Writings of Eusebius - The Life of Constantine
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Translated by Ernest Cushing Richardson, Ph.d.
librarian and associate professor in hartford theological seminary.
Under the editorial supervision of Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D.,
Professor of Church History in the Union Theological Semimary, New York,
and Henry Wace, D.D., Principal of King's College, London
Published in 1890 by Philip Schaff,
New York: Christian Literature Publishing Co.
Book II.
Chapter I.--Secret Persecution by Licinius, who causes Some Bishops to
be put to Death at Amasia of Pontus.
In this manner, he of whom we have spoken continued to rush headlong
towards that destruction which awaits the enemies of God; and once
more, with a fatal emulation of their example whose ruin he had
himself witnessed as the consequence of their impious conduct, he
re-kindled the persecution of the Christians, like a long-extinguished
fire, and fanned the unhallowed flame to a fiercer height than any who
had gone before him.
At first, indeed, though breathing fury and threatenings against God,
like some savage beast of prey, or some crooked and wriggling serpent,
he dared not, from fear of Constantine, openly level his attacks
against the churches of God subject to his dominion; but dissembled
the virulence of his malice, and endeavored by secret and limited
measures to compass the death of the bishops, the most eminent of whom
he found means to remove, through charges laid against them by the
governors of the several provinces. And the manner in which they
suffered had in it something strange, and hitherto unheard of. At all
events, the barbarities perpetrated at Amasia of Pontus surpassed
every known excess of cruelty.
Chapter II.--Demolition of Churches, and Butchery of the Bishops.
For in that city some of the churches, for the second time since the
commencement of the persecutions, were leveled with the ground, and
others were closed by the governors of the several districts, in order
to prevent any who frequented them from assembling together, or
rendering due worship to God. For he by whose orders these outrages
were committed was too conscious of his own crimes to expect that
these services were performed with any view to his benefit, and was
convinced that all we did, and all our endeavors to obtain the favor
of God, were on Constantine's behalf.
These servile governors [3160] then, feeling assured that such a
course would be pleasing to the impious tyrant, subjected the most
distinguished prelates of the churches to capital punishment.
Accordingly, men who had been guilty of no crime were led away,
without cause [3161] punished like murderers: and some suffered a new
kind of death, having their bodies cut piecemeal; and, after this
cruel punishment, more horrible than any named in tragedy, being cast,
as a food to fishes, into the depths of the sea. The result of these
horrors was again, as before, the flight of pious men, and once more
the fields and deserts received the worshipers of God. The tyrant,
having thus far succeeded in his object, he farther determined to
raise a general persecution of the Christians: [3162] and he would
have accomplished his purpose, nor could anything have hindered him
from carrying his resolution into effect, had not he who defends his
own anticipated the coming evil, and by his special guidance conducted
his servant Constantine to this part of the empire, causing him to
shine forth as a brilliant light in the midst of the darkness and
gloomy night.
Footnotes
[3160] Literally, "the flatterers and time-servers about him."
[3161] Or "openly."
[3162] [The reading in the text is touton, but should be pEURnton, of
all Christians, as it is in Hist. Eccles. Bk. 10, c. 8, from which
this passage is almost verbally taken.--Bag.]
Chapter III.--How Constantine was stirred in Behalf of the Christians
thus in Danger of Persecution.
He, perceiving the evils of which he had heard to be no longer
tolerable, took wise counsel, and tempering the natural clemency of
his character with a certain measure of severity, hastened to succor
those who were thus grievously oppressed. For he judged that it would
rightly be deemed a pious and holy task to secure, by the removal of
an individual, the safety of the greater part of the human race. He
judged too, that if he listened to the dictates of clemency only, and
bestowed his pity on one utterly unworthy of it, this would, on the
one hand, confer no real benefit on a man whom nothing would induce to
abandon his evil practices, and whose fury against his subjects would
only be likely to increase; [3163] while, on the other hand, those who
suffered from his oppression would thus be forever deprived of all
hope of deliverance.
Influenced by these reflections, the emperor resolved without farther
delay to extend a protecting hand to those who had fallen into such an
extremity of distress. He accordingly made the usual warlike
preparations, and assembled his whole forces, both of horse and foot.
But before them all was carried the standard which I have before
described, as the symbol of his full confidence in God.
Footnotes
[3163] This seems to intend some exoneration of Constantine,
explaining why he was what the heathen called "faithless" towards
Licinius.
Chapter IV.--That Constantine prepared himself for the War by Prayer:
Licinius by the Practice of Divination.
He took with him also the priests of God, feeling well assured that
now, if ever, he stood in need of the efficacy of prayer, and thinking
it right that they should constantly be near and about his person, as
most trusty guardians of the soul.
Now, as soon as the tyrant understood that Constantine's victories
over his enemies were secured to him by no other means than the
cooperation of God, and that the persons above alluded to were
continually with him and about his person; and besides this, that the
symbol of the salutary passion preceded both the emperor himself and
his whole army; he regarded these precautions with ridicule (as might
be expected), at the same time mocking and reviling the emperor with
blasphemous words.
On the other hand, he gathered round himself Egyptian diviners and
soothsayers, with sorcerers and enchanters, and the priests and
prophets of those whom he imagined to be gods. He then, after offering
the sacrifices which he thought the occasion demanded, enquired how
far he might reckon on a successful termination of the war. They
replied with one voice, that he would unquestionably be victorious
over his enemies, and triumphant in the war: and the oracles
everywhere held out to him the same prospect in copious and elegant
verses. The soothsayers certified him of favorable omens from the
flight of birds; the priests [3164] declared the same to be indicated
by the motion of the entrails of their victims. Elevated, therefore,
by these fallacious assurances, he boldly advanced at the head of his
army, and prepared for battle.
Footnotes
[3164] Soothsayers and priests. These were technically "augurs" and
"haruspices." Compare for their functions the articles Augur,
Divinatio, and Haruspices, in Smith, Dict. Gr. and Rom. Ant.
Chapter V.--What Licinius, while sacrificing in a Grove, said
concerning Idols, and concerning Christ.
And when he was now ready to engage, he desired the most approved of
his body-guard [3165] and his most valued friends to meet him in one
of the places which they consider sacred. It was a well-watered and
shady grove, and in it were several marble statues of those whom he
accounted to be gods. After lighting tapers and performing the usual
sacrifices in honor of these, he is said to have delivered the
following speech:
"Friends and fellow-soldiers! These are our country's gods, and these
we honor with a worship derived from our remotest ancestors. But he
who leads the army now opposed to us has proved false to the religion
of his forefathers, and adopted atheistic sentiments, honoring in his
infatuation some strange and unheard-of Deity, with whose despicable
standard he now disgraces his army, and confiding in whose aid he has
taken up arms, and is now advancing, not so much against us as against
those very gods whom he has forsaken. However, the present occasion
shall prove which of us is mistaken in his judgment, and shall decide
between our gods and those whom our adversaries profess to honor. For
either it will declare the victory to be ours, and so most justly
evince that our gods are the true saviours and helpers; or else, if
this God of Constantine's, who comes we know not whence, shall prove
superior to our deities (who are many, and in point of numbers, at
least, have the advantage), let no one henceforth doubt which god he
ought to worship, but attach himself at once to the superior power,
and ascribe to him the honors of the victory. Suppose, then, this
strange God, whom we now regard with ridicule, should really prove
victorious; then indeed we must acknowledge and give him honor, and so
bid a long farewell to those for whom we light our tapers in vain. But
if our own gods triumph (as they undoubtedly will), then, as soon as
we have secured the present victory, let us prosecute the war without
delay against these despisers of the gods."
Such were the words he addressed to those then present, as reported
not long after to the writer of this history by some who heard them
spoken. [3166] And as soon as he had concluded his speech, he gave
orders to his forces to commence the attack.
Footnotes
[3165] Literally, "shield-bearers," but here relates to a chosen body
of guards, as in the Macedonian army. Compare Liddell and Scott, Lex.
s.v. hupaspistes
[3166] The whole passage seems altogether too appropriate to receive
ready credence; but it is worth noting here how Eusebius "quotes his
authors," and seems to give the thing for what it is worth, keeping
perhaps the same modicum of reservation for the hearers' relative
imagination and memory, when relating after the events, that the
modern reader does.
Chapter VI.--An Apparition seen in the Cities subject to Licinius, as
of Constantine's Troops passing through them.
While these things were taking place a supernatural appearance is said
to have been observed in the cities subject to the tyrant's rule.
Different detachments of Constantine's army seemed to present
themselves to the view, marching at noonday through these cities, as
though they had obtained the victory. In reality, not a single soldier
was anywhere present at the time, and yet this appearance was seen
through the agency of a divine and superior power, and foreshadowed
what was shortly coming to pass. For as soon as the armies were ready
to engage, he who had broken through the ties of friendly alliance
[3167] was the first to commence the battle; on which Constantine,
calling on the name of "God the Supreme Saviour," and giving this as
the watchword to his soldiers, overcame him in this first conflict:
and not long after in a second battle he gained a still more important
and decisive victory, the salutary trophy preceding the ranks of his
army.
Footnotes
[3167] [Licinius was suspected of having secretly countenanced
Bassianus (who had married Constantine's sister Anastasia, and
received the rank of Cæsar) in a treasonable conspiracy. Vide Gibbon,
Decline and Fall, chap. 14.--Bag.] Compare Prolegomena, under Life.
Chapter VII.--That Victory everywhere followed the Presence of the
Standard of the Cross in Battle.
