the reli- gion of the state. For, once put on equal footing with heathenism, it must soon, in spite of numerical minority, bear away the victory from a religion "Which had already inwardly outlived itself. From this time Constantino decidedly favored the church, though without persecuting or forbidding the pagan religions. He always mentions the Christian church with reverence in his imperial edicts, and uniformly applies to it, as we have already observed, the predicate of catholic. For only as a catholic, thoroughly organized, firmly compacted, and conservative institution did it meet his rigid monarchical interest, and afford the splendid state and court dress he wished for his empire. So early as the year 313 we find the bishop Hosius of Cordova among his comisellors, and heathen writers ascribe to the bishop even a magical influence over the emperor. Lactantius, also, and Eusebius of Caesarea belonged to his confidential circle. He exemj^ted the Christian clergy from military and municipal duty (March, 313) ; abolished various customs and ordinances offensive to the Christians (315) ; facilitated the emancipation of Christian slaves (before 316) ; legalized bequests to catholic churches (321) ; enjoined the civil observance of Sunday, though not as dies Domini, but as dies Solis, in conformity to his worship of Apollo, and in company with an ordinance for the regular consulting of the haruspex (321) ; contributed liberally to the building of churches and the support of the clergy ; erased the heathen symbols of Jupiter and Apollo, Mars and Hercules from the imperial coins (323) ; and gave his sons a Christian education. This mighty example was followed, as might be expected, by a general transition of those subjects, who were more in- fluenced in their conduct by outward circumstances, than by inward conviction and principle. The story, that in one year (324) twelve thousand men, with women and children in pro- portion, were baptized in Kome, and that the emperor had premised to each convert a white garment and twenty pieces "32 THIRD PERIOD. A.D. 311-590. of gold, is at least in accordance with the spirit of that reign, though the fact itself, in all probability, is greatly ex- aggerated.' Constantino came out with still greater decision, when, by his victory over his Eastern colleague and brother-in-law, Licinius, he became sole head of the whole Roman empire. To strengthen his position, Licinius had gradually placed him- self at the head of the heathen party, still very numerous, and had vexed the Christians first with wanton ridicule,* then with exclusion from civil and military oiSce, with banishment, and in some instances perhaps even with bloody persecution. This gave the political strife for the monarchy between him- self and Constantino the character also of a war of religions ; and the defeat of Licinius in the battle of Adrianople in July, 324, and at Chalcedon in September, was a new triumph of the standard of the cross over the sacrifices of the gods ; save that Constantino dishonored himself