make Latin a
sacred tongue.

[Sidenote: The policy of Constantine.]

Constantine knew very well where Roman power had for many years lain.
His own history, from the time of his father's death and his exaltation
by the legions at York, had taught him that, for the perpetuation of his
dynasty and system, those formidable bodies must be disposed of. It was
for this reason, and that no future commander might do what himself and
so many of his predecessors had done, that he reduced the strength of
the legion from 6000 to 1500 or 1000 men. For this reason, too, he
opened to ambition the less dangerous field of ecclesiastical wealth and
dignity, justly concluding that, since the clergy came from every class
of society, the whole people would look to the prosperity of the Church.
By exempting the priesthood from burdensome municipal offices, such as
the decurionate, he put a premium on apostacy from paganism. The
interest he personally took in the Trinitarian controversy encouraged
the spreading of theological disputation from philosophers and men of
capacity to the populace. Under the old polytheism heresy was
impossible, since every man might select his god and his worship; but
under the new monotheism it was inevitable--heresy, a word that provokes
and justifies a black catalogue of crimes. Occupied in those exciting
pursuits, men took but little heed of the more important political
changes that were in progress. The eyes of the rabble were easily turned
from the movements of the government by horse-racing, theatres,
largesses. Yet already this diversion of ambition into new fields gave
tokens of dangers to the state in future times. The Donatists, whom
Constantine had attempted to pacify by the Councils of Rome, Arles, and
Milan, maintained a more than religious revolt, and exhibited the
bitterness that may be infused among competitors for ecclesiastical
spoils. These enthusiasts assumed to themselves the title of God's
elect, proclaimed that the only true apostolic succession was in their
bishops, and that whosoever denied the right of Donatus to be Bishop of
Carthage should be eternally damned. They asked, with a truth that lent
force to their demand, "What has the emperor to do with the Church, what
have Christians to do with kings, what have bishops to do at court?"
Already the Catholic party, in preparation of its commencing atrocities,
ominously inquired, "Is the vengeance of God to be defrauded of its
victims?" Alr