Indeed, wherever this appeared, the enemy soon fled before his
victorious troops. And the emperor perceiving this, whenever he saw
any part of his forces hard pressed, gave orders that the salutary
trophy should be moved in that direction, like some triumphant charm
[3168] against disasters: at which the combatants were divinely
inspired, as it were, with fresh strength and courage, and immediate
victory was the result.
Footnotes
[3168] Or "remedy"; i.e. that which keeps off harm.
Chapter VIII.--That Fifty Men were selected to carry the Cross.
Accordingly, he selected those of his bodyguard who were most
distinguished for personal strength, valor, and piety, and entrusted
them with the sole care and defense of the standard. There were thus
no less than fifty men whose only duty was to surround and vigilantly
defend the standard, which they carried each in turn on their
shoulders. These circumstances were related to the writer of this
narrative by the emperor himself in his leisure moments, long after
the occurrence of the events: and he added another incident well
worthy of being recorded.
Chapter IX.--That One of the Cross-Bearers, who fled from his Post,
was slain: while Another, who faithfully stood his Ground, was
preserved.
For he said that once, during the very heat of an engagement, a sudden
tumult and panic attacked his army, which threw the soldier who then
bore the standard into an agony of fear, so that he handed it over to
another, in order to secure his own escape from the battle. As soon,
however, as his comrade had received it, and he had withdrawn, and
resigned all charge of the standard, he was struck in the belly by a
dart, which took his life. Thus he paid the penalty of his cowardice
and unfaithfulness, and lay dead on the spot: but the other, who had
taken his place as the bearer of the salutary standard, found it to be
the safeguard of his life. For though he was assailed by a continual
shower of darts, the bearer remained unhurt, the staff of the standard
receiving every weapon. It was indeed a truly marvelous circumstance,
that the enemies' darts all fell within and remained in the slender
circumference of this spear, and thus saved the standard-bearer from
death; so that none of those engaged in this service ever received a
wound.
This story is none of mine, but for this, [3169] too, I am indebted to
the emperor's own authority, who related it in my hearing along with
other matters. And now, having thus through the power of God secured
these first victories, he put his forces in motion and continued his
onward march.
Footnotes
[3169] [PEURlin, "again," alluding to the former miracle, the vision
of the cross, which Eusebius does not venture to attest himself, but
relates on the word and oath of Constantine. Vide Bk. 1, cc. 28 and
30.--Bag.]
Chapter X.--Various Battles, and Constantine's Victories.
The van, however, of the enemy, unable to resist the emperor's first
assault, threw down their arms, and prostrated themselves at his feet.
All these he spared, rejoicing to save human life. But there were
others who still continued in arms, and engaged in battle. These the
emperor endeavored to conciliate by friendly overtures, but when these
were not accepted he ordered his army to commence the attack. On this
they immediately turned and betook themselves to flight; and some were
overtaken and slain according to the laws of war, while others fell on
each other in the confusion of their flight, and perished by the
swords of their comrades.
Chapter XI.--Flight, and Magic Arts of Licinius.
In these circumstances their commander, finding himself bereft of the
aid of his followers, [3170] having lost his lately numerous array,
both of regular and allied forces, having proved, too, by experience,
how vain his confidence had been in those whom he thought to be gods,
ignominiously took to flight, by which indeed he effected his escape,
and secured his personal safety, for the pious emperor had forbidden
his soldiers to follow him too closely, [3171] and thus allowed him an
opportunity for escape. And this he did in the hope that he might
hereafter, on conviction of the desperate state of his affairs, be
induced to abandon his insane and presumptuous ambition, and return to
sounder reason. So Constantine, in his excessive humanity, thought and
was willing patiently to bear past injuries, and extend his
forgiveness to one who so ill deserved it; but Licinius, far from
renouncing his evil practices, still added crime to crime, and
ventured on more daring atrocities than ever. Nay, once more tampering
with the detestable arts of magic, he again was presumptuous: so that
it might well be said of him, as it was of the Egyptian tyrant of old,
that God had hardened his heart. [3172]
Footnotes
[3170] "Slaves," a word which has frequently been used by Eusebius in
this literal sense.
[3171] This idiom here is nearly the English, "followed on the heels"
of any one.
[3172] Ex. ix. 12.
Chapter XII.--How Constantine, after praying in his Tabernacle,
obtained the Victory.
But while Licinius, giving himself up to these impieties, rushed
blindly towards the gulf of destruction, the emperor on the other
hand, when he saw that he must meet his enemies in a second battle,
devoted the intervening time to his Saviour. He pitched the tabernacle
of the cross [3173] outside and at a distance from his camp, and there
passed his time in a pure and holy manner, offering up prayers to God;
following thus the example of his ancient prophet, of whom the sacred
oracles testify, that he pitched the tabernacle without the camp.
[3174] He was attended only by a few, whose faith and pious devotion
he highly esteemed. And this custom he continued to observe whenever
he meditated an engagement with the enemy. For he was deliberate in
his measures, the better to insure safety, and desired in everything
to be directed by divine counsel. And making earnest supplications to
God, he was always honored after a little with a manifestation of his
presence. And then, as if moved by a divine impulse, he would rush
from the tabernacle, and suddenly give orders to his army to move at
once without delay, and on the instant to draw their swords. On this
they would immediately commence the attack, fight vigorously, so as
with incredible celerity to secure the victory, and raise trophies of
victory over their enemies.
Footnotes
[3173] [This tabernacle, which Constantine always carried with him in
his military expeditions, is described by Sozomen, Bk. 1, c. 8: see
English translation.--Bag.]
[3174] [Alluding to Ex. xxxiii. 7, &c.--Bag.]
Chapter XIII.--His Humane Treatment of Prisoners.
Thus the emperor and his army had long been accustomed to act,
whenever there was a prospect of an engagement; for his God was ever
present to his thoughts, and he desired to do everything according to
his will, and conscientiously to avoid any wanton sacrifice of human
life. He was anxious thus for the preservation not only of his own
subjects, but even of his enemies. Accordingly he directed his
victorious troops to spare the lives of their prisoners, admonishing
them, as human beings, not to forget the claims of their common
nature. And whenever he saw the passions of his soldiery excited
beyond control, he repressed their fury by a largess of money,
rewarding every man who saved the life of an enemy with a certain
weight of gold. And the emperor's own sagacity led him to discover
this inducement to spare human life, so that great numbers even of the
barbarians were thus saved, and owed their lives to the emperor's
gold.
Chapter XIV.--A Farther Mention of his Prayers in the Tabernacle.
Now these, and a thousand such acts as these, were familiarly and
habitually done by the emperor. And on the present occasion he
retired, as his custom was before battle, to the privacy of his
tabernacle, and there employed his time in prayer to God. Meanwhile he
strictly abstained from anything like ease, or luxurious living, and
disciplined himself by fasting and bodily mortification, imploring the
favor of God by supplication and prayer, that he might obtain his
concurrence and aid, and be ready to execute whatever he might be
pleased to suggest to his thoughts. In short, he exercised a vigilant
care over all alike, and interceded with God as much for the safety of
his enemies as for that of his own subjects.
Chapter XV.--Treacherous Friendship, and Idolatrous Practices of
Licinius.
And inasmuch as he who had lately fled before him now dissembled his
real sentiments, and again petitioned for a renewal of friendship and
alliance, the emperor thought fit, on certain conditions, to grant his
request, [3175] in the hope that such a measure might be expedient,
and generally advantageous to the community. Licinius, however, while
he pretended a ready submission to the terms prescribed, and attested
his sincerity by oaths, at this very time was secretly engaged in
collecting a military force, and again meditated war and strife,
inviting even the barbarians to join his standard, [3176] and he began
also to look about him for other gods, having been deceived by those
in whom he had hitherto trusted. And, without bestowing a thought on
what he had himself publicly spoken on the subject of false deities,
or choosing to acknowledge that God who had fought on the side of
Constantine, he made himself ridiculous by seeking for a multitude of
new gods.
Footnotes
[3175] ["He consented to leave his rival, or, as he again styled
Licinius, his friend and brother, in the possession of Thrace, Asia
Minor, Syria, and Egypt; but the provinces of Pannonia, Dalmatia,
Dacia, Macedonia, and Greece, were yielded to the Western empire, and
the dominions of Constantine now extended from the confines of
Caledonia to the extremity of Peloponnesus."--Gibbon, Decline and
Fall, chap. XIV.--Bag.]
[3176] [Gibbon (chap. XIV.) says that the reconciliation of
Constantine and Licinius maintained, above eight years, the
tranquillity of the Roman world. If this be true, it may be regarded
as one proof that our author's work is rather to be considered as a
general sketch of Constantine's life and character than as a minutely
correct historical document.--Bag.] There is either a strange lack of
perspective in this account, or else Eusebius omits all account of the
first wars with Licinius (314) which resulted in the division of
territory mentioned in the above note. This latter view is plausible
on comparison with the account in the Church History. In this view the
conditions referred to above relate to the terms on which Licinius was
spared on Constantia's request, and what follows is the explanation of
the alleged oath-breaking of Constantine in putting Licinius to death.
Chapter XVI.--How Licinius counseled his Soldiers not to attack the
Standard of the Cross.
