“I, Constantine the august, and I, Licinius the august, desirous of promoting in every way the public peace and prosperity, have deemed it one of our first duties to regulate the worship of Deity. We do therefore grant to Christians and all others the liberty to embrace such religion as each one may choose, that we may draw down the favor of Heaven upon us andupon our subjects. We have resolved not to deny to any one the liberty to embrace the Christian faith, or any religion which to him may seem best.”
All over the empire the officers of government were ordered no longer to molest the Christians, but to protect them. The property which had been wrested from them was restored; their places of worship, which had been closed, were re-opened; and they were rendered eligible to all the offices of honor and emolument in the empire.
Licinius had established his capital at Constantinople, then called Byzantium. While he was absent at Rome to obtain his bride, Maximian in Asia crossed the Bosphorus with a powerful army in the depth of winter, and, after a siege of eleven days, captured Byzantium. Licinius, at the head of seventy thousand troops, marched to regain his capital. The two armies met about fifty miles west of the city. Maximian made a solemn vow to Jupiter, that, if he would give him the victory, he would put every Christian man, woman, and child within his domains to death, and thus extirpate the Christian name.
The night before the decisive battle, Licinius dreamed that an angel appeared to him, and called upon him immediately to arise, and to pray with his whole army to the supreme God, promising him the victory if he should do so. The angel also dictated to him the form of the prayer which he was to offer.
Licinius, awaking, immediately called for a secretary, and directed him to write down the words of the prayer which had been uttered by the angel. They were as follows:—
“Great God, we pray to thee. Holy God, we pray to thee. To thee we commend all justice. To thee we commend our safety. To thee we commend our subjects. To thee we commend our empire. It is through thee we live. It is through thee alone that we can be victorious or happy. Great and holy God, listen to our prayers. We reach forth our arms to thee. Great and holy God, grant our prayer.”
Many copies of this prayer were taken, and distributed to the officers, so that every soldier might learn and repeat it.The zeal of the army, and its confidence in victory, were thus greatly augmented.
The battle took place on the first day of May, in the year 313. The two hosts met upon a wild and barren plain called Champserain. The soldiers of Licinius, upon a given signal, threw down their shields, uncovered their heads, and, raising their arms to the skies, repeated simultaneously the prayer which all had learned. Three times the prayer was repeated, the emperor and all the officers joining in the supplication.
The hostile army, drawn up at a little distance, heard with astonishment the confused noise of their voices, like the rush of many waters.
The soldiers of Licinius replaced their helmets and shields. The war-trumpet sounded; and with waving banners, and shouts of onset, the two armies rushed at each other. The slaughter of the army of Maximian was such as had scarcely ever been seen before. The soldiers of Licinius seemed endued with supernatural strength. They struck down the opposing ranks as the mower sweeps the grass with the scythe. Maximian, terror-stricken, threw aside his purple robes, and, dressing himself in the clothes of a slave, escaped across the strait. He fled with such precipitation, that in twenty-four hours he entered Nicomedia, a hundred and sixty miles from the battle-field. There he soon died, tortured by misery, pain, and remorse, after having in vain endeavored to kill himself.