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| By the Vision of the Cross, and by the Appearance of Christ, Constantine is led to embrace Christianity.--He receives Religious Instruction from our Brethren.
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Chapter III.—By the
Vision of the Cross, and by the Appearance of Christ, Constantine is
led to embrace Christianity.—He receives Religious Instruction
from our Brethren.
We have been informed that
Constantine was led to honor the Christian religion by the concurrence
of several different events, particularly by the appearance of a sign
from heaven.
When he first formed the resolution of entering into a
war against Maxentius, he was beset with doubts as to the means of
carrying on his military operations, and as to the quarter whence he
could look for assistance. In the midst of his perplexity, he saw, in a
vision, the sight of the cross1071
| 1071With this chapter, cf. the parallel account in Soc.
i. 2.
|
shining in heaven. He was amazed at the spectacle, but some holy angels
who were standing by, exclaimed, “Oh, Constantine! by this
symbol, conquer!” And it is said that Christ himself appeared to
him, and showed him the symbol of the cross, and commanded him to
construct one like unto it, and to retain it as his help in battle, as
it would insure the victory.
Eusebius, surnamed Pamphilus,1072
| 1072Cf. Eus. V. C. i. 28.
|
affirms that he heard the emperor declare with an oath, as the sun was
on the point of inclining about the middle of the day, he and the
soldiers who were with him saw in heaven the trophy of the cross composed of light, and encircled by the
following words: “By this sign, conquer.”
This vision met him by the way, when he was perplexed as
to whither he should lead his army. While he was reflecting on what
this could mean, night came; and when he fell asleep, Christ
appeared1073
| 1073Cf. Eus. V. C. i. 29.
|
with the sign which he had seen in heaven, and commanded him to
construct a representation of the symbol, and to use it as his help in
hostile encounters. There was nothing further to be elucidated; for the
emperor clearly apprehended the necessity of serving God.
At daybreak,1074
he called together the priests of Christ, and questioned them
concerning their doctrines. They opened the sacred Scriptures, and
expounded the truths relative to Christ, and showed him from the
prophets, how the signs which had been predicted, had been fulfilled.
The sign which had appeared to him was the symbol, they said, of the
victory over hell; for Christ came among men, was stretched upon the
cross, died, and returned to life the third day. On this account, they
said, there was hope that at the close of the present dispensation,
there would be a general resurrection of the dead, and entrance upon
immortality, when those who had led a good life would receive
accordingly, and those who had done evil would be punished. Yet,
continued they, the means of salvation and of purification from sin are
provided; namely, for the uninitiated,1075
| 1075That is, for the unbaptized and catechumens; the
baptized were called the “initiated” (οἰ
μεμυημένοι
).
|
initiation according to the canons of the church; and for the
initiated, abstinence from renewed sin. But as few, even among holy
men, are capable of complying with this latter condition, another
method of purification is set forth, namely, repentance; for God, in
his love towards man, bestows forgiveness on those who have fallen into
sin, on their repentance, and the confirmation of their repentance by
good works.
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