Having now learned by experience the Divine and mysterious power which
resided in the salutary trophy, by means of which Constantine's army
had become habituated to victory, he admonished his soldiers never to
direct their attack against this standard, nor even incautiously to
allow their eyes to rest upon it; assuring them that it possessed a
terrible power, and was especially hostile to him; so that they would
do well carefully to avoid any collision with it. And now, having
given these directions, he prepared for a decisive conflict with him
whose humanity prompted him still to hesitate, and to postpone the
fate which he foresaw awaited his adversary. The enemy, however,
confident in the aid of a multitude of gods, advanced to the attack
with a powerful array of military force, preceded by certain images of
the dead, and lifeless statues, as their defense. On the other side,
the emperor, secure in the armor of godliness, opposed to the numbers
of the enemy the salutary and life-giving sign, as at once a terror to
the foe, and a protection from every harm. And for a while he paused,
and preserved at first the attitude of forbearance, from respect to
the treaty of peace to which he had given his sanction, that he might
not be the first to commence the contest.
Chapter XVII.--Constantine's Victory.
But as soon as he perceived that his adversaries persisted in their
resolution, and were already drawing their swords, he gave free scope
to his indignation, and by a single charge [3177] overthrew in a
moment the entire body of the enemy, thus triumphing at once over them
and their gods.
Footnotes
[3177] "With one shout and charge." This does not agree with the
account of the final struggle by which Licinius came into
Constantine's power, as generally given, and lends some probability to
the view that after he had been captured he again revolted.
Chapter XVIII.--Death of Licinius, and Celebration of the Event.
He then proceeded to deal with this adversary of God and his followers
according to the laws of war, and consign them to fitting punishment.
Accordingly the tyrant himself, and they whose counsels had supported
him in his impiety, were together subjected to the just punishment of
death. After this, those who had so lately been deceived by their vain
confidence in false deities, acknowledged with unfeigned sincerity the
God of Constantine, and openly professed their belief in him as the
true and only God.
Chapter XIX.--Rejoicings and Festivities.
And now, the impious being thus removed, the sun once more shone
brightly after the gloomy cloud of tyrannic power. Each separate
portion of the Roman dominion became blended with the rest; the
Eastern nations united with those of the West, and the whole body of
the Roman empire was graced as it were by its head in the person of a
single and supreme ruler, whose sole authority pervaded the whole. Now
too the bright rays of the light of godliness gladdened the days of
those who had heretofore been sitting in darkness and the shadow of
death. Past sorrows were no more remembered, for all united in
celebrating the praises of the victorious prince, and avowed their
recognition of his preserver as the only true God. Thus he whose
character shone with all the virtues of piety, the emperor Victor, for
he had himself adopted this name as a most fitting appellation to
express the victory which God had granted him over all who hated or
opposed him, [3178] assumed the dominion of the East, and thus singly
governed the Roman empire, re-united, as in former times, under one
head. Thus, as he was the first to proclaim to all the sole
sovereignty of God, so he himself, as sole sovereign of the Roman
world, extended his authority over the whole human race. Every
apprehension of those evils under the pressure of which all had
suffered was now removed; men whose heads had drooped in sorrow now
regarded each other with smiling countenances, and looks expressive of
their inward joy. With processions and hymns of praise they first of
all, as they were told, ascribed the supreme sovereignty to God, as in
truth the King of kings; and then with continued acclamations rendered
honor to the victorious emperor, and the Cæsars, his most discreet and
pious sons. The former afflictions were forgotten, and all past
impieties forgiven: while with the enjoyment of present happiness was
mingled the expectation of continued blessings in the future.
Footnotes
[3178] Like very many other things which Eusebius tells of
Constantine, that which was entirely customary with other emperors as
well as Constantine has the appearance of being peculiar to him.
Victor is a common title of various emperors.
Chapter XX.--Constantine's Enactments in Favor of the Confessors.
Moreover, the emperor's edicts, permeated with his humane spirit, were
published among us also, as they had been among the inhabitants of the
other division of the empire; and his laws, which breathed a spirit of
piety toward God, gave promise of manifold blessings, since they
secured many advantages to his provincial subjects in every nation,
and at the same time prescribed measures suited to the exigencies of
the churches of God. For first of all they recalled those who, in
consequence of their refusal to join in idol worship, had been driven
to exile, or ejected from their homes by the governors of their
respective provinces. In the next place, they relieved from their
burdens those who for the same reason had been adjudged to serve in
the civil courts, and ordained restitution to be made to any who had
been deprived of property. They too, who in the time of trial had
signalized themselves by fortitude of soul in the cause of God, and
had therefore been condemned to the painful labor of the mines, or
consigned to the solitude of islands, or compelled to toil in the
public works, all received an immediate release from these burdens;
while others, whose religious constancy had cost them the forfeiture
of their military rank, were vindicated by the emperor's generosity
from this dishonor: for he granted them the alternative either of
resuming their rank, and enjoying their former privileges, or, in the
event of their preferring a more settled life, of perpetual exemption
from all service. Lastly, all who had been compelled by way of
disgrace and insult to serve in the employments of women, [3179] he
likewise freed with the rest.
Footnotes
[3179] [In the gynæcia (gunaikeia), or places where women, and
subsequently slaves of both sexes, were employed in spinning and
weaving for the emperor. Vide infra, ch. 34.--Bag.] See note on ch.
34.
Chapter XXI.--His Laws concerning Martyrs, and concerning
Ecclesiastical Property.
Such were the benefits secured by the emperor's written mandates to
the persons of those who had thus suffered for the faith, and his laws
made ample provision for their property also.
With regard to those holy martyrs of God who had laid down their lives
in the confession of His name, he directed that their estates should
be enjoyed by their nearest kindred; and, in default of any of these,
that the right of inheritance should be vested in the churches.
Farther, whatever property had been consigned to other parties from
the treasury, whether in the way of sale or gift, together with that
retained in the treasury itself, the generous mandate of the emperor
directed should be restored to the original owners. Such benefits did
his bounty, thus widely diffused, confer on the Church of God.
Chapter XXII.--How he won the Favor of the People.
But his munificence bestowed still further and more numerous favors on
the heathen peoples and the other nations of his empire. So that the
inhabitants of our [Eastern] regions, who had heard of the privileges
experienced in the opposite portion of the empire, and had blessed the
fortunate recipients of them, and longed for the enjoyment of a
similar lot for themselves, now with one consent proclaimed their own
happiness, when they saw themselves in possession of all these
blessings; and confessed that the appearance of such a monarch to the
human race was indeed a marvelous event, and such as the world's
history had never yet recorded. Such were their sentiments.
Chapter XXIII.--That he declared God to be the Author of his
Prosperity: and concerning his Rescripts.
And now that, through the powerful aid of God his Saviour, all nations
owned their subjection to the emperor's authority, he openly
proclaimed to all the name of Him to whose bounty he owed all his
blessings, and declared that He, and not himself, was the author of
his past victories. This declaration, written both in the Latin and
Greek languages, he caused to be transmitted through every province of
the empire. Now the excellence of his style of expression [3180] may
be known from a perusal of his letters themselves which were two in
number; one addressed to the churches of God; the other to the heathen
population in the several cities of the empire. The latter of these I
think it well to insert here as connected with my present subject, in
order on the one hand that a copy of this document may be recorded as
matter of history, and thus preserved to posterity, and on the other
that it may serve to confirm the truth of my present narrative. It is
taken from an authentic copy of the imperial statute in my own
possession and the signature in the emperor's own handwriting attaches
as it were the impress of truth to the statement I have made.
Footnotes
[3180] "The value of our narrative" is the rendering of Molzberger.
"The powerfulness of his language."--1709.
Chapter XXIV.--Law of Constantine respecting Piety towards God, and
the Christian Religion. [3181]
"Victor Constantinus, Maximus Augustus, to the inhabitants of the
province of Palestine.
"To all who entertain just and sound sentiments respecting the
character of the Supreme Being, it has long been most clearly evident,
and beyond the possibility of doubt, how vast a difference there has
ever been between those who maintain a careful observance of the
hallowed duties of the Christian religion, and those who treat this
religion with hostility or contempt. But at this present time, we may
see by still more manifest proofs, and still more decisive instances,
both how unreasonable it were to question this truth, and how mighty
is the power of the Supreme God: since it appears that they who
faithfully observe His holy laws, and shrink from the transgression of
His commandments, are rewarded with abundant blessings, and are endued
with well-grounded hope as well as ample power for the accomplishment
of their undertakings. On the other hand, they who have cherished
impious sentiments have experienced results corresponding to their
evil choice. For how is it to be expected that any blessing would be
obtained by one who neither desired to acknowledge nor duly to worship
that God who is the source of all blessing? Indeed, facts themselves
are a confirmation of what I say.
Footnotes
[3181] Compare Epitome in Sozomen, 1. 8.
Chapter XXV.--An Illustration from Ancient Times.
"For certainly any one who will mentally retrace the course of events
from the earliest period down to the present time, and will reflect on
what has occurred in past ages, will find that all who have made
justice and probity the basis of their conduct, have not only carried
their undertakings to a successful issue, but have gathered, as it
were, a store of sweet fruit as the produce of this pleasant root.
Again, whoever observes the career of those who have been bold in the
practice of oppression or injustice; who have either directed their
senseless fury against God himself, or have conceived no kindly
feelings towards their fellow-men, but have dared to afflict them with
exile, disgrace, confiscation, massacre, or other miseries of the like
kind, and all this without any sense of compunction, or wish to direct
thoughts to a better course, will find that such men have received a
recompense proportioned to their crimes. And these are results which
might naturally and reasonably be expected to ensue. [3182]
Footnotes
[3182] There is a curious unanimity of effort on the part of
theological amateurs, ancient and modern, to prove that those upon
whom the tower in Siloam fell were guiltier than others. This was the
spirit of Lactantius and it is not to be wondered at that Constantine
should adopt such a peculiarly self-satisfying doctrine.
Chapter XXVI.--Of Persecuted and Persecutors.
