of your most illustrious father, the emperor Adrian, to request of you as we requested of him, that the Christians should be regularly tried; this we have requested, not so much because it was ordered by Adrian, as because we know that the object of our request is just. We have also subjoined a copy of Adrian's epistle, that you may know we declare the truth likewise in this. And here it follows." To this, the author adds the copy of the epistle, in the Latin tongue; and we have translated it into the Greek, according to the best of our abilities, as follows:

CHAPTER IX.

THE EPISTLE OF ADRIAN, FORBIDDING THE CHRISTIANS TO BE PUNISHED WITHOUT TRIAL.

"To Minucius Fundanus. I have received an epistle, written to me by the most illustrious Serenius Granianus, whom you have succeeded. I do not wish, therefore, that the matter should be passed by without examination, so that these men may neither be harassed, nor opportunity of malicious proceedings be offered to informers. If, therefore, the provincials can clearly evince their charges against the Christians, so as to answer before the tribunal, let them pursue this course only, but not by mere petitions, and mere outcries against the Christians. For it is far more proper, if any one would bring an accusation, that you should examine it. If any one, therefore, bring an accusation, and can show that they have done any thing contrary to the laws, determine it thus according to the heinousness of the crime; and if any one should propose this with a view to slander, investigate it according to its criminality, and see to it that you inflict the punishment." Such, then, is the copy of Adrian's letter.

CHAPTER X.

THE BISHOPS OF ROME AND ALEXANDRIA, IN THE REIGN OF

ANTONINE.

THIS emperor (Adrian,) having finished his mortal career, after the twenty-first year of his reign, is succeeded by Antonine, called the Pious, in the government of the Romans. In the first year of this reign, and in the eleventh year of his episcopate, Telesphorus departed this life, and was succeeded in the charge of the Roman church by Hyginus. Irenæus, indeed, relates that Telesphorus was rendered illustrious by martyrdom; showing, at the same time, that under the above-mentioned Roman bishop Hyginus, Valentinus the founder of a peculiar heresy, and Cerdon the leader in the errors propagated by Marcion, were both notorious at Rome. His statement is as follows:

CHAPTER XI.

THE HERESIARCHS OF THESE TIMES.

"VALENTINE came to Rome under Hyginus, was in his prime under Pius, and lived until the time of Anicetus. But Cerdon, who preceded Marcion, and flourished under the episcopate of Hyginus, the ninth in succession, coming to the church, and acknowledging his error, continued in this way; at one time secretly teaching his doctrines, at another renouncing them again; and sometimes also, convicted of his perverse doctrines, prevented from assembling with the brethren." Such is the account of Irenæus in the third book against the heresies. In the first, however, he relates the following respecting Cerdon: "A certain man, however, by name Cerdon, who derived his first impulse from the followers of Simon, and who made some stay at Rome, under Hyginus, the ninth that held the episcopate in succession from the apostles; taught that the God who had been proclaimed by the law and prophets, was not the Father of our Lord Jesus

Christ, for the latter was revealed, the other was unknown; the former also, was just, but the other was good. Marcion, who was from Pontus, having succeeded Cerdon, augmented his school by uttering his blasphemies without a blush. But the same Irenæus, having most dexterously unravelled the bottomless abyss of the errors enveloped in the Valentinian heresy, laid bare the wickedness concealed in it, like a serpent lurking in his nest." Besides these, he says there was another (Marcus was his name,) about the same time, who was a most perfect adept in magical illusions; and he describes also, their profane rites of initiation, and their abominable mysteries, in the following language: "Some of them," says he, "prepare a nuptial bed, and perform the mystery of initiation with certain forms addressed to the initiated. This, they say, is the spiritual marriage that has taken place with them, bearing form and resemblance to the marriages in heaven. Some conduct them to water, and baptizing them, repeat these words, into the name of the unknown Father of the universe, into the Truth, the mother of all, into Jesus, into him that descended.' Others, again, repeated Hebrew names in order the better to confound the initiated." But Hyginus dying after the fourth year of his office, Pius received the episcopate, but at Alexandria Marcus. was appointed the pastor, after Eumenes had filled the office thirteen years in all. Marcus also dying, after ten years of his ministrations, Celadin had charge of the church of Alexandria, and Pius dying at Rome in the fifteenth year of his episcopate, the church there was governed by Anicetus. At this time Hegesippus writes that he was at Rome, and continued there until the episcopate of Eleutherus. But Justin was the most noted of those that flourished in those times, who, in the guise of a philosopher, preached the truth of God, and contended for the faith, also, in his writings. In a work that he wrote against Marcion, he mentions, that at the time he wrote, the man was yet living. He states

that there was a certain Marcion from Pontus, still teaching those that believed him, to think that there is another God greater than God the creator; that the same person by the assistance of dæmons, persuaded many throughout the whole world, to utter blasphemy, and to deny that the Creator of all things was the father of Christ; and that another who was greater than He, was the creator. But, as we said before, all the followers of these were called Christians, just as the name of philosophy is applied to philosophers, although they may have no opinions in common. To these he adds: "We have also written a work against all the heresies that have arisen, which we will give you to peruse if you wish." But this same Justin, after having contended with great success against the Greeks, addressed also other works, containing a defence of our faith, to the emperor Antonine, surnamed the Pious, and to the senate of Rome. He also had his residence at Rome, but he shows who and whence he was in the following extracts in his Apology.

CHAPTER XII.

THE APOLOGY OF JUSTIN, ADDRESSED TO ANTONINUS.

"To the emperor Titus Ælius Adrian Antoninus Pius Cesar Augustus, and to Onesimus his son the philosopher, and to Lucius the natural son of Cesar the philosopher, and the adopted son of Pius, a votary of learning; also, to the sacred senate and the whole Roman people, in behalf of those who of all nations are now unjustly hated and aspersed; I, Justin, the son of Priscus, the grandson of Bacchius of Flavia, the new city of Palestine, Syria, being one of their number, present this volume and address." The same emperor was also addressed by others when the brethren in Asia were suffering under every kind of injury from the provincials, and honoured the people of Asia with an ordinance like the following:

CHAPTER XIII.

THE EPISTLE OF ANTONINE, TO THE ASSEMBLY OF ASIA,

RESPECTING OUR DOCTRINE,

THE emperor Cesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, Armenicus, Pontifex Maximus, Tribune of the people XV. Consul III. sends greeting, to the Assembly of Asia: "I know, indeed, that the gods themselves will take care that such men as these shall not escape detection. For it would more properly belong to them to punish those that will not worship them, than to you. And whilst you drive them into a tumult, you only confirm them the more in their mind, by accusing them as impious. And thus, to them it would be more desirable when arraigned, to appear to die for their God, than to live. Whence also, they may come off in triumph, when they yield up their lives in preference to a conformity with those things which you exact of them. But as to those earthquakes which have taken place and still continue; it is not out of place to admonish you who are cast down whenever these happen, to compare your own deportment with theirs. They, indeed, become on these occasions so much the more cheerful towards God, but you, the whole of this time in which you seem not to have correct knowledge, neglect both the gods and other duties, especially the worship of the Immortal. But the Christians who worship Him, you expel and persecute to death. Respecting these, however, many of the governors of the provinces also wrote to our most divine father. To whom, also, he wrote in reply, not to trouble them at all, unless they appeared to make attempts against the Roman government. Many also have sent communications to me respecting them, to whom also, I wrote in reply, following the course pursued by my father. But if any still persevere in creating difficulties to any one of these because he is of this description, (i. e. a Christian,) let him that is thus arraigned be absolved from crime, although he should