The Feast of Easter, and the Word Betrayed

The oration of the Emperor Constantine, which he addressed to the assembly of the saints. [a]

Opening words on the feast of Easter, and how the Word of God, after giving humankind many blessings, was betrayed by the very people he had blessed.

That light which far outshines the day and the sun has come: the first pledge of the resurrection and of the renewal of bodies long since dissolved, the heaven-sent gift of the promise, the path that leads to everlasting life. In a word, the day of his suffering has come, my dearly loved teachers, and you, my friends gathered here, you blessed multitudes who worship him who is the author of all worship, and who praise him continually with heart and voice, as the commands of his holy word direct. But you, Nature, parent of all things: what blessing like this have you ever brought about for humankind? Or rather, what is in any sense your own work, since he who formed the universe is himself the author of your being? For it is he who has clothed you in your beauty, and the beauty of Nature is life according to Nature’s laws. [b]

Yet principles flatly opposed to Nature have gained great power. People agreed to withhold his rightful worship from the Lord of all, believing that the order of the universe depended not on his providence but on the blind uncertainty of chance. They did this even though his inspired prophets had announced the truth with perfect clarity. The prophets’ words should have been believed, but they were resisted in every way by that ungodly wickedness which hates the light of truth and loves the shadowy mazes of darkness. Nor did this error come without violence and cruelty, above all because the will of rulers encouraged the blind rush of the crowd, or rather led the way itself in a course of reckless folly. Principles like these, confirmed by the practice of many generations, became the source of terrible evils in those early times.

But no sooner had the radiance of the Savior’s presence appeared than justice took the place of wrong, calm followed the confusion of the storm, and the predictions of the prophets were all fulfilled. For after he had enlightened the world by the glorious discretion and purity of his character, and had gone up to the dwellings of his Father’s house, he founded his church on earth as a holy temple of virtue, an immortal, imperishable temple, where the worship due to the Supreme Father and to himself would be devoutly performed.

What, then, did the insane malice of the nations devise in response? Their effort was to reject the grace of Christ and to ruin that church which had been established for the salvation of all, though by doing so they made certain the overthrow of their own superstition. Once more unholy faction prevailed, once more war and strife, with stubbornness, riotous luxury, and that craving for wealth which at one moment soothes its victims with false hope and at the next strikes them with groundless fear. This craving is contrary to nature, and it is the very mark of Vice herself. But let Vice lie flat in the dust and acknowledge the victorious power of Virtue; and let her tear herself to pieces, as well she may, in the bitterness of repentance. Now let us go on to speak of the subjects that belong to the divine teaching.