Clovis, a pagan king, married Clotilde, a Catholic princess,
and to please his consort had his first two children baptized.
One of these children died; the other, after having been at
the point of death, recovered. Witnessing this only partial
good fortune, Clovis had only a partial confidence in the
God preached to him by Clotilde; yet he reserved the right,
in case of emergency, to make use of God's services. An
occasion soon arose. In A.D. 496, Clovis engaged in battle
with the Allemani, which threatened disaster to his army.
At this alarming juncture he invoked the "God of Clotilde,"
and promised to become a Christian if God would grant him
the victory. He defeated the Allemani; and then, faithful to
the agreement, received baptism at the hands of the bishop,
Remi, at Reims ( Christmas, 496). Three thousand warriors
followed his example. Thus entered into the Church the
people which was to found the pontifical state, raise the Pope
to royal rank, and by establishing the Carolingian empire,
constitute the Christianity of the Middle Ages. ¹

The bishops of Gaul welcomed with enthusiasm the con-
version of "the new Constantine" as he was called by
Gregory of Tours. ² Constantine had governed the Church
of the Roman empire; Clovis governed the Church of the
Franks. By his orders a Frankish council met at Orleans
( 511); and the bishops having deliberated, submitted their
decisions for the approval of the king, to whom they
addressed the following letter: "Swayed by the zeal which
you feel for the Catholic religion, you have ordered the
bishops to meet for the examination of important questions.
In conformity to your commands, we send you the answers
which we have thought should be made to the articles which
you have proposed to us. If these regulations seem right to
you, we trust that the approbation of so great a king may
contribute a new authority to the decision of the bishops." ³

After the ceremony at Reims, heresy still remained
mistress south of the Loire and in Burgundy; but this state

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