A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

30 A Source Book for Ancient Church History[021]Ep. 96. It is my custom, my lord, to refer to you all questionsabout which I have doubts. Who, indeed, can better direct mein hesitation, or enlighten me in ignorance? In the examinationof Christians I have never taken part; therefore I do not knowwhat crime is usually punished or investigated or to what extent.So I have no little uncertainty whether there is any distinction ofage, or whether the weaker offenders fare in no respect otherwisethan the stronger; whether pardon is granted on repentance, orwhether when one has been a Christian there is no gain to himin that he has ceased to be such; whether the mere name, if it iswithout crimes, or crimes connected with the name are punished.Meanwhile I have taken this course with those who were accusedbefore me as Christians: I have asked them whether they wereChristians. Those who confessed I asked a second and a thirdtime, threatening punishment. Those who persisted I ordered ledaway to execution. For I did not doubt that, whatever it was theyadmitted, obstinacy and unbending perversity certainly deserveto be punished. There were others of the like insanity, but becausethey were Roman citizens I noted them down to be sent to Rome.Soon after this, as it often happens, because the matter was takennotice of, the crime became wide-spread and many cases arose.An unsigned paper was presented containing the names of many.But these denied that they were or had been Christians, and Ithought it right to let them go, since at my dictation they prayedto the gods and made supplication with incense and wine to yourstatue, which I had ordered to be brought into the court for thepurpose, together with the images of the gods, and in addition tothis they cursed Christ, none of which things, it is said, those whoare really Christians can be made to do. Others who were namedby an informer said that they were Christians, and soon afterwarddenied it, saying, indeed, that they had been, but had ceased tobe Christians, some three years ago, some many years, and oneeven twenty years ago. All these also not only worshipped yourstatue and the images of the gods, but also cursed Christ. They