Kingdom Parables

M. M. NINAN
Whatever the reason was, as far as the Christians were concerned it
made all the difference. A church which grew strong under the
persecution in the underground movements suddenly found open air
and grew up as a wild growth. A strange mutation took place. Instead of
a mustard herb, we got a tree.
Constantine and his devout mother began a period of rebuilding.
Wherever a church was destroyed previously a more magnificent one
arose. In Jerusalem Constance personally designated the places of Jesus’
life events and built over them magnificent imposing structures. New
expensive churches and much money for bishops soon brought
Christianity into popularity. It became popular and convenient to be a
Christian. The positions of Bishop became covetable for the power,
authority and wealth they brought. In Ad 324 the Emperor ordered all
his subjects to be Christians. They marched groups of people to the
river for baptism. Later in AD 341 the two sons of Constantine -
Constantine II and Constantius in an edict ordered all temples closed
and forbade sacrifices and idol worship on penalty of death. Freedom of
individual man to chose right and wrong on which the whole dealing of
God and Man rested was thrown to dogs. The incarnation itself was
invalidated by forced conversion and opportunism.
As the position of bishop became increasingly important, they began to
take over secular kingdoms. Rome being capital, the Roman Bishop
became more influential and powerful. But it was not always received
meekly. The reaction came with Doantus the Great, bishop of Carthage,
who claimed that his church was the true Catholic Church, his
sacraments and ordinations alone valid. A severe persecution of
Donatists utterly annihilated them by 321.
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