CONSTANTINE THE GREAT

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 10, 1867

CONSTANTINE THE GREAT.

The following article will be of interest to our readers as setting forth the character of the lawgiver of the Sunday institution.

Born in 274 at Naissus in Upper Mœsia, died at Constantinople in 337. Maxentius, in order to avenge his father's death, was about to set out for Gaul (310), when suddenly Constantine, very much like Cæsar under similar circumstances, led his legions to Italy, and in spite of tremendous odds, triumphantly entered Rome. There he was greeted as Emperor by the Senate, Maxentius having been accidentally drowned. It was during this campaign that Constantine, while encamped near Mentz, is said to have beheld in the sky a flaming cross, bearing the inscription: Εν τούτῳ νίκα, “With this you will conquer.” From that time the symbol of Christianity appeared on the shields of the soldiers and the banners of the Roman army. It is in vain that zealous writers have tried to relieve Constantine's reputation from the crimes committed to satisfy his ambition. However they may have succeeded in vilifying the character of his competitors, it is nevertheless true that he himself was not their better in moral qualities. His father-in-law; his brother-in-law, (Licinius), nay, even his own son Crispus, his nephew (the son of Licinius), a boy of 11 years, and lastly his wife Fausta, were successively his victims. It is said by Zosimus and Sozomenus that he became a convert to Christianity only because the pagan priests refused to absolve him from those crimes; but not much reliance is to be placed on this assertion.

Constantine's character scarcely warrants the belief that he was seriously troubled by remorse, nor is it to be supposed that the pagan priests at that time were overscrupulous in regard to the sins of Emperors. He conceived that the vast structure of a centralized empire, comprising almost the whole civilized world, was not to be built upon the decaying remnants of paganism. A new and vigorous principle, which, by inculcating obedience to existing authorities, seemed admirably adapted to the wants of absolute monarchism, was to instil new life into the Roman empire. This may have been Constantine's idea. As early as the year 312 he granted absolute toleration to the Christians, and restored to them the property confiscated by his predecessors. Sunday was set apart for religious exercises, and every attempt to restrain the religious liberty of Christians was severely punished. By convening and attending the general council at Nice (325), Constantine openly declared the Christians to be the official church of the empire. He was endowed with quick perception, vast ideas, great activity of mind, tenacity of purpose, and energy in action; but of true moral and religious sentiment he would seem to have been devoid.—New American Cyclopedia*, Vol. v, Art. Constantine.