nding this, persons have been punished
because they were called Christians, and that without any accusation of
crime.

He then advances to an exposition of the origin, the nature, and the
effects of Christianity, stating that it is founded on the Hebrew
Scriptures, which are the most venerable of all books. He says to the
magistrates: "The books of Moses, in which God has inclosed, as in
a treasure, all the religion of the Jews, and consequently all the
Christian religion, reach far beyond the oldest you have, even beyond
all your public monuments, the establishment of your state, the
foundation of many great cities--all that is most advanced by you in all
ages of history, and memory of times; the invention of letters, which
are the interpreters of sciences and the guardians of all excellent
things. I think I may say more--beyond your gods, your temples, your
