Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries
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Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

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230 THE FIRST AGE OF THE MAKTYR CIIUKCH.as enemies meet these words, you can do no more,as we have already said, than kill us, which bringsno hurt to us, but to you, and to all who hateunjustly, and do not repent, the chastisement ofeternal lire."51And his concluding words are :" If now whatwe have said appears to be reasonable and true,honour it accordingly ; but if folly, despise it asfoolish; yet pass not sentence of death against thoseas enemies, who have done no evil. For we tellyou beforehand that you will not escape the futurejudgment of God, if you continue in injustice, andwe shall cry, Let the will of God be done."52Such then is the testimony of a Christian asto the way in which the confessors of his religionAvcre treated; and it is corroborated by that of theheathen philosopher Cclsus, who writes his booksagainst Christianity about this time, and imputesthe secrecy practised by Christians in their teachingand their actions to their attempts to escapethe punishment of death hanging over their heads.53And again having put into the mouth of Christiansthe remark, that if they blaspheme or strikea statue of Jupiter or Apollo, these gods cannot defendthemselves, he subjoins : " Do you not, then,see that your own demon is not merely blasphemedH Sec. 45.62 Sec. (58. Chcvallier's translation, somasXp** \ *> *> f * \ >

THE FIRST AGE OF THE MARTYR CHURCH.231but expelled from every land and sea, while you,his consecrated image,54 are chained, and led awayto prison, and crucified; and the demon, or as youcall him, the Son of God, gives you no protection."And in another place, comparing Christians withJews, to whom God had made so many promises :" See," he says, " what good has He done to themand to you ? To them, instead of being lords ofall the earth, not a clod of soil or a hearth remains;65 while of you, if any one still wandersabout in hiding, yet justice pursues him with thedoom of death."However, we know that at this time at leastthe bold words of Justin drew down no punishmentfrom Antoninus, and a rescript of this emperor,dated about two years after the presentationof this first apology, has been preserved, which ismore favourable to Christians than that of Hadrian.It is addressed to that province of Asiawhich contained so many flourishing Christianchurches, and which accordingly was so bitteragainst them. They had written to complain ofthe Christians, * and to accuse them as the causeof the earthquakes which had happened. Theemperor replies : " It was my belief that the godswould take care that such men as you describeshould not escape. For much rather would theyv642e rbv KaQwfftwucvov ucnrep &ya\p. ain

230 THE FIRST AGE OF THE MAKTYR CIIUKCH.as enemies meet these words, you can do no more,as we have already said, than kill us, which bringsno hurt to us, but to you, and to all who hateunjustly, and do not repent, the chastisement <strong>of</strong>eternal lire."51And his concluding words are :" If now whatwe have said appears to be reasonable and true,honour it accordingly ; but if folly, despise it asfoolish; yet pass not sentence <strong>of</strong> death against thoseas enemies, who have done no evil. For we tellyou beforehand that you will not escape the futurejudgment <strong>of</strong> God, if you continue in injustice, andwe shall cry, Let the will <strong>of</strong> God be done."52Such then is the testimony <strong>of</strong> a Christian asto the way in which the confessors <strong>of</strong> his religionAvcre treated; and it is corroborated by that <strong>of</strong> theheathen philosopher Cclsus, who writes his booksagainst Christianity about this time, and imputesthe secrecy practised by Christians in their teachingand their actions to their attempts to escapethe punishment <strong>of</strong> death hanging over their heads.53And again having put into the mouth <strong>of</strong> Christiansthe remark, that if they blaspheme or strikea statue <strong>of</strong> Jupiter or Apollo, these gods cannot defendthemselves, he subjoins : " Do you not, then,see that your own demon is not merely blasphemedH Sec. 45.62 Sec. (58. Chcvallier's translation, somasXp** \ *> *> f * \ >

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