One of the most significant events in the history of the Church occurred in 312 CE when the Emperor Constantine decided before the Battle of Milvian Bridge to take the Christian God as the patron for his soldiers. He is supposed to have seen a vision of a Cross in the sky, surrounded by the words ‘In this sign you will conquer.’
Some historians doubt Constantine’s sincerity and point to the fact that he had previously been ‘converted’ to other gods immediately before other battles! They suggest that his conversion was political rather than religious.
Whatever Constantine’s motives, he won the battle, and the following year he issued the Edict of Milan, which gave freedom of worship to all religions, and officially ended the persecution of Christians. Constantine himself did not become a Christian until he was on his deathbed years later.
With the Edict of Milan, Constantine:
- Exempted Christian Clergy from taxes
- Built churches
- Treasured the Christian faith, however he saw religion in political terms as a way of unifying the people
- Set up dioceses under bishops and the Church modelled itself on Roman political divisions. Constantine, however, began to interfere in Church matters.
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