and the differences between these two accounts are greater than would
at first sight appear.

Let us however return to the story of the Bishop of Caesarea, who tells
us that the morning after the Christ appeared to Constantine, the
Emperor told this second marvel to his friends, and, sending for the
workers in gold and precious stones who are assumed to have accompanied
the Gaulish army, directed them to overlay with gold a long spear

"On the top of the whole of which was fixed a wreath of
gold and precious stones, and within this the symbol of
the Saviour's name, two letters indicating the name of
the Christ by means of its initial characters, the
letter P being intersected with the letter X in its
centre."[37]

Several questions naturally arise at this point of our enquiry, and it
is not easy--nay, it is impossible--for us Christians to honestly
dispose of all of them and yet retain our cherished opinions upon this
matter. Only one such question need be stated, and it is this: Is it
likely that the Infinite Ruler of the universe, either at mid-day or at
mid-night, went out of his way to induce a Sun-God worshipper who would
not enter the Christian Church till a quarter of a century later and
ere then was to become a murderer of innocent persons like the
boy-Caesar Licinius, to adopt a symbol which he warranted would enable
Constantine to lead on the Gauls to victory?

Pursuing the narrative of Eusebius we find that he, alluding to the
symbol which he describes as a monogram but calls a cross, states that,
setting this "victorious trophy and salutary symbol" in front of his