After Constantine’s conversion, Christian worship began to be influenced by imperial protocol. Incense, which was used as a sign of respect for the emperor, began appearing in Christian churches. Officiating ministers, who until then had worn everyday clothes, began dressing in more luxurious garments—and soon were called “priests,” in imitation of their pagan counterparts, while the communion table became an “altar”—in opposition to the instructions found earlier in the Didache.