"For whoever have addressed themselves with integrity of purpose to
any course of action, keeping the fear of God continually before their
thoughts, and preserving an unwavering faith in him, without allowing
present fears or dangers to outweigh their hope of future
blessings--such persons, though for a season they may have experienced
painful trials, have borne their afflictions lightly, being supported
by the belief of greater rewards in store for them; and their
character has acquired a brighter luster in proportion to the severity
of their past sufferings. With regard, on the other hand, to those who
have either dishonorably slighted the principles of justice, or
refused to acknowledge the Supreme God themselves, and yet have dared
to subject others who have faithfully maintained his worship to the
most cruel insults and punishments; who have failed equally to
recognize their own wretchedness in oppressing others on such grounds,
and the happiness and blessing of those who preserved their devotion
to God even in the midst of such sufferings: with regard, I say, to
such men, many a time have their armies been slaughtered, many a time
have they been put to flight; and their warlike preparations have
ended in total ruin and defeat.
Chapter XXVII.--How the Persecution became the Occasion of Calamities
to the Aggressors.
"From the causes I have described, grievous wars arose, and
destructive devastations. Hence followed a scarcity of the common
necessaries of life, and a crowd of consequent miseries: hence, too,
the authors of these impieties have either met a disastrous death of
extreme suffering, or have dragged out an ignominious existence, and
confessed it to be worse than death itself, thus receiving as it were
a measure of punishment proportioned to the heinousness of their
crimes. [3183] For each experienced a degree of calamity according to
the blind fury with which he had been led to combat, and as he
thought, defeat the Divine will: so that they not only felt the
pressure of the ills of this present life, but were tormented also by
a most lively apprehension of punishment in the future world. [3184]
Footnotes
[3183] Compare Lactantius, On the deaths of the persecutors (De M.
P.), and the Church History of Eusebius.
[3184] Literally "beneath the earth," referring of course to the
Græco-Roman conception of Hades.
Chapter XXVIII.--That God chose Constantine to be the Minister of
Blessing.
"And now, with such a mass of impiety oppressing the human race, and
the commonwealth in danger of being utterly destroyed, as if by the
agency of some pestilential disease, and therefore needing powerful
and effectual aid; what was the relief, and what the remedy which the
Divinity devised for these evils? (And by Divinity is meant the one
who is alone and truly God, the possessor of almighty and eternal
power: and surely it cannot be deemed arrogance in one who has
received benefits from God, to acknowledge them in the loftiest terms
of praise.) I myself, then, was the instrument whose services He
chose, and esteemed suited for the accomplishment of his will.
Accordingly, beginning at the remote Britannic ocean, and the regions
where, according to the law of nature, the sun sinks beneath the
horizon, through the aid of divine power I banished and utterly
removed every form of evil which prevailed, in the hope that the human
race, enlightened through my instrumentality, might be recalled to a
due observance of the holy laws of God, and at the same time our most
blessed faith might prosper under the guidance of his almighty hand.
Chapter XXIX.--Constantine's Expressions of Piety towards God; and
Praise of the Confessors.
"I said, [3185] under the guidance of his hand; for I would desire
never to be forgetful of the gratitude due to his grace. Believing,
therefore, that this most excellent service had been confided to me as
a special gift, I proceeded as far as the regions of the East, which,
being under the pressure of severer calamities, seemed to demand still
more effectual remedies at my hands. At the same time I am most
certainly persuaded that I myself owe my life, my every breath, in
short, my very inmost and secret thoughts, entirely to the favor of
the Supreme God. Now I am well aware that they who are sincere in the
pursuit of the heavenly hope, and have fixed this hope in heaven
itself as the peculiar and predominant principle of their lives, have
no need to depend on human favor, but rather have enjoyed higher
honors in proportion as they have separated themselves from the
inferior and evil things of this earthly existence. Nevertheless I
deem it incumbent on me to remove at once and most completely from all
such persons the hard necessities laid upon them for a season, and the
unjust inflictions under which they have suffered, though free from
any guilt or just liability. For it would be strange indeed, that the
fortitude and constancy of soul displayed by such men should be fully
apparent during the reign of those whose first object it was to
persecute them on account of their devotion to God, and yet that the
glory of their character should not be more bright and blessed, under
the administration of a prince who is His servant.
Footnotes
[3185] ["I said, under the guidance," &c. It seems necessary to supply
some expression of this kind, in order to preserve the sense, which is
otherwise interrupted by the division (in this instance, at least,
manifestly improper) into Chapters.--Bag.]
Chapter XXX.--A Law granting Release from Exile, from Service in the
Courts, and from the Confiscation of Property.
"Let all therefore who have exchanged their country for a foreign
land, because they would not abandon that reverence and faith toward
God to which they had devoted themselves with their whole hearts, and
have in consequence at different times been subject to the cruel
sentence of the courts; together with any who have been enrolled in
the registers of the public courts though in time past exempt from
such office; let these, I say, now render thanks to God the Liberator
of all, in that they are restored to their hereditary property, and
their wonted tranquility. Let those also who have been despoiled of
their goods, and have hitherto passed a wretched existence, mourning
under the loss of all that they possessed, once more be restored to
their former homes, their families, and estates, and receive with joy
the bountiful kindness of God.
Chapter XXXI.--Release likewise granted to Exiles in the Islands.
"Furthermore, it is our command that all those who have been detained
in the islands against their will should receive the benefit of this
present provision; in order that they who till now have been
surrounded by rugged mountains and the encircling barrier of the
ocean, being now set free from that gloomy and desolate solitude, may
fulfill their fondest wish by revisiting their dearest friends. Those,
too, who have prolonged a miserable life in the midst of abject and
wretched squalor, welcoming their restoration as an unlooked-for gain,
and discarding henceforth all anxious thoughts, may pass their lives
with us in freedom from all fear. For that any one could live in a
state of fear under our government, when we boast and believe
ourselves to be the servants of God, would surely be a thing most
extraordinary even to hear of, and quite incredible; and our mission
is to rectify the errors of the others.
Chapter XXXII.--And to those ignominiously employed in the Mines and
Public Works.
"Again, with regard to those who have been condemned either to the
grievous labor of the mines, or to service in the public works, let
them enjoy the sweets of leisure in place of these long-continued
toils, and henceforth lead a far easier life, and more accordant with
the wishes of their hearts, exchanging the incessant hardships of
their tasks for quiet relaxation. And if any have forfeited the common
privilege of liberty, or have unhappily suffered dishonor, [3186] let
them hasten back every one to the country of his nativity, and resume
with becoming joy their former positions in society, from which they
have been as it were separated by long residence abroad.
Footnotes
[3186] Glossed by Molzberger as "political dishonor."
Chapter XXXIII.--Concerning those Confessors engaged in Military
Service.
"Once more, with respect to those who had previously been preferred to
any military distinction, of which they were afterwards deprived, for
the cruel and unjust reason that they chose rather to acknowledge
their allegiance to God than to retain the rank they held; we leave
them perfect liberty of choice, either to occupy their former
stations, should they be content again to engage in military service,
or after an honorable discharge, to live in undisturbed tranquillity.
For it is fair and consistent that men who have displayed such
magnanimity and fortitude in meeting the perils to which they have
been exposed, should be allowed the choice either of enjoying peaceful
leisure, or resuming their former rank.
Chapter XXXIV.--The Liberation of Free Persons condemned to labor in
the Women's Apartments, or to Servitude.
"Lastly, if any have wrongfully been deprived of the privileges of
noble lineage, and subjected to a judicial sentence which has
consigned them to the women's apartments [3187] and to the linen
making, there to undergo a cruel and miserable labor, or reduced them
to servitude for the benefit of the public treasury, without any
exemption on the ground of superior birth; let such persons, resuming
the honors they had previously enjoyed, and their proper dignities,
henceforward exult in the blessings of liberty, and lead a glad life.
Let the free man, [3188] too, by some injustice and inhumanity, or
even madness, made a slave, who has felt the sudden transition from
liberty to bondage, and ofttimes bewailed his unwonted labors, return
to his family once more a free man in virtue of this our ordinance,
and seek those employments which befit a state of freedom; and let him
dismiss from his remembrance those services which he found so
oppressive, and which so ill became his condition.
Footnotes
[3187] In the Greek houses there were separate suites for men and
women. Compare article Domus, in Smith, Dict. of Gr. and Rom. Antiq.
[3188] [That is, the free subject of inferior rank, accustomed to
labor for his subsistence, but not to the degradation of slavery.]
Chapter XXXV.--Of the Inheritance of the Property of Martyrs and
Confessors, also of those who had suffered Banishment or Confiscation
of Property.
"Nor must we omit to notice those estates of which individuals have
been deprived on various pretenses. For if any of those who have
engaged with dauntless and resolute determination in the noble and
divine conflict of martyrdom have also been stripped of their
fortunes; or if the same has been the lot of the confessors, who have
won for themselves the hope of eternal treasures; or if the loss of
property has befallen those who were driven from their native land
because they would not yield to the persecutors, and betray their
faith; lastly, if any who have escaped the sentence of death have yet
been despoiled of their worldly goods; we ordain that the inheritances
of all such persons be transferred to their nearest kindred. And
whereas the laws expressly assign this right to those most nearly
related, it will be easy to ascertain to whom these inheritances
severally belong. And it is evidently reasonable that the succession
in these cases should belong to those who would have stood in the
place of nearest affinity, had the deceased experienced a natural
death.
Chapter XXXVI.--The Church is declared Heir of those who leave no
Kindred; and the Free Gifts of such Persons Confirmed.
