Constantine's Letter in Regard to Having Fifty Copies of the Scriptures Written and Bound

     It is known that the Roman Emperor, Constantine, who was converted to the Christian religion, had fifty copies of the Scriptures made and placed in the public library for preservation.  Some historian has said that they were so large it took two men to open one of them.  While in Constantinople I found one of these volumes nicely cased, marked with the Emperor's name and date upon it. To me it was a great curiosity.  I got permission with a little bachsach, as they call money, to look through it.  It was written on hieotike, which is the finest of parchment, in large, bold, Latin characters, quite easy to read.  As far as I read it had many abbreviations of our present Scriptures, but the facts, sense, and sentences are as full, and if anything, more complete than our English version.  I judge it to be about two and a half by four feet square, and two feet thick.  It is well bound, with a gold plate, twelve by sixteen inches, on the front, with a cross and a man hanging on the cross, with the inscription, "Jesus, the Son of God, crucified for the sins of the world." If the Revision Committee had examined and published this work, they might have said they were giving the world something new; but so far as we examined we saw nothing essentially different from our present Bible.  Constantine's letter is on the first page, which we transcribed.  The historian will remember that in the Life of Constantine (written by Eusebius Pamphili, Bishop of Caesarea, who served him only a few years) Eusebius writes as follows. "Ever mindful of the welfare of those churches of God, the Emperor addressed me personally in a letter on the means of providing copies of the inspired oracles".  His letter, which related to providing copies of the Scriptures for reading in the churches, was to the following purport:  

     "Victor Constantine Maximus Augustus to Eusebius: It happens through the favoring of God our Saviour, that great numbers have united themselves to the most holy church in this city, which is called by my name.  It seems, therefore, highly requisite, since the city is rapidly advancing in prosperity in all other respects, that the number of churches should also be increased.  Do you, therefore, receive with all readiness my determination on this behalf?  I have thought it expedient to instruct your Prudence to order fifty copies of the sacred Scriptures, the pro- visions and use of which you know to be most needful for the instruction of the churches, to be written on prepared parchment, in a legible manner, and in a commodious and portable form, by transcribers thoroughly practiced in their art.   The procurator of the diocese has also received instructions by letter from our Clemency to be careful to furnish all things necessary for the preparation of such copies, and it will be for you to take special care that they be completed with as little delay as possible.  You have authority, also in virtue of this letter, to use two of the public carriages for their conveyance, by which arrangement the copies, when fairly written, will most easily be forwarded for my personal inspection, and one of the deacons of your church may be entrusted with this service, who, on his arrival here, shall experience my liberality.  God preserve you, beloved brother".  

     Now this was done about three hundred and twenty-seven years after the great questions were started, and only about two hundred and seventy years after the last apostle was dead.  Suppose some one should write a book denying that such a man as Washington ever lived; that there never was a revolution of the United States against the King of England; what would people say of him? The children of this country would rise up and show him to be false.  Then suppose there never was such a man as Jesus Christ; that he never was born at Bethlehem; that he never had any disciples that they never organized a Christian Church; and suppose someone should say there was no persecution of the Christian Church for two hundred years; what would you think of a king doing such a thing as making the above-described books.  Remember, too, that nothing was written in those days but the most important affairs of life, because only a few men could write, and the means of writing were limited.  Now, the existence of these writings was never denied for twelve to fourteen hundred years afterward. Their intent and spirituality may have been denied, but the facts never were.  Now what ought we to think of a man who would deny events that occurred two thousand years ago, that were recorded in the records of kings and historical writers, when he had not one single record to prove it?  How can he know that such records are false? He would have no history, no records of those days to prove it; and if they were false, is it not reasonable to think that they would have been proved so then?