he let fall the e80ression, Ethat he hi"self too .as a bisho0,E addressing the" in "y heating in the
follo.ing .ords& E)ou are bisho0s .hose /urisdiction is .ithin the Church& % also a" a bisho0,
ordained by 4od to overloo- .hatever is e8ternal to the Church.E *+, And co0al care, and e8horted
the" as far as in hi" lay to follo. a godly life.
C%A$TER AA>%%& A"ong (ther Enact"ents, he decrees that no Christian shall slave to a Ge., and
affir"s the >alidity of the Decisions of Councils.
E also 0assed a la. to the effect that no Christian should re"ain in servitude to a Ge.ish "aster, on
the ground that it could not be right that those .ho" the !aviour had ranso"ed should be sub/ected to
the yo-e of slavery by a 0eo0le .ho had slain the 0ro0hets and the Lord hi"self. %f any .ere found
hereafter in these circu"stances, the slave .as to be set at liberty, and the "aster 0unished by a fine.
e li-e.ise added the sanction of his authority to the decisions of bisho0s 0assed at their synods, and
forbade the 0rovincial governors to annul any of their decrees& for he rated the 0riests of 4od at a
higher value than any /udge .hatever. These and a thousand si"ilar 0rovisions did he enact for the
benefit of his sub/ects2 but there is not ti"e no. to give a s0ecial descri0tion of the", such as "ight
convey an accurate idea of his i"0erial .isdo" in these res0ects& nor need % no. relate at length, ho.,
as a devoted servant of the !u0re"e 4od, he e"0loyed hi"self fro" "orning until night in see-ing
ob/ects for his beneficence, and ho. e3ually and universally -ind he .as to all.
C%A$TER AA>%%%& is 4ifts to the Churches, and Bounties to >irgins and to the Poor.
is liberality, ho.ever, .as "ost es0ecially e8ercised on behalf of the churches of 4od. %n so"e cases
he granted lands, in others he issued su00lies of food for the su00ort of the 0oor, of or0han children,
and .ido.s2 besides .hich, he evinced "uch care and forethought in fully 0roviding the na-ed and
destitute .ith clothing. e distinguished, ho.ever, .ith "ost s0ecial honor those .ho had devoted
their lives to the 0ractice of Divine 0hiloso0hy. ence his res0ect, little short of veneration, for 4od1s
"ost holy and ever virgin choir& for he felt assured that the 4od to .ho" such 0ersons devoted
the"selves .as hi"self an in"ate of their souls.
C%A$TER AAA>%& Constantine1 s Letter to Eusebius on the Pre0aration of Co0ies of the oly
!cri0tures.
E>%CT(R C(@!TA@T%@D!, =AA%=D! AD4D!TD!, to Eusebius.
E%t ha00ens, through the favoring 0rovidence of 4od our !aviour, that great nu"bers have united
the"selves to the "ost holy church in the city .hich is called by "y na"e. %t see"s, therefore, highly
re3uisite, since that city is ra0idly advancing in 0ros0erity in all other res0ects, that the nu"ber of
churches should also he increased. Do you, therefore, receive .ith all readiness "y deter"ination on
this behalf. % have thought it e80edient to instruct your Prudence to order fifty co0ies of the sacred
!cri0tures, the 0rovision and use of .hich you -no. to be "ost needful for the instruction of the
Church, to be .ritten on 0re0ared 0arch"ent in a legible "anner, and in a convenient, 0ortable for",
by 0rofessional transcribers thoroughly 0racticed in their art. *+, The catholicus *5, of the diocese has
also received instructions by letter fro" our Cle"ency to be careful to furnish all things necessary for
the 0re0aration of such co0ies2 and it .ill be for you to ta-e s0ecial care that they be co"0leted .ith as
little delay as 0ossible. *6, )ou have authority also, in virtue of this letter, to use t.o of the 0ublic
carriages for their conveyance, by .hich arrange"ent the co0ies .hen fairly .ritten .ill "ost easily be
for.arded for "y 0ersonal ins0ection2 and one of the deacons of your church "ay be intrusted .ith this
service, .ho, on his arrival here, shall e80erience "y liberality. 4od 0reserve you, beloved brotherFE
C%A$TER AAA>%%& o. the Co0ies .ere 0rovided.
!DC .ere the e"0eror1s co""ands, .hich .ere follo.ed by the i""ediate e8ecution of the .or-
itself, .hich .e sent hi" in "agnificent and elaborately bound volu"es of a threefold and fourfold
for". *+, This fact is attested by another letter, .hich the e"0eror .rote in ac-no.ledg"ent, in .hich,
having heard that the city Constantia in our country, the inhabitants of .hich had been "ore than
co""only devoted to su0erstition, had been i"0elled by a sense of religion to abandon their 0ast
idolatry, he testified his /oy, and a00roval of their conduct.
C%A$TER LA%& is !ic-ness at eleno0olis, and Prayers res0ecting his Ba0tis".
AT first he e80erienced so"e slight bodily indis0osition, .hich .as soon follo.ed by 0ositive disease.