"But should there be no surviving relation to succeed in due course to
the property of those above-mentioned, I mean the martyrs, or
confessors, or those who for some such cause have been banished from
their native land; in such cases we ordain that the church locally
nearest in each instance shall succeed to the inheritance. And surely
it will be no wrong to the departed that that church should be their
heir, for whose sake they have endured every extremity of suffering.
We think it necessary to add this also, that in case any of the
above-mentioned persons have donated any part of their property in the
way of free gift, possession of such property shall be assured, as is
reasonable, to those who have thus received it.
Chapter XXXVII --Lands, Gardens, or Houses, but not Actual Produce
from them, are to be given back.
"And that there may be no obscurity in this our ordinance, but every
one may readily apprehend its requirements, let all men hereby know
that if they are now maintaining themselves in possession of a piece
of land, or a house, or garden, or anything else which had appertained
to the before-mentioned persons, it will be good and advantageous for
them to acknowledge the fact, and make restitution with the least
possible delay. On the other hand, although it should appear that some
individuals have reaped abundant profits from this unjust possession,
we do not consider that justice demands the restitution of such
profits. They must, however, declare explicitly what amount of benefit
they have thus derived, and from what sources, and entreat our pardon
for this offense; in order that their past covetousness may in some
measure be atoned for, and that the Supreme God may accept this
compensation as a token of contrition, and be pleased graciously to
pardon the sin.
Chapter XXXVIII.--In what Manner Requests should be made for these.
"But it is possible that those who have become masters of such
property (if it be right or possible to allow them such a title) will
assure us by way of apology for their conduct, that it was not in
their power to abstain from this appropriation at a time when a
spectacle of misery in all its forms everywhere met the view; when men
were cruelly driven from their homes, slaughtered without mercy,
thrust forth without remorse: when the confiscation of the property of
innocent persons was a common thing, and when persecutions and
property seizures were unceasing. If any defend their conduct by such
reasons as these, and still persist in their avaricious temper, they
shall be made sensible that such a course will bring punishment on
themselves, and all the more because this correction of evil is the
very characteristic of our service to the Supreme God. So that it will
henceforth be dangerous to retain what dire necessity may in time past
have compelled men to take; especially because it is in any case
incumbent on us to discourage covetous desires, both by persuasion,
and by warning examples.
Chapter XXXIX.--The Treasury must restore Lands, Gardens, and Houses
to the Churches.
"Nor shall the treasury itself, should it have any of the things we
have spoken of, be permitted to keep them; but, without venturing as
it were to raise its voice against the holy churches, it shall justly
relinquish in their favor what it has for a time unjustly retained. We
ordain, therefore, that all things whatsoever which shall appear
righteously to belong to the churches, whether the property consist of
houses or fields and gardens, or whatever the nature of it may be,
shall be restored in their full value and integrity, and with
undiminished right of possession.
Chapter XL.--The Tombs of Martyrs and the Cemeteries to be transferred
to the Possession of the Churches.
"Again, with respect to those places which are honored in being the
depositories of the remains of martyrs, and continue to be memorials
of their glorious departure; how can we doubt that they rightly belong
to the churches, or refrain from issuing our injunction to that
effect? For surely there can be no better liberality, no labor more
pleasing or profitable, than to be thus employed under the guidance of
the Divine Spirit, in order that those things which have been
appropriated on false pretenses by unjust and wicked men, may be
restored, as justice demands, and once more secured to the holy
churches.
Chapter XLI.--Those who have purchased Property belonging to the
Church, or received it as a Gift, are to restore it.
"And since it would be wrong in a provision intended to include all
cases, to pass over those who have either procured any such property
by right of purchase from the treasury, or have retained it when
conveyed to them in the form of a gift; let all who have thus rashly
indulged their insatiable thirst of gain be assured that, although by
daring to make such purchases they have done all in their power to
alienate our clemency from themselves, they shall nevertheless not
fail of obtaining it, so far as is possible and consistent with
propriety in each case. So much then is determined.
Chapter XLII.--An Earnest Exhortation to worship God.
"And now, since it appears by the clearest and most convincing
evidence, that the miseries which erewhile oppressed the entire human
race are now banished from every part of the world, through the power
of Almighty God, and at the same time the counsel and aid which he is
pleased on many occasions to administer through our agency; it remains
for all, both individually and unitedly, to observe and seriously
consider how great this power and how efficacious this grace are,
which have annihilated and utterly destroyed this generation, as I may
call them, of most wicked and evil men; have restored joy to the good,
and diffused it over all countries; and now guarantee the fullest
authority both to honor the Divine law as it should be honored, with
all reverence, and pay due observance to those who have dedicated
themselves to the service of that law. These rising as from some dark
abyss and, with an enlightened knowledge of the present course of
events, will henceforward render to its precepts that becoming
reverence and honor which are consistent with their pious character.
Let this ordinance be published in our Eastern provinces." [3189]
Footnotes
[3189] [This seems to be the subscription or signature in the
emperor's own handwriting, which is referred to at the end of ch.
23.--Bag.]
Chapter XLIII.--How the Enactments of Constantine were carried into
Effect.
Such were the injunctions contained in the first letter which the
emperor addressed to us. And the provisions of this enactment were
speedily carried into effect, everything being conducted in a manner
quite different from the atrocities which had but lately been daringly
perpetrated during the cruel ascendancy of the tyrants. Those persons
also who were legally entitled to it, received the benefit of the
emperor's liberality.
Chapter XLIV.--That he promoted Christians to Offices of Government,
and forbade Gentiles in Such Stations to offer Sacrifice.
After this the emperor continued to address himself to matters of high
importance, and first he sent governors to the several provinces,
mostly such as were devoted to the saving faith; and if any appeared
inclined to adhere to Gentile worship, he forbade them to offer
sacrifice. This law applied also to those who surpassed the provincial
governors in rank and dignity, [3190] and even to those who occupied
the highest station, and held the authority of the Prætorian
Præfecture. [3191] If they were Christians, they were free to act
consistently with their profession; if otherwise, the law required
them to abstain from idolatrous sacrifices.
Footnotes
[3190] [That is, the proconsuls, the vicars (or vice-præfects), and
counts, or provincial generals.--Bag.]
[3191] [The power of the four Prætorian Præfects in the time of
Constantine is thus described by Gibbon: "1. The Præfect of the East
stretched his ample jurisdiction into the three parts of the globe
which were subject to the Romans, from the cataracts of the Nile to
the banks of the Phasis, and from the mountains of Thrace to the
frontiers of Persia. 2. The important provinces of Pannonia, Dacia,
Macedonia, and Greece once acknowledged the authority of the Præfect
of Illyricum. 3. The power of the Præfect of Italy was not confined to
the country from whence he derived his title; it extended over the
additional territory of Rhætia as far as the banks of the Danube, over
the dependent islands of the Mediterranean, and over that part of the
continent of Africa which lies between the confines of Cyrene and
those of Tingitania. 4. The Præfect of the Gauls comprehended under
that plural denomination the kindred provinces of Britain and Spain,
and his authority was obeyed from the wall of Antoninus to the fort of
Mount Atlas."--Decline and Fall, chap. 17.-- Bag.]
Chapter XLV.--Statutes which forbade Sacrifice, and enjoined the
Building of Churches.
Soon after this, two laws were promulgated about the same time; one of
which was intended to restrain the idolatrous abominations which in
time past had been practiced in every city and country; and it
provided that no one should erect images, or practice divination and
other false and foolish arts, or offer sacrifice in any way. [3192]
The other statute commanded the heightening of the oratories, and the
enlargement in length and breadth of the churches of God; as though it
were expected that, now the madness of polytheism was wholly removed,
pretty nearly all mankind would henceforth attach themselves to the
service of God. His own personal piety induced the emperor to devise
and write these instructions to the governors of the several
provinces: and the law farther admonished them not to spare the
expenditure of money, but to draw supplies from the imperial treasury
itself. Similar instructions were written also to the bishops of the
several churches; and the emperor was pleased to transmit the same to
myself, being the first letter which he personally addressed to me.
Footnotes
[3192] [That is, private sacrifices: for it appears that the
idolatrous temples were allowed to be open for public worship.--Bag.]
Chapter XLVI.--Constantine's Letter to Eusebius and Other Bishops,
respecting the Building of Churches, with Instructions to repair the
Old, and erect New Ones on a Larger Scale, with the Aid of the
Provincial Governors.
"Victor Constantinus, Maximus Augustus, to Eusebius.
"Forasmuch as the unholy and willful rule of tyranny has persecuted
the servants of our Saviour until this present time, I believe and
have fully satisfied myself, best beloved brother, that the buildings
belonging to all the churches have either become ruinous through
actual neglect, or have received inadequate attention from the dread
of the violent spirit of the times.
"But now, that liberty is restored, and that serpent [3193] driven
from the administration of public affairs by the providence of the
Supreme God, and our instrumentality, we trust that all can see the
efficacy of the Divine power, and that they who through fear of
persecution or through unbelief have fallen into any errors, will now
acknowledge the true God, and adopt in future that course of life
which is according to truth and rectitude. With respect, therefore, to
the churches over which you yourself preside, as well as the bishops,
presbyters, and deacons of other churches with whom you are
acquainted, do you admonish all to be zealous in their attention to
the buildings of the churches, and either to repair or enlarge those
which at present exist, or, in cases of necessity, to erect new ones.
