1. CONSTANTINE. After many anxious years a time of refreshing peace finally came for the Christians. For by God's wonderful providence a man kindly disposed toward the Christians ascended the Roman throne. This was Emperor Constantine. His father had already been a friend of the Christians, and his mother had even accepted the faith. After his father's death, Constantine was proclaimed Emperor by the army. This was in the summer of 306. When, in 312, he marched against Maxentius, who had disputed his power in Italy, he called upon the God of the Christians for help against his opponent. The opposing forces met in the vicinity of Rome. While the sun was setting, it is reported that Constantine saw in the heavens a cross bearing the bright inscription: _In hoc signo vinces_, _i. e._, "You will conquer in this sign!" He at once had the eagles removed from the standards, and had them replaced by the sign of the cross. Hereupon his army marched from victory to victory till the power of his enemy was completely broken. And from this time Constantine became a zealous protector of the Christian church. He published a law permitting every Roman citizen to become a Christian. He even went so far as to make the Christian religion the religion of the state. He favored the Christians by appointing them to high public offices. Sad to say, this increased the number of those who accepted Christianity for the sake of worldly gain. The church now, indeed, had rest from without. But Satan tried to ruin it by false doctrine. A bishop, named Arius, arose and taught: "Christ is not true God, but only a creature." Constantine then called a church council to assemble at Nice, in Asia Minor, in 325 A. D. Three hundred and eighteen bishops assembled there with him. In the discussions which followed Athanasius, a deacon, and afterwards bishop, of Alexandria, took a most prominent part. With irresistible eloquence he effected the overthrow of the false doctrine of Arius and the victorious establishment of saving truth. Constantine died on Pentecost Day, 337, having been baptized a short time before. In compliance with his last wish he was buried in the Church of the Apostles, at Constantinople.