> If I recall my history correctly (and of course, I'm open for corrections), The Council of Nicosi (?) sat down to discuss the books that would for the Christian Cannon, both Old and New. The arguments went on for years, with books being added or removed continually.
>
> Eventually, Emperor Constantine got a bit annoyed with this (after all, he needed an "official" Cristianity for the Roman Empire). He told the bishops that they could either ratify the Bible as it stood, or be executed and replaced with others who would do as he wanted.
>
> Ratification was then immediate and unanimous.
>
> winter"At least, that's the version I heard"mute

"The earliest known recognition of the 27 books of the New Testament as alone canonical, to which nothing is to be added and from which nothing is to be subtracted, is the list preserved by Athanasius (A.D. 367). The Synod of Hippo (A.D. 393) and the Third Synod of Carthage (A.D. 397) duly acquiesced, again probably under the influence of the redoubtable Augustine." -- Ronald Youngblood, "The Process; How We Got Our Bible," in the February 5, 1988 issue of Christianity Today. Actual quote stolen from a website on the subject.

While looking, I found pages which said Constantine was a sun-worshipper. It was an interesting possibility--he only made it legal to be Christian; it became the state religion later.

gab"finder of things?"by