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HISTORY
(Continued from page 21)
of Jesus. They celebrate an annual
Passover feast- but always on a
Sunday.
The Council rules that the
ancient Christian Passover com–
memorating the death of Jesus
must no longer be kept-on pain of
death. The Western custom is to be
observed throughout the Empire,
on the first Sunday after the full
moon following the vernal equinox.
It is later to be called "Easter"
when the Germanic tribes are con–
verted
en masse
to Christianity.
· Most Christians accept this
decree. They constitute mainstream
Christianity and the wqrld accepts
them as such. But sorne refuse, and
flee (Rev. 12:6) into the valleys and
mountains of Europe and Asia
Minor to escape persecution and
death. They continue, away from
the world's view, as the true Church
of God, lost in the pages of his–
tory.
The Fateful Union
As the majority of Christians view
this new unity and uniformity with–
in the Church and the near univer–
sality of its influence, a revolution
in thinking takes place.
There is now
ONE
Empire,
ONE
Emperor,
ONE
Church,
ONE
God.
Many Christians wonder: Is it
possible they have not fully under–
stood the concept of the kingdom of
God? Is it possible that the
Church
itself-or
even the now-Christian–
ized
Empire-is
the long-awaited
kingdom of God?
Or, might it be that God's king–
dom is meant to be established on
earth
gradua/ly,
in successive
stages? Could Constantine's edicts
be the first step in this process?
This is· a time of reevaluation, of
deep soul-searching. Sorne few
declare the Church should wield no
secular power- that such would be
inconsistent with the spirit of
Christianity. Entangling itself with
temporal affairs, they assert, will
only corrupt the Church from its
true purpose. They declare that the
world is
still
the enemy-only its
outward tactics have changed.
But the majority feels different–
ly. Here, they believe, is a great
July/ August 1983
opportunity to spread their Chris–
tianity throughout the Empire and
beyond. Hundreds of thousands–
even millions- will be converted.
The opportunity, they say, must be
seized,
not shunned!
The fateful union of Church and
State is thus ratified. That move
sbapes the course of civilization for
centuries to come.
Church-State Confrontation
Constantine the Great dies on May
22, 337. Water is poured on his
forehead and he is declared "bap–
tized" on his death bed.
About a quarter century after
Constantine's death, his nephew
Julian (361-363) gains the throne.
Julian rejects the faith of his uncle
and endeavors to revive the worship
of the old gods. His hatred of the
Christians gains for him the sur–
name "Apostate."
To spite the Christians, Julian
patronizes the Jews, and even
attempts to rebuild their Temple in
Jerusalem. He is thwarted, howev–
er, by "balls of fire" issuing from
tbe foundation, which makes it
impossible for the workmen to
approach.
Despite Julian's efforts, the old
stories of gods and goddesses have
lost their hold on the Roman mind.
After Julian is killed while rnvading ·
Persia, Christianity returns to full
prorninence in the Empire.
In 394, under Emperor Theodo–
sius (378-395), the ancient gods are
formally outlawed in the Empire.
Conversion to Christianity becomes
compulsory.
The power of the Church in
Theodosius' time is best illustrated
in an incident involving Ambrose,
the archbishop of Milan. A man of
savage temper, Theodosius orders
the massacre of about 7,000 people
of Thessalonica, as a punishment
for a riot that had erupted there.
Tbe Thessalonians are butchered–
the innocent with the guilty-by a
detachrnent of Gothic soldiers sent
by Theodosius for that purpose.
When the Emperor later at–
tempts to enter the cathedral in
Milan, Ambrose .meets him at the
door and refuses him entrance until
he publicly confesses his guilt in the
massacre. Though privately re–
morseful, the Emperor is reluctant
to diminish the prestige of his office
by such a humiliation. But after
eight months, Theodosius-the
master of the civilized world–
finally yields and humbly implores
pardon of Ambrose in the presence
of the congregation. On Christmas
Day, A.D. 390, he is restored to the
communion of the Church.. The
incident emphasizes the indepen–
dence of the Western Church from
imperial domination.
Theodosius is the last ruler of a
united Roman Empire. At his death
the Empire is divided between his
two sons Honorius (in the West) and
Arcadius (in the East). Though in
theory only a division for administra–
tive purposes, the separation proves
to be permanent. The two sections
grow steadily apart, and are never
again truly united. Each goes its own
way towards a separate destiny.
Barbarían lnroads
Meanwhile, the restless Gothic and
Germanic tribes to the north grow
stronger and more threatening to
the peace of the Empire. For centu–
ries the Romans have fought off
the barbarían bordes. Now these
tribes begin to move into the
Empire in force.
Not all, however, have come as
enemies. For decades many tribes
have been coming across the
Roman frontiers peaceably, as set–
tlers. Many Germans are now serv–
ing in the Roman army, and sorne
in the imperial palace itself.
When Emperor Theodosius dies
(395), one of these Germans is
even named as guardian of bis
young son Honorius. He is Stilicho,
a "barbarían" of the Vandal nation.
A brilliant general, Stilicho repeat–
edly beats back attempted invasions
of Italy by various barbarían
tribes.
Most troublesome of all is Alaric
the Visigoth. Stilicho repels nu–
merous assaults by Alaric into the
península.
But Honorius is jealous of the
general wbo has so often saved
Rome. In August, 408, he has Stil–
icho assassinatcd. Tbe news of his
death rouses Alaric to yet anotber
invasion.
For a costly ransom, Alaric
spares Rome in 409. But the next
year he comes again. On August
10, A.D. 410, Alaric takes the
"Eterna! City," and for six days
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