Constantine, who has been called the Great, became emperor over the
whole Roman empire in the year of our Lord 323. He was friendly toward
Christianity, and proclaimed full religious liberty, so persecutions now
ceased in all Roman countries. On his deathbed he confessed Christianity
and was baptized. In his time magnificent churches were erected, and the
clergy came to great influence and honor. Unfortunately he gave the
Church, and especially the clergy, too many privileges, and helped to
advance the power of the bishops. In the course of time this became more
and more destructive to the Church.
At the time of Constantine there arose in Alexandria, in Egypt, a
heretic by the name of Arius. He taught that Christ was not from
eternity, but had a beginning, at the beginning of time, and was
consequently a creature. Alexander, the bishop of Arius, defended the
faith of the Church, that the Son was true God, begotten of the Father
from eternity, and One with the Father. Many took sides with Arius, and
therefore Constantine called a council or synod of the Church at Nice,
in Asia Minor, in the year 325. The Church had at that time eighteen
hundred bishops. Of these, three hundred and eighteen met. Athanasius,
who took the part of Alexander, especially exerted a great influence on
the meeting through his clear exposition of the Word of God and by his
great gift as a speaker. After a discussion lasting two months Arius was
excommunicated from the Church as a heretic teaching false doctrines.
His doctrine nevertheless found adherents for about three hundred years,
and even at the present time we meet with them. The Church had to resist
other heretics in subsequent times.