Constantius Tests the Faith of His Court

Constantius, on the other hand, thought of a plan full of shrewdness, and did something that sounds contradictory but was in fact most admirable.

He put a proposal to all the officers of his court, even those in the highest positions of authority, offering them a choice. Either they could offer sacrifice to demons, and in that case be allowed to remain with him and enjoy their usual honors; or, if they refused, they would be shut out from all access to his person and wholly cut off from his acquaintance and company. So each man made his choice, some one way and some the other. When the choice of each was known, this admirable prince revealed the hidden meaning of his plan. He condemned the cowardice and selfishness of the one party, and warmly praised the other for their conscientious devotion to God. He declared, too, that those who had been false to their God could not be worthy of the trust of their prince. For how could they keep faith with him, when they had proved themselves faithless to a higher power? So he decided that such men should be removed from the imperial court altogether. On the other hand, he declared that those who had borne witness for the truth and proved themselves worthy servants of God would show the same faithfulness to their king. These he entrusted with guarding his person and his empire, saying that he was bound to treat such men with special regard, as his closest and most valued friends, and to value them far more highly than the richest treasures.