Page 184 - Third Book of Reading Lessons
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READING LESSONS 183
2. the llowing year, Constantine, who was now lord of the western division of the Roman em pire, and Licinius, who was sole ruler of the east, promulgated a decree, granting toleration to all re ligions. This was the rst imperial decree promul gated in vour of the Christians; in 313 it was
llowed by the edict of iilan, which secured to the Christians in particular, the ee exercise of their religion. A series of laws, during the llowing year, bestowed upon them many and great advan tages. Constantine eed all ecclesiastical persons om the burden of the public o ces of the state, and om the payment of all personal taxes; he con rmed the judicial authority of the bishops; abolished the laws against those who lived in celibacy; permitted churches to receive presents and legacies; en rced the observance of the Sunday; maintained many churches and ecclesiastcs ; and erected many tem ples to the honour of the true God. But, in the mean time, Licinius, who beheld in Constantine a rival, and an abettor of the Christians, persecuted the ith l in his own dominions. The war, which in 323 broke out between the two emperors, was, in reality, a religious war. Licinius fell in the contest, and with him ll paganism.
3. The conqueror, under whose sway the whole empire of Rome now lay united, declared himself, in the most- unequivocal manner, a pro ssor of the
Christian religion; and expressed his desire and his hope, that all his subjects would imitate bis example. He caused his sons to be educated as Christians, and placed Christians in the most important o ces of the state. To the ancient capital of the dominions of
\ heathen Rome, he opposed a Christian metropolis at l Byzantium, now ca ed om him, Constantinople.