"We also empower you, and the others through you, to demand what is
needful for the work, both from the provincial governors and from the
Prætorian Præfect. For they have received instructions to be most
diligent in obedience to your Holiness's orders. God preserve you,
beloved brother." A copy of this charge was transmitted throughout all
the provinces to the bishops of the several churches: the provincial
governors received directions accordingly, and the imperial statute
was speedily carried into effect.
Footnotes
[3193] [Licinius, thus designated for the subtlety of his
character.--Bag.] More probably for his wickedness, and perhaps with
thought of the "dragon" of the Book of Revelation. The word is
drEURkon, not ophis. It is the latter which is used in the LXX, where
the English version speaks of the serpent as the "subtlest." For
historical and symbolical use of the words, compare Fergusson, Tree
and Serpent Worship (Lond., 1874), and Conway, Demonology and Devil
Lore (N.Y., 1879, 2 v.).
Chapter XLVII.--That he wrote a Letter in Condemnation of Idolatry.
Moreover, the emperor, who continually made progress in piety towards
God, dispatched an admonitory letter to the inhabitants of every
province, respecting the error of idolatry into which his predecessors
in power had fallen, in which he eloquently exhorts his subjects to
acknowledge the Supreme God, and openly to profess their allegiance to
his Christ as their Saviour. This letter also, which is in his own
handwriting, I have judged it necessary to translate from the Latin
for the present work, in order that we may hear, as it were, the voice
the emperor himself uttering these sentiments in the audience of all
mankind.
Chapter XLVIII.--Constantine's Edict to the People of the Provinces
concerning the Error of Polytheism, commencing with Some General
Remarks on Virtue and Vice.
"Victor Constantinus, Maximus Augustus, to the people of the Eastern
provinces.
"Whatever is comprehended under the sovereign [3194] laws of nature,
seems to convey to all men an adequate idea of the forethought and
intelligence of the divine order. Nor can any, whose minds are
directed in the true path of knowledge to the attainment of that end,
entertain a doubt that the just perceptions of sound reason, as well
as those of the natural vision itself, through the sole influence of
genuine virtue, lead to the knowledge of God. Accordingly no wise man
will ever be surprised when he sees the mass of mankind influenced by
opposite sentiments. For the beauty of virtue would be useless [3195]
and unperceived, did not vice display in contrast with it the course
of perversity and folly. Hence it is that the one is crowned with
reward, while the most high God is himself the administrator of
judgment to the other.
"And now I will endeavor to lay before you all as explicitly as
possible, the nature of my own hopes of future happiness. [3196]
Footnotes
[3194] Or "fixed," "appointed."
[3195] By a conjectural reading Stroth makes this "fools," instead of
"useless," and renders, "For fools would not otherwise recognize the
charm of virtue."
[3196] [The remark of Valesius in reference to the difficulty of this
Chapter appears probable; viz. that it is partly to be attributed to
Constantine's own want of clearness, and partly to his translator, who
has rendered obscure Latin into still more obscure Greek.--Bag.]
Chapter XLIX.--Concerning Constantine's Pious Father, and the
Persecutors Diocletian and Maximian.
"The former emperors I have been accustomed to regard as those with
whom I could have no sympathy, [3197] on account of the savage cruelty
of their character. Indeed, my father was the only one who uniformly
practiced the duties of humanity, and with admirable piety called for
the blessing of God the Father on all his actions, but the rest,
unsound in mind, were more zealous of cruel than gentle measures; and
this disposition they indulged without restraint, and thus persecuted
the true doctrine during the whole period of their reign. Nay, so
violent did their malicious fury become, that in the midst of a
profound peace, as regards both the religious and ordinary interests
of men, they kindled, as it were, the flames of a civil war. [3198]
Footnotes
[3197] The word means "having no share with," and sometimes
"disinherited." It may perhaps mean, "I have been accustomed to think
of the former emperors as having been deprived of their possessions on
account," &c.
[3198] [The persecution of the Christians, with its attendant horrors,
being the act, not of foreign enemies, but of their countrymen and
fellow-citizens.--Bag.]
Chapter L.--That the Persecution originated on Account of the Oracle
of Apollo, who, it was said, could not give Oracles because of "the
Righteous Men."
"About that time it is said that Apollo spoke from a deep and gloomy
cavern, and through the medium of no human voice, and declared that
the righteous men on earth were a bar to his speaking the truth, and
accordingly that the oracles from the tripod were fallacious. Hence it
was that he suffered his tresses to droop in token of grief, [3199]
and mourned the evils which the loss of the oracular spirit would
entail on mankind. But let us mark the consequences of this.
Footnotes
[3199] This is translated by Molzberger, "Therefore the priests let
their hair hang down," &c.
Chapter LI.--That Constantine, when a Youth, heard from him who wrote
the Persecution Edict that "the Righteous Men" were the Christians.
"I call now on thee, most high God, to witness that, when young, I
heard him who at that time was chief among the Roman emperors,
unhappy, truly unhappy as he was, and laboring under mental delusion,
make earnest enquiry of his attendants as to who these righteous ones
on earth were, and that one of the Pagan priests then present replied
that they were doubtless the Christians. This answer he eagerly
received, like some honeyed draught, and unsheathed the sword which
was ordained for the punishment of crime, against those whose holiness
was beyond reproach. Immediately, therefore, he issued those
sanguinary edicts, traced, if I may so express myself, with a sword's
point dipped in blood; at the same time commanding his judges to tax
their ingenuity for the invention of new and more terrible
punishments.
Chapter LII.--The Manifold Forms of Torture and Punishment practiced
against the Christians.
"Then, indeed, one might see with what arrogance those venerable
worshipers of God were daily exposed, with continued and relentless
cruelty, to outrages of the most grievous kind, and how that modesty
of character [3200] which no enemy had ever treated with disrespect,
became the mere sport of their infuriated fellow-citizens. Is there
any punishment by fire, are there any tortures or forms of torment,
which were not applied to all, without distinction of age or sex?
Then, it may be truly said, the earth shed tears, the all-encircling
compass of heaven mourned because of the pollution of blood; and the
very light of day itself was darkened in grief at the spectacle.
Footnotes
[3200] sophrosune
Chapter LIII.--That the Barbarians kindly received the Christians.
"But what is the consequence of this? Why, the barbarians themselves
may boast now of the contrast their conduct presents to these creel
deeds; for they received and kept in gentlest captivity those who then
fled from amongst us, and secured to them not merely safety from
danger, but also the free exercise of their holy religion. And now the
Roman people bear that lasting stain which the Christians, at that
time driven from the Roman world, and taking refuge with the
barbarians, have branded on them.
Chapter LIV.--What Vengeance overtook those who on Account of the
Oracle raised the Persecution.
"But why need I longer dwell on these lamentable events, and the
general sorrow which in consequence pervaded the world? The
perpetrators of this dreadful guilt are now no more: they have
experienced a miserable end, and are consigned to unceasing punishment
in the depths of the lower world. They encountered each other in civil
strife, and have left neither name nor race behind. And surely this
calamity would never have befallen them, had not that impious
deliverance of the Pythian oracle exercised a delusive power over
them. [3201]
Footnotes
[3201] Compare, on all this, the Church History and notes, and also
the Prolegomena to this work.
Chapter LV.--Constantine gives Glory to God, makes Grateful
Acknowledgment of the Sign of the Cross, and prays for the Churches
and People.
And now I beseech thee, most mighty God, to be merciful and gracious
to thine Eastern nations, to thy people in these provinces, worn as
they are by protracted miseries; and grant them healing through thy
servant. Not without cause, O holy God, do I prefer this prayer to
thee, the Lord of all. Under thy guidance have I devised and
accomplished measures fraught with blessings: preceded by thy sacred
sign I have led thy armies to victory: and still, on each occasion of
public danger, I follow the same symbol of thy perfections while
advancing to meet the foe. Therefore have I dedicated to thy service a
soul duly attempered by love and fear. For thy name I truly love,
while I regard with reverence that power of which thou hast given
abundant proofs, to the confirmation and increase of my faith. I
hasten, then, to devote all my powers to the restoration of thy most
holy dwelling-place, which those profane and impious men have defiled
by the contamination of violence.
Chapter LVI.--He prays that All may be Christians, but compels None.
"My own desire is, for the common good of the world and the advantage
of all mankind, that thy people should enjoy a life of peace and
undisturbed concord. Let those, therefore, who still delight in error,
be made welcome to the same degree of peace and tranquillity which
they have who believe. For it may be that this restoration of equal
privileges to all will prevail to lead them into the straight path.
Let no one molest another, but let every one do as his soul desires.
Only let men of sound judgment be assured of this, that those only can
live a life of holiness and purity, whom thou callest to a reliance on
thy holy laws. With regard to those who will hold themselves aloof
from us, let them have, if they please, their temples [3202] of lies:
we have the glorious edifice of thy truth, which thou hast given us as
our native home. [3203] We pray, however, that they too may receive
the same blessing, and thus experience that heartfelt joy which unity
of sentiment inspires.
Footnotes
[3202] Or "groves."
[3203] [,'Onper kata phusin dedokas. The clause is thus rendered by
Valesius: "Nos splendidissimam domum veritatis tuæ, quam nascentibus
nobis donasti, retinemus." This seems almost as unintelligible as the
original. The translation above attempted yields, perhaps, a sense not
inconsistent with the general scope of the passage.--Bag.] 1709
renders "according to nature." Molzberger has "through no merit on our
part." Stroth renders "characteristically" or "as our own natural
possession" (i.e. eigenthümlich), and is confirmed by Heinichen, while
Christophorson has "natura" and Portesius "a natura." The last is the
best translation "by nature." As a matter of interpretation Bagster is
probably wrong and Stroth substantially right. Whether Constantine had
the Epistle to the Romans in mind or not, he had the same thought as
Paul that men "by nature" have the "truth of God," but exchange this
for a lie (Rom. i. 25; ii. 14; cf. xi. 21 and 24). This suggests,
however, another possible meaning, that the truth is known "through
the things that are made" (Rom. i. 20). For various philosophical
usages of phusis, compare interesting note in Grant, Ethics of
Aristotle, 1 (Lond. 1885), 483, 484.