%n conse3uence of this he visited the hot baths of his o.n city2 and thence 0roceeded to that .hich bore
the na"e of his "other. ere he 0assed so"e ti"e in the church of the "artyrs, and offered u0
su00lications and 0rayers to 4od. Being at length convinced that his life .as dra.ing to a close, he felt
the ti"e .as co"e at .hich he should see- 0urification fro" sins of his 0ast career, fir"ly believing
that .hatever errors he had co""itted as a "ortal "an, his soul .ould be 0urified fro" the" through
the efficacy of the "ystical .ords and the salutary .aters of ba0tis". *+, %"0ressed .ith these
thoughts, he 0oured forth his su00lications and confessions to 4od, -neeling on the 0ave"ent in the
church itself, in .hich he also no. for the first ti"e received the i"0osition of hands .ith 0rayer. *5,
After this he 0roceeded as far as the suburbs of @ico"edia, and there, having su""oned the bisho0s to
"eet hi", addressed the" in the follo.ing .ords.
C%A$TER LA%%& Constantine1s A00eal to the Bisho0s, re3uesting the" to confer u0on hi" the Rite
of Ba0tis".
ETE ti"e is arrived .hich % have long ho0ed for, .ith an earnest desire and 0rayer that % "ight obtain
the salvation of 4od. The hour is co"e in .hich % too "ay have the blessing of that seal .hich confers
i""ortality2 the hour in .hich % "ay receive the seal of salvation. % had thought to do this in the .aters
of the river Gordan, .herein our !aviour, for our e8a"0le, is recorded to have been ba0ti<ed& but 4od,
.ho -no.s .hat is e80edient for us, is 0leased that % should receive this blessing here. Be it so, then,
.ithout delay& *+, for should it be his .ill .ho is Lord of life and death, that "y e8istence here should
be 0rolonged, and should % be destined henceforth to associate .ith the 0eo0le of 4od, and unite .ith
the" in 0rayer as a "e"ber of his. Church, % .ill 0rescribe to "yself fro" this ti"e such a course of
life as befits his service.E After he had thus s0o-en, the 0relates 0erfor"ed the sacred cere"onies in the
usual "anner, and, having given hi" the necessary instructions, "ade hi" a 0arta-er of the "ystic
ordinance. Thus .as Constantine the first of all sovereigns .ho .as regenerated and 0erfected in a
church dedicated to the "artyrs of Christ2 thus gifted .ith the Divine seal of ba0tis", he re/oiced in
s0irit, .as rene.ed, and filled .ith heavenly light& his soul .as gladdened by reason of the fervency of
his faith, and astonished at the "anifestation of the 0o.er of 4od. At the conclusion of the cere"ony
he arrayed hi"self in shining i"0erial vest"ents, brilliant as the light, *5, and reclined on a couch of
the 0urest .hite, refusing to clothe hi"self .ith the 0ur0le any "ore.
C%A$TER LA%%%& o. after his Ba0tis" he rendered Than-s 4od.
E then lifted his voice and 0oured forth a strain of than-sgiving to 4od2 after .hich he added these
.ords. E@o. % -no. that % a" truly blessed& no. % feel assured that % a" accounted .orthy of
i""ortality, and a" "ade a 0arta-er of Divine light.E e further e80ressed his co"0assion for the
unha00y condition of those .ho .ere strangers to such blessings as he en/oyed& and .hen the tribunes
and generals of his ar"y a00eared in his 0resence .ith la"entations and tears at the 0ros0ect of their
bereave"ent, and .ith 0rayers that his days "ight yet be 0rolonged, he assured the" in re0ly that he
.as no. in 0ossession of true life2 that none but hi"self could -no. the value of the blessings he had
received2 so that he .as an8ious rather to hasten than to defer his de0arture to 4od. e then 0roceeded
to co"0lete the needful arrange"ent of his affairs, be3ueathing an annual donation to the Ro"an
inhabitants of his i"0erial city2 a00ortioning the inheritance of the e"0ire, li-e a 0atri"onial estate,
a"ong his o.n children2 in short, "a-ing every dis0osition according to his o.n 0leasure. *+,
C%A$TER LA%>& Constantino0le1s Death at @oon on the #east of Pentecost.
ALL these events occurred during a "ost i"0ortant festival, % "ean the august and holy sole"nity of
Pentecost, .hich is distinguished by a 0eriod of seven .ee-s, and sealed .ith that one day on .hich
the holy !cri0tures attest, the ascension of our co""on !aviour into heaven, and the descent of the
oly !0irit a"ong "en. %n the course of this feast the e"0eror received the 0rivileges % have described2
and on the last day of all, .hich one "ight /ustly call the feast of feasts, he .as re"oved about "id'
day to the 0resence of his 4od, leaving his "ortal re"ains to his fello. "ortals, and carrying into
fello.shi0 .ith 4od that 0art of his being .hich .as ca0able of understanding and loving hi". *+,
!uch .as the close of Constantine1s "ortal life. Let us no. attend to the circu"stances .hich follo.ed
this event.
C%A$TER LA>& La"entations of the !oldiery and their (fficers.
