RULE OF BOOKS

 DURING THE LAST PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE, EARLY IN THE FOURTH CENTURY, A BELIEVER IN SICILY WAS BROUGHT BEFORE THE GOVERNOR. HE WAS CHARGED WITH POSSESSING A COPY OF THE GOSPELS. "WHERE DID THESE COME FROM?" ASKED THE JUDGE, POINTING TO THE BOOKS."DID YOU BRING THEM FROM HOME?" I HAVE NO HOME" REPLIED THE PRISONER, "AS MY LORD JESUS KNOWS." ONCE AGAIN POINTING TO THE GOSPELS, THE JUDGE SAID, " READ THEM READ!"  THE CHRISTIAN OPENED THE GOSPELS AND READ, " BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS' SAKE: FOR THEIRS IS THE  KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. HE TURNED TO ANOTHER PLACE AND READ AGAIN, "IF ANY MAN WILL COME AFTER ME, LET HIM DENY HIMSELF, TAKE UP HIS CROSS, AND FOLLOW ME." THAT WAS TOO MUCH. THE JUDGE ORDERED HIS PRISONER AWAY --TO DEATH. ROMAN OFFICIALS CAME TO SEE THAT THE SUPPRESSION OF CHRISTIANITY DEMANDED THE DESTRUCTION OF THE SCRIPTURES.  SO THE LAST GREAT PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS INCLUDED THE BURNING OF THE SCRIPTURES. TO THIS DAY WE FIND IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO THINK OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. WITHOUT THE BIBLE. IT IS THE FOUNDATION OF CHRISTIAN EVANGELISM, ITS TEACHING, ITS WORSHIP, AND ITS MORALITY. WHEN WE LOOK BACK OVER CHRISTIAN HISTORY, WE FIND FEW--IF ANY--- DECISIONS MORE BASIC THAN THOSE MADE DURING THE FIRST THREE CENTURIES SURROUNDING THE  FORMATION OF THE BIBLE. THE SCRIPTURES SERVED NOT ONLY AS THE INSPIRATION FOR BELIEVERS FACING MARTYRDOM, BUT AS THE SUPREME STANDARD FOR THE CHURCHES. NOW THE BIBLE CONTAINING THE BEST OF A GREAT PEOPLE'S LITERATURE DURING NEARLY TEN CENTURIES, IS REGARDED THROUGHOUT THE WESTERN WORLD'S AS THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THE WORLD'S BOOKS. BUT THOUGH ESTEEMED AS HIGHLY AS EVER, PERHAPS AS PURE LITERATURE  IS NOT READ AS FORMERLY. ONE OF THESE WORKS CALLED " THE KING JAMES TRANSLATION BECAME A PART  OF THE VERY BODY OF OUR LANGUAGE, WHICH WAS OFTEN THE ONE BOOK IN THE POSSESSION OF OUR PIONEERING ANCESTORS, ITS TEACHINGS INTERTWINED IN THE WARP OF OUR AMERICAN TRADITION. APART FROM SENTIMENT, QUITE AS A MATTER OF SIMPLE REALISTIC, ART OUTLASTS ALL OTHER FORM OF HUMAN ENDEAVOR. KINGDOMS, EMPIRES, AND CIVILIZATIONS RISE AND FALL; THEIR LAWS, THEIR POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS, THEIR RELIGIONS VANISH; THEIR CUSTOMS AND ALL THEIR WAYS OF LIFE DISAPPEAR FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH; BUT THE ART THEY HAVE MANAGED TO CREATE REMAINS. SO TRUE IS THIS, THAT IT IS USUALLY FROM THE ARTISTIC RECORDS THAT HAVE COME DOWN TO US, THAT HISTORIANS AND ARCHEOLOGISTS RECONSTRUCT THE STORY OF THE PAST, MORE OR LESS COMPLETE ACCORDING AS IT WAS EMBODIED AT THE TIME IN P0TTER, PAINTING, AND SCULPTURE,  OR WORKS OF LITERATURE. MORE THAN A MILLENIUM OF RUIN, RECORDED ON THE FRAILEST OF MATERIALS, , HAS HAD THE STRONGEST LIEN ON IMMORTALITY. MORE THAN A MILLENNIUM OF RUIN HAS DESTROYED THE THEATRE OF DIONYSUS MOST FAMOUS IN THE WORLD, BUT THE GREATEST OF THE PLAYS PRODUCED THERE ARE STILL ENACTED TODAY. THE PYRAMID TEXTS WILL PROBABLY OUTLAST THE PYRAMIDS. TRUE EVEN OF THE CENTURIES OF PARCHMENTS AND PAPYRUS, THE SUPERIOR OF THE WRITTEN WORD.
 WAS ESTABLISHED BEYOND THE POSSIBILITY OF RIVALRY WHEN THROUGH THE INVENTION OF MOVEABLE TYPE IT ATTAINED THE PERPETUITY  OF PRINTING. SHAKESPEARE WAS UTTERING NO FUTILE BOAST WHEN HE DECLARED-- " NO MARBLE, NOR THE GILDED MONUMENTS OF PRINCES, SHALL OUTLASTS THIS POWERFUL RHYME."