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EMPEROR AND SAINT CONSTANTINE THE GREAT (Part III)

Emperor Constantine the Great Becomes Involved in Ecclesiastical Affairs

In July of 315 A.D., Rome celebrated the Decennalia, the tenth anniversary of Constantine since he had been proclaimed Augustus in Eboracum in the British Isles. He had, during the last ten years, lived in Mediolanum, August Treverorum, Arelate, and Sirmium. Constantine went to Rome and accepted all of the honors bestowed upon him, with one important exception. He refused to make the traditional sacrifices to the pagan gods. He, rather, offered prayers of thanksgiving to God, the King of all, as sacrifices without flame and smoke. He did not, however, relinquish his title as Pontifex Maximus, for it gave him control over appointments of pagan priests. In August of that year, he appointed the aged pagan aristocrat Vettius Rufiniusto to be Prefect of Rome. By his appointment, Constantine was following what was written in the Edict of Milan; but he also wished to demonstrate to the Patrician pagans that he did not permit religious difference to interfere with affairs of state. He hoped by his example that others would follow suit. Many pagans did not care for Constantine's policy of admitting Christians into the aristocracy, but they could do nothing against such a powerful Emperor.

Saint Constantine, for a time, directed his attention to the legitimate and universal religion. He wished for unity among the Christians of the Supreme Deity. He was very generous with public funds to support his favorite religion, Christianity. His contribution to the Faith was not only of a financial nature but also of a personal commitment, using imperial authority to maintain the church's internal stability...He not only listened to the bishops but also intervened to preserve the order of the Church. He retained the Office of Pontifex Maximus among his imperial powers, in order to possess a legal right to supervise religious questions. The October following the Edict of Milan, Constantine appointed the Bishop of Rome, together with a committee of bishops, to inquire into the Donatist controversy (heresy) in the African Church. Constantine wrote to Bishop Miltiades of Rome "to investigate and close this matter according to injustice." He then concluded with these words: "It should not escape thy notice how much respect I render to the legitimate and catholic Church and that I do not intend to tolerate schisms or dissension anywhere. May the Divinity of the Great God protect thee for many years, most honorable!"

The Vision of the City

It was as early as 316 A.D. when Saint Constantine was vouchsafed a Divine vision. He was commanded to build a city in the parts of the East, a city which he was to dedicate to the Most Holy Theotokos. Thus, this holy command was ever with him as he hastened to perform the Divine Will...He traveled to Chalcedon, directly across the Bosporos, which suffered from the frequent ravages of barbarian raiders. The site of the maritime town pleased the Emperor, so he began building in that place. Since that location for a new city was not God's good pleasure, this was made evident when eagles swooped down and snatched the tools of the craftsmen. The birds cast them in Byzantion. The Great Constantine, seeing this marvel, departed Chalcedon and went to Byzantion. He looked over the topography and believed it to be appropriate, but he did not know how large to make the new city. During the night, he beheld a vision of an Angel who addressed him and said, "In the morning, when it is dawn, be thou following me. And wheresoever I should go, do thou mark the place and there lay the foundations." In the morning, Saint Constantine summoned the chief architect. He commanded him to follow him and to place landmarks wheresoever he passed through. They set off together. The Emperor could see the Angel, who was walking ahead with a brisk pace. Only the Emperor could see the Angel. Behind Constantine was the architect, who went about wherever the Emperor passed through and marked all the land where God had willed that the new city should be built. Afterward, Saint Constantine began building the city.

The Emperor appointed a certain skilled and experienced man, named Efratas, to undertake the study and planning of the city that it might be work both marvelous and God-pleasing. Saint Constantine handed over to him an abundance of gold for the expenditure. Efratas was capable and careful, so that he constructed and laid out the city beautifully, as was meet and as was borne out in chronographs at the time. The new city was so aptly and serviceably designed that it was similar to Rome in all the buildings. From Old Rome they transported a certain huge stone column of porphyry to the Forum, which may be seen to this day.

The First Ecumenical Synod

Constantine the Great, as Emperor over the Christians, with the help of Divine power, closed the temples of the idols so that the Church was in the open to the glory of God. The First Ecumenical Synod was held in Nicaea of Bithynia during his reign, in the year 325 A.D. Three hundred and eighteen (318) Holy Fathers attended. He offered the attendees the use of public means of conveyance, or afforded horses, for their transport. The bishops responded with utmost willingness to hasten thither, as though they would outstrip one another in a race. It was Constantine who decided to assemble the episcopal pastors from the entire civilized world for the first time since the days of Christ and the Apostles. He refrained from any misuse of his power, for he took a position at the synod only at the behest of the Fathers and, as the Synaxarion of the Triodion states, "He sat not upon a royal throne, but upon a seat of little note."

The Synod was assembled against Arius, who kept spreading his heresy and blasphemy, saying that the Son and Logos/Word of God was not coessential (homoousios) with the Father. Thus, Arius was declaring that Jesus is not true God but a creature (ktisma), a Greek word meaning anything that is built. No account of the synodal proceedings is extant, in either Greek or Latin, except a list of twenty canons issued by the synod, the Symbol of the Faith (Creed), and a synodal letter excommunicating the odious Arius. This Synod, rejecting Arius' ontological subordination of the Logos/Word to the Father, defined the incarnate Logos/Word as coessential. This Synod also declared the computation of the Paschal Date, by ordering this Feast of Feasts to be celebrated on the Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox. This Synod also recognized the jurisdiction of the Patriarchates of Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch. Though Hieromonk Alexander and Deacon Athanasios were not adorned with the dignity of the episcopacy, they nevertheless were first in the debates.

This Ecumenical Synod produced the Divine Symbol (Creed of the Faith) (the Nicene Creed of 325 A.D.), proclaiming the Son and Logos/Word of God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father; God of God; Light of Light, True God of True God; begotten, not made; being of one essence with the Father; by Whom all things were made, including all things in the heaven and all things on the earth; Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down, and became incarnate, and became Man; and He suffered and arose on the third day; and ascended to the heavens and is sitting at the right of the Father; and He is coming again to judge the living and dead; and in the Holy Spirit. As for those who are saying that 'there was a time when he was not,' and 'He was not existent before He was born'; and who are saying that 'He came to be out of non-being,' or assert 'He is out of another hypostasis' or 'essence,' or that 'the Son of God is mutable or alterable,' the catholic and apostolic Church anathematizes them." Saint Constantine's object was to gain the agreement of as large a majority as possible so that Church unity could be preserved. The new Creed was read out by Bishop Hermogenes, on the 19th of July. It was indeed signed by the majority of bishops...Without the unity of will and ideal that Constantine sought, civilization and daily life could never be satisfactory or safe. (Source: The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church)

(To be continued)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostom

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With sincere agape in His Divine Resurrection,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+ Father George