Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

212 THE FIRST AGE OF THE MARTYR CHURCH.to Christ + as to a god, binding themselves by oathnot to any crime, but not to commit theft, robbery,adultery, the breaking of their word, or the refusalto restore a deposit. After this they were wont toseparate, and then reassemble to take a commonand harmless meal. This, however, they had ceasedto do from the publication of my edict forbidding,according to your command, private assemblies.therefore thought it the more necessary to examineinto the truth by putting to the torture twofemale slaves, who were said to be deaconessesamong them. I found, however, nothing but aperverse and immoderate superstition, and so, adjourningthe inquiry, I took refuge in consultingyou. For the matter seemed to me worthy of consultation,specially on account of the number ofthose involved in danger. For many of every age,every rank, both sexes, have been already, andwill be endangered, since the contagion of this superstitionhas spread not only through cities butthrough villages and country. And it seems capableof being arrested and corrected. At all eventsthere is proof that the almost deserted templeshave begun to be frequented, and the long intermittedrites renewed, and victims for sacrificeare found ready, whereof hitherto there were veryfew purchasers. Hence it is easy to form an opi-what a number of persons may be redon be allowed." 3939 Pliny, Ep. x. 97, chiefly Melmoth's translation.