Constantine’s Letter to the Provinces

“Victor Constantine, Greatest Augustus, to the inhabitants of the province of Palestine. [a]

“To all who hold right and sound views about the nature of the Supreme Being, it has long been perfectly clear, beyond any possibility of doubt, how vast a difference there has always been between those who carefully keep the holy duties of the Christian religion and those who treat this religion with hostility or contempt. But at this present time we can see, by still plainer proofs and still more decisive examples, both how unreasonable it would be to question this truth and how great is the power of the Supreme God. For it is evident that those who faithfully keep his holy laws and shrink from breaking his commandments are rewarded with abundant blessings, and are given a well-founded hope as well as ample power to carry out what they undertake. On the other hand, those who have held wicked views have met with results that match their evil choice. For how could anyone expect to gain any blessing who neither wished to acknowledge nor rightly to worship the God who is the source of every blessing? Indeed, the facts themselves confirm what I say.