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Augustine’sArgumentationagainstReligiousFreedom
9
SuchatransformationcausedtheriseofpersecutionoftheChurch
inthe3rdcentury
.Ontheonehand,emperorsincreasinglypromotedthe
cultofthestateandparticipationinriteswastreatedasatestofloyaltyto
theauthority
,andontheotherhand,theChurchbecamemoreandmore
powerfulasanorganizationandareligiousorganizationwhichforfun-
damentalreasonscouldnotacceptparticipationofChristiansinworship
ceremoniesofthestate.ThereisnodoubtthatleadersoftheChurch,that
is,bishops,werebecomingmoreandmoreawareofthepowertheyhad.
EdictofMilan
FollowingthisintroductionwewillquoteanimportantpartofCon-
stantine’sEdict:
Whenyouseethatthishasbeengrantedto[Christians]byus,yourWor-
shipwillknowthatwehavealsoconcededtootherreligionstherightof
openandfreeobservanceoftheirworshipforthesakeofthepeaceofour
times,thateachonemayhavethefreeopportunitytoworshipasthey
please;thisregulationismadethatwemaynotseemtodetractfromany
dignityofanyreligion.2
TheEdictinthisfragmentclearlyreferstotheideaoffreedomand
recognisestherightofcitizenstofreechoiceofreligionorworship.Inthe
lightofwhathasjustbeenreferredto,itsoundsrevolutionaryaswellas
verycontemporarily
.ItseemsthatConstantinegaveupentirelythelogic
thathaddrivenactivitiesofformeremperorsinthe3rdcenturyandheno
longerintendedtouseanyreligionforpromotionoftheimperialpower.
ThetextoftheEdictreferstotheRomantraditionfromthetimesofthe
Republic,accordingtowhichallreligionsweregoodforthecountryand
theywereencompassedbythestate’sbenevolentcare.Itwasanelement
ofRomanlawalludedtobyJustinandTertullianintheirapologias,in
whichthementionedauthorsstatedthatChristiansweregoodcitizens
justbecausetheywereChristians,andtherefore,fromthepointofview
ofthestabilityofthestate,itwasbeneficialtoallowChristianspractice
theirfaithfreelyandnottoforcethemtopursueactsthatwerecontrary
totheirconscience.
2EdictofMilan.In:LACTANTIUS:OntheDeathsofthePersecutors(DeMortibusPer-
secutorum),ch.48.opera,ed.0.F.FRITZSChe,II,pp.288f.(BiblPatr.Ecc.Lat.XI).