Chapter LVII.--He gives Glory to God, who has given Light by his Son
to those who were in Error.
"And truly our worship is no new or recent thing, but one which thou
hast ordained for thine own due honor, from the time when, as we
believe, this system of the universe was first established. And,
although mankind have deeply fallen, and have been seduced by manifold
errors, yet hast thou revealed a pure light in the person of thy Son,
that the power of evil should not utterly prevail, and hast thus given
testimony to all men concerning thyself.
Chapter LVIII.--He glorifies him again for his Government of the
Universe.
The truth of this is assured to us by thy works. It is thy power which
removes our guilt, and makes us faithful. The sun and the moon have
their settled course. The stars move in no uncertain orbits round this
terrestrial globe. The revolution of the seasons recurs according to
unerring laws. The solid fabric of the earth was established by thy
word: the winds receive their impulse at appointed times; and the
course of the waters continues with ceaseless flow, [3204] the ocean
is circumscribed by an immovable barrier, and whatever is comprehended
within the compass of earth and sea, is all contrived for wondrous and
important ends.
"Were it not so, were not all regulated by the determination of thy
will, so great a diversity, so manifold a division of power, would
unquestionably have brought ruin on the whole race and its affairs.
For those agencies which have maintained a mutual strife [3205] would
thus have carried to a more deadly length that hostility against the
human race which they even now exercise, though unseen by mortal eyes.
Footnotes
[3204] Probably meaning rains.
[3205] [Constantine seems here to allude to the Gentile deities as
powers of evil, capable, if unrestrained by a superior power, of
working universal ruin.--Bag.]
Chapter LIX.--He gives Glory to God, as the Constant Teacher of Good.
"Abundant thanks, most mighty God, and Lord of all, be rendered to
thee, that, by so much as our nature becomes known from the
diversified pursuits of man, by so much the more are the precepts of
thy divine doctrine confirmed to those whose thoughts are directed
aright, and who are sincerely devoted to true virtue. As for those who
will not allow themselves to be cured of their error, let them not
attribute this to any but themselves. For that remedy which is of
sovereign and healing virtue is openly placed within the reach of all.
Only let not any one inflict an injury on that religion which
experience itself testifies to be pure and undefiled. Henceforward,
therefore, let us all enjoy in common the privilege placed within our
reach, I mean the blessing of peace, endeavoring to keep our
conscience pure from all that is contrary.
Chapter LX.--An Admonition at the Close of the Edict, that No One
should trouble his Neighbor.
"Once more, let none use that to the detriment of another which he may
himself have received on conviction of its truth; but let every one,
if it be possible, apply what he has understood and known to the
benefit of his neighbor; if otherwise, let him relinquish the attempt.
For it is one thing voluntarily to undertake the conflict for
immortality, another to compel others to do so from the fear of
punishment.
"These are our words; and we have enlarged on these topics more than
our ordinary clemency would have dictated, because we were unwilling
to dissemble or be false to the true faith; and the more so, since we
understand there are some who say that the rites of the heathen
temples, and the power of darkness, have been entirely removed. We
should indeed have earnestly recommended such removal to all men, were
it not that the rebellious spirit of those wicked errors still
continues obstinately fixed in the minds of some, so as to discourage
the hope of any general restoration of mankind to the ways of truth."
[3206]
Footnotes
[3206] The editorial "we" used by Bag. throughout these edicts has
been retained, although the first person singular is employed
throughout in the original.
Chapter LXI.--How Controversies originated at Alexandria through
Matters relating to Arius. [3207]
In this manner the emperor, like a powerful herald of God, addressed
himself by his own letter to all the provinces, at the same time
warning his subjects against superstitious [3208] error, and
encouraging them in the pursuit of true godliness. But in the midst of
his joyful anticipations of the success of this measure, he received
tidings of a most serious disturbance which had invaded the peace of
the Church. This intelligence he heard with deep concern, and at once
endeavored to devise a remedy for the evil. The origin of this
disturbance may be thus described. The people of God were in a truly
flourishing state, and abounding in the practice of good works. No
terror from without assailed them, but a bright and most profound
peace, through the favor of God, encompassed his Church on every side.
Meantime, however, the spirit of envy was watching to destroy our
blessings, which at first crept in unperceived, but soon revelled in
the midst of the assemblies of the saints. At length it reached the
bishops themselves, and arrayed them in angry hostility against each
other, on pretense of a jealous regard for the doctrines of Divine
truth. Hence it was that a mighty fire was kindled as it were from a
little spark, and which, originating in the first instance in the
Alexandrian church, [3209] overspread the whole of Egypt and Libya,
and the further Thebaid. Eventually it extended its ravages to the
other provinces and cities of the empire; so that not only the
prelates of the churches might be seen encountering each other in the
strife of words, but the people themselves were completely divided,
some adhering to one faction and others to another. Nay, so notorious
did the scandal of these proceedings become, that the sacred matters
of inspired teaching were exposed to the most shameful ridicule in the
very theaters of the unbelievers.
Footnotes
[3207] For literature relating to Arianism, compare Literature at the
end of article by Schaff, in Smith and Wace, Dict. 1 (1877), 159, and
in the Schaff-Herzog Encyclopædia, 1, p. 137.
[3208] "Demoniacal." 1709 renders "diabolical."
[3209] It was at Alexandria that the controversy with Arius arose. He
was called to account by Alexander of Alexandria who summoned one
council and then another, at which Arius and his followers were
excommunicated.
Chapter LXII.--Concerning the Same Arius, and the Melitians. [3210]
Some thus at Alexandria maintained an obstinate conflict on the
highest questions. Others throughout Egypt and the Upper Thebaid, were
at variance on account of an earlier controversy: so that the churches
were everywhere distracted by divisions. The body therefore being thus
diseased, the whole of Libya caught the contagion; and the rest of the
remoter provinces became affected with the same disorder. For the
disputants at Alexandria sent emissaries to the bishops of the several
provinces, who accordingly ranged themselves as partisans on either
side, and shared in the same spirit of discord.
Footnotes
[3210] [The Melitians, or Meletians, an obscure Egyptian sect, of whom
little satisfactory is recorded.--Bag.] Compare Blunt, Dict. of Sects,
Heresies, &c. (1874), 305-308.
Chapter LXIII.--How Constantine sent a Messenger and a Letter
concerning Peace.
As soon as the emperor was informed of these facts, which he heard
with much sorrow of heart, considering them in the light of a calamity
personally affecting himself, he forthwith selected from the
Christians in his train one whom he well knew to be approved for the
sobriety and genuineness of his faith, [3211] and who had before this
time distinguished himself by the boldness of his religious
profession, and sent him to negotiate peace [3212] between the
dissentient parties at Alexandria. He also made him the bearer of a
most needful and appropriate letter to the original movers of the
strife: and this letter, as exhibiting a specimen of his watchful care
over God's people, it may be well to introduce into this our narrative
of his life. Its purport was as follows.
Footnotes
[3211] [Hosius, bishop of Cordova.--Bag.] Hosius had already been for
some time a trusted adviser, having acted for Constantine also in the
Donatist matters. Compare on Hosius the full article of Morse in Smith
and Wace.
[3212] By "acting as umpire."
Chapter LXIV.--Constantine's Letter to Alexander the Bishop, and Arius
the Presbyter.
"Victor Constantinus, Maximus Augustus, to Alexander and Arius.
"I call that God to witness, as well I may, who is the helper of my
endeavors, and the Preserver of all men, that I had a twofold reason
for undertaking that duty which I have now performed.
Chapter LXV.--His Continual Anxiety for Peace.
"My design then was, first, to bring the diverse judgments formed by
all nations respecting the Deity to a condition, as it were, of
settled uniformity; and, secondly, to restore to health the system of
the world, then suffering under the malignant power of a grievous
distemper. Keeping these objects in view, I sought to accomplish the
one by the secret eye of thought, while the other I tried to rectify
by the power of military authority. For I was aware that, if I should
succeed in establishing, according to my hopes, a common harmony of
sentiment among all the servants of God, the general course of affairs
would also experience a change correspondent to the pious desires of
them all.
Chapter LXVI.--That he also adjusted the Controversies which had
arisen in Africa.
"Finding, then, that the whole of Africa was pervaded by an
intolerable spirit of mad folly, through the influence of those who
with heedless frivolity had presumed to rend the religion of the
people into diverse sects; I was anxious to check this disorder, and
could discover no other remedy equal to the occasion, except in
sending some of yourselves to aid in restoring mutual harmony among
the disputants, after I had removed that common enemy [3213] of
mankind who had interposed his lawless sentence for the prohibition of
your holy synods.
Footnotes
[3213] [Licinius, whose prohibition of synods is referred to in Bk. 1,
ch. 51. The disputes here mentioned are those between the Catholic
Christians and the Donatists, a very violent sect which sprung up in
Africa after the persecution by Diocletian.--Bag.]
Chapter LXVII.--That Religion began in the East.
