306 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



tine, A.D. 312, and I exclaimed, " Ecce sigimm!" and the 

 question arose in my mind whether that appearance in the 

 sky was not caused in a similar kind of natural manner — by 

 the sun's rays striking down on such a device, which might 

 have pertained to some one of the Emperor's legionaries, and 

 so reflected it high up in the sky. 



Considering this matter has led me to look up what 

 ancient history says of that famous sign (which I had nearly 

 forgotten), and I find — (1) That it was not the sign of the 

 cross at all as we moderns understand it ; (2) that it was not 

 even thought so much of at the time it was said to have hap- 

 pened ; and (3) that those historians who were then living 

 have given differing accounts of it, and also of the time or 

 season of its occurrence. 



As this story is, I think, little known to my audience, and 

 also liable to much doubt, I will briefly mention a portion of 

 what has been said about it. 



But first of Constantine himself. At that very period he 

 was not a Christian. This is clear from Eusebius (Bishop of 

 Csesarea), who, in his life of the Emperor (with whom he was 

 in great favour), says, " In the commencement of his war 

 with the Roman Emperor Maxentius he was still at a loss to 

 what god he should trust himself and his affairs."* He was 

 a deist of the lowest class, who considered the god of his 

 father as a limited being, though more benevolent and power- 

 ful than any of the Greek and Eoman deities. This is mani- 

 fest from his regulations in favour of the Christians and from 

 his laws tolerating the Pagan haruspices. 



There is great difference of opinion as to the time when, 

 and the place where, the Emperor saw this sign, According 

 to Eusebius he saw it while in Gaul, and when making pre- 

 parations for the war with Maxentius. Lactantius, however (a 

 celebrated Christian historian and contemporary), states that 

 Constantine saw the cross on the 26th October, 312, the day 

 before the battle in which Maxentius was vanquished near 

 Eome.f Others (ancient writers) would compromise it by 

 supposing there were two appearances of the cross, and both 

 in dreams — the first in Gaul and the second iu Italy. Again, 

 some suppose it was a pious fraud, and others that it was a 

 trick of State. The first supposition is most improbable, for 

 at the time the cross is said to have appeared to him Con- 

 stantine thought nothing about spreading the Christian reli- 

 gion, but only about vanquishing Maxentius. Besides, he 

 was not then a Christian, and the event was not used for the 

 advancement of Christianity, but for the animation of his 



* Eusebius, " De Vita Constantini," I. i., c. 27. 

 t De Mortib. Persecut., oh. 44. 



