Page 17 - The Leprosy of Constantine the Great
P. 17

made  exactly  like  these.'  Then  Sylvester
        began to consider whether this might not
        be some of God's handiwork, and said to
        Constantine that if he was minded to be
        healed,  it  behoved  him  to  become  a
        Christian with all his people, whereunto
        Constantine agreed. And thus it came to
        pass that Sylvester made him enter naked
        a  large  vessel  of  water,  which  water  he
        blessed; whereupon, by a divine mystery,
        Constantine was healed of his leprosy, and
        through  this  sign  of  grace  became  a
        Christian,  and  built  many  churches  in
        Rome in honour of Christ, and destroyed
        the pagan temples. He likewise confirmed
        the  liberties  of  the  Church,  and  granted
        all  the  temporalities  of  the  empire  in
        return for a tribute.
        Moreover,  he  went  to  reside  at
        Constantinople, a city in Thrace upon the
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