"For since the power of Divine light, and the law of sacred worship,
which, proceeding in the first instance, through the favor of God,
from the bosom, as it were, of the East, have illumined the world, by
their sacred radiance, I naturally believed that you would be the
first to promote the salvation of other nations, and resolved with all
energy of thought and diligence of enquiry to seek your aid. As soon,
therefore, as I had secured my decisive victory and unquestionable
triumph over my enemies, my first enquiry was concerning that object
which I felt to be of paramount interest and importance.
Chapter LXVIII.--Being grieved by the Dissension, he counsels Peace.
"But, O glorious Providence of God! how deep a wound did not my ears
only, but my very heart receive in the report that divisions existed
among yourselves more grievous still than those which continued in
that country! [3214] so that you, through whose aid I had hoped to
procure a remedy for the errors of others, are in a state which needs
healing even more than theirs. And yet, having made a careful enquiry
into the origin and foundation of these differences, I find the cause
to be of a truly insignificant character, and quite unworthy of such
fierce contention. Feeling myself, therefore, compelled to address you
in this letter, and to appeal at the same time to your unanimity
[3215] and sagacity, I call on Divine Providence to assist me in the
task, while I interrupt your dissension in the character of a minister
of peace. And with reason: for if I might expect, with the help of a
higher Power, to be able without difficulty, by a judicious appeal to
the pious feelings of those who heard me, to recall them to a better
spirit, even though the occasion of the disagreement were a greater
one, how can I refrain from promising myself a far easier and more
speedy adjustment of this difference, when the cause which hinders
general harmony of sentiment is intrinsically trifling and of little
moment?
Footnotes
[3214] [Africa: alluding to the schism of the Donatists.--Bag.]
[3215] Or "mutual."
Chapter LXIX.--Origin of the Controversy between Alexander and Arius,
and that these Questions ought not to have been discussed.
I understand, then, that the origin of the present controversy is
this. When you, Alexander, demanded of the presbyters what opinion
they severally maintained respecting a certain passage in the Divine
law, [3216] or rather, I should say, that you asked them something
connected with an unprofitable question, then you, Arius,
inconsiderately insisted on [3217] what ought never to have been
conceived at all, or if conceived, should have been buried in profound
silence. Hence it was that a dissension arose between you, fellowship
was withdrawn, [3218] and the holy people, rent into diverse parties,
no longer preserved the unity of the one body. Now, therefore, do ye
both exhibit an equal degree of forbearance, [3219] and receive the
advice which your fellow-servant righteously gives. What then is this
advice? It was wrong in the first instance to propose such questions
as these, or to reply to them when propounded. For those points of
discussion which are enjoined by the authority of no law, but rather
suggested by the contentious spirit which is fostered by misused
leisure, even though they may be intended merely as an intellectual
exercise, ought certainly to be confined to the region of our own
thoughts, and not hastily produced in the popular assemblies, nor
unadvisedly intrusted to the general ear. For how very few are there
able either accurately to comprehend, or adequately to explain
subjects so sublime and abstruse in their nature? Or, granting that
one were fully competent for this, how many people will he convince?
Or, who, again, in dealing with questions of such subtle nicety as
these, can secure himself against a dangerous declension from the
truth? It is incumbent therefore on us in these cases to be sparing of
our words, lest, in case we ourselves are unable, through the
feebleness of our natural faculties, to give a clear explanation of
the subject before us, or, on the other hand, in case the slowness of
our hearers' understandings disables them from arriving at an accurate
apprehension of what we say, from one or other of these causes the
people be reduced to the alternative either of blasphemy or schism.
Footnotes
[3216] [The word nomos seems to be commonly used by Eusebius as a
general term for Divine revelation; as we employ the word
"Scripture."--Bag.]
[3217] The plain English "stuck to" represents the idea of Heinichen
(animo infixisses infixumque teneres) followed by Molz (mit unkluger
Hartnäckigkeit festhieltest). Bag. had "gave utterance to," and with
this Vales., 1709, and Str. correspond.
[3218] Bag.,"The meeting of the synod was prohibited."
[3219] On "forgiveness."
Chapter LXX.--An Exhortation to Unanimity.
"Let therefore both the unguarded question and the inconsiderate
answer receive your mutual forgiveness. [3220] For the cause of your
difference has not been any of the leading doctrines or precepts of
the Divine law, nor has any new heresy respecting the worship of God
arisen among you. You are in truth of one and the same judgment:
[3221] you may therefore well join in communion and fellowship.
Footnotes
[3220] Rendered "forbearance" above.
[3221] [The emperor seems at this time to have had a very imperfect
knowledge of the errors of the Arian heresy. After the Council of
Nice, at which he heard them fully explained, he wrote of them in
terms of decisive condemnation in his letter to the Alexandrian
church. Vide Socrates' Eccles. Hist., Bk. 1, ch. 9.--Bag.] Neither at
this time nor at any time does Constantine seem to have entered very
fully into an appreciation of doctrinal niceties. Later he was more
than tolerant of semi-Arianism. He seems to have depended a good deal
on the "explanations" of others, and to have been led in a somewhat
devious path in trying to follow all.
Chapter LXXI.--There should be no Contention in Matters which are in
themselves of Little Moment.
"For as long as you continue to contend about these small and very
insignificant questions, it is not fitting that so large a portion of
God's people should be under the direction of your judgment, since you
are thus divided between yourselves. I believe it indeed to be not
merely unbecoming, but positively evil, that such should be the case.
But I will refresh your minds by a little illustration, as follows.
You know that philosophers, though they all adhere to one system, are
yet frequently at issue on certain points, and differ, perhaps, in
their degree of knowledge: yet they are recalled to harmony of
sentiment by the uniting power of their common doctrines. If this be
true, is it not far more reasonable that you, who are the ministers of
the Supreme God, should be of one mind respecting the profession of
the same religion? But let us still more thoughtfully and with closer
attention examine what I have said, and see whether it be right that,
on the ground of some trifling and foolish verbal difference between
ourselves, brethren should assume towards each other the attitude of
enemies, and the august meeting of the Synod be rent by profane
disunion, because of you who wrangle together on points so trivial and
altogether unessential? This is vulgar, and rather characteristic of
childish ignorance, than consistent with the wisdom of priests and men
of sense. Let us withdraw ourselves with a good will from these
temptations of the devil. Our great God and common Saviour of all has
granted the same light to us all. Permit me, who am his servant, to
bring my task to a successful issue, under the direction of his
Providence, that I may be enabled, through my exhortations, and
diligence, and earnest admonition, to recall his people to communion
and fellowship. For since you have, as I said, but one faith, and one
sentiment respecting our religion, and since the Divine commandment in
all its parts enjoins on us all the duty of maintaining a spirit of
concord, let not the circumstance which has led to a slight difference
between you, since it does not affect the validity of the whole, cause
any division or schism among you. And this I say without in any way
desiring to force you to entire unity of judgment in regard to this
truly idle question, whatever its real nature may be. For the dignity
of your synod may be preserved, and the communion of your whole body
maintained unbroken, however wide a difference may exist among you as
to unimportant matters. For we are not all of us like-minded on every
subject, nor is there such a thing as one disposition and judgment
common to all alike. As far, then, as regards the Divine Providence,
let there be one faith, and one understanding among you, one united
judgment in reference to God. But as to your subtle disputations on
questions of little or no significance, though you may be unable to
harmonize in sentiment, such differences should be consigned to the
secret custody of your own minds and thoughts. And now, let the
preciousness of common affection, let faith in the truth, let the
honor due to God and to the observance of his law continue immovably
among you. Resume, then, your mutual feelings of friendship, love, and
regard: restore to the people their wonted embracings; and do ye
yourselves, having purified your souls, as it were, once more
acknowledge one another. For it often happens that when a
reconciliation is effected by the removal of the causes of enmity,
friendship becomes even sweeter than it was before.
Chapter LXXII.--The Excess of his Pious Concern caused him to shed
Tears; and his Intended Journey to the East was postponed because of
These Things.
"Restore me then my quiet days, and untroubled nights, that the joy of
undimmed light, the delight of a tranquil life, may henceforth be my
portion. Else must I needs mourn, with constant tears, nor shall I be
able to pass the residue of my days in peace. For while the people of
God, whose fellow-servant I am, are thus divided amongst themselves by
an unreasonable and pernicious spirit of contention, how is it
possible that I shall be able to maintain tranquillity of mind? And I
will give you a proof how great my sorrow has been on this behalf. Not
long since I had visited Nicomedia, and intended forthwith to proceed
from that city to the East. It was while I was hastening towards you,
and had already accomplished the greater part of the distance, that
the news of this matter reversed my plan, that I might not be
compelled to see with my own eyes that which I felt myself scarcely
able even to hear. Open then for me henceforward by your unity of
judgment that road to the regions of the East which your dissensions
have closed against me, and permit me speedily to see yourselves and
all other peoples rejoicing together, and render due acknowledgment to
God in the language of praise and thanksgiving for the restoration of
general concord and liberty to all."
Chapter LXXIII.--The Controversy continues without Abatement, even
after the Receipt of This Letter.
In this manner the pious emperor endeavored by means of the foregoing
letter to promote the peace of the Church of God. And the excellent
man [3222] to whom it was intrusted performed his part not merely by
communicating the letter itself, but also by seconding the views of
him who sent it; for he was, as I have said, in all respects a person
of pious character. The evil, however, was greater than could be
remedied by a single letter, insomuch that the acrimony of the
contending parties continually increased, and the effects of the
mischief extended to all the Eastern provinces. These things jealousy
and some evil spirit who looked with an envious eye on the prosperity
of the Church, wrought.
Footnotes
[3222] [Hosius of Cordova, mentioned above, ch. 63.--Bag.]
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