%==ED%ATEL) the asse"bled s0ear"en and body'guard rent their gar"ents, and 0rostrated
the"selves on the ground, stri-ing their heads, and uttering la"entations and cries of sorro., calling on
their i"0erial lord and "aster, or rather, li-e true children, on their father, .hile their tribunes and
centurions addressed hi" as their 0reserver, 0rotector, and benefactor. The rest of the soldiery also
ca"e in res0ectful order to "ourn as a floc- the re"oval of their good she0herd. The 0eo0le "ean.hile
ran .ildly throughout the city, so"e e80ressing the in.ard sorro. of their hearts by loud cries, others
a00earing confounded .ith grief& each "ourning the event as a cala"ity .hich had befallen hi"self,
and be.ailing his death as though they felt the"selves bereft of a blessing co""on ali-e to all.
C%A$TER LAA& is Burial by his !on Constantius at Constantino0le.
TD! did they there testify their res0ect for the "e"ory of hi" .ho had been honored by 4od. The
second of his sons, ho.ever, .ho had by this ti"e arrived, 0roceeded to celebrate his father1s funeral in
the city .hich bears his na"e, hi"self heading the 0rocession, .hich .as 0receded by detach"ents of
soldiers in "ilitary array, and follo.ed by vast "ultitudes, the body itself being surrounded by
co"0anies of s0ear"en and heavy ar"ed infantry. (n the arrival of the 0rocession at the church
dedicated to the a0ostles of our !aviour, the coffin .as there ento"bed. !uch honor did the youthful
e"0eror Constantius render to his deceased 0arent, both by his 0resence, and by the due 0erfor"ance
of this sacred cere"ony.
C%A$TER LAA%& !acred !ervice in the Church of the A0ostles an the (ccasion of Constantine1s
#uneral.
As soon as [Constantius$ had .ithdra.n hi"self .ith the "ilitary train, the "inisters of 4od ca"e
for.ard, .ith the "ultitude and the .hole congregation of the faithful, and 0erfor"ed the rites of
Divine .orshi0 .ith 0rayer. At the sa"e ti"e the tribute of their 0raises .as given to the character of
this blessed 0rince, .hose body rested on a lofty and cons0icuous "onu"ent, and the .hole "ultitude
united .ith the 0riests of 4od in offering 0rayers for his soul, not .ithout tears, '' nay, rather .ith
"uch .ee0ing2 thus 0erfor"ing an office consonant .ith the desires of the 0ious deceased. *+, %n this
res0ect also the favor of 4od .as "anifested to his servant, in that he not only be3ueathed the
succession of the e"0ire to his o.n beloved sons, but that the earthly tabernacle of his thrice blessed
soul, according to his o.n earnest .ish, .as 0er"itted to share the "onu"ent of the a0ostles2 .as
associated .ith the honor of their na"e, and .ith that of the 0eo0le of 4od2 .as honored by the
0erfor"ance of the sacred ordinances and "ystic service2 and en/oyed a 0artici0ation in the 0rayers of
the saints. Thus, too, he continued to 0ossess i"0erial 0o.er even after death, controlling, as though
.ith renovated life, a universal do"inion, and retaining in his o.n na"e, as >ictor, =a8i"us,
Augustus, the sovereignty of the Ro"an .orld. *5,
C%A$TER LAA%>& The 4od .ho" he had honored deservedly honored hi" in Return.
!DC are the 0roofs by .hich the !u0re"e 4od has "ade it "anifest to us, in the 0erson of
Constantine, .ho alone of all sovereigns had o0enly 0rofessed the Christian faith, ho. great a
difference he 0erceives bet.een those .hose 0rivilege it is to .orshi0 hi" and his Christ, and those
.ho have chosen the contrary 0art, .ho 0rovo-ed his en"ity by daring to assail his Church, and .hose
cala"itous end, in every instance, afforded to-ens of his dis0leasure, as "anifestly as the death of
Constantine conveyed to all "en an evident assurance of his Divine love.
C%A$TER LAA>& e sur0assed all Preceding E"0erors in Devotion to 4od.
!TA@D%@4, as he did, alone and 0re'e"inent a"ong the Ro"an e"0erors as a .orshi0er of 4od2
alone as the bold 0roclai"er to all "en of the doctrine of Christ2 having alone rendered honor, as none
before hi" had ever done, to his Church2 having alone abolished utterly the error of 0olytheis", and
discountenanced idolatry in every for"& so, alone a"ong the" both during life and after death, .as he
accounted .orthy of such honors as none can say have been attained to by any other2 so that no one,
.hether 4ree- or Barbarian, nay, of the ancient Ro"ans the"selves, has ever been 0resented to us as
.orthy of co"0arison .ith hi". *+,
fro" olume !, @icene and Post'@icene #athers, 5nd !eries, ed. P. !chaff and . ;ace, *Edinburgh& re0r. 4rand Ra0ids =%&
;". B. Eerd"ans, +H99, yhe digital version is by The Electronic Bible !ociety, P.(. Bo8 IJ+69:, Dallas,
TA I96IJ, 5+7'7JI';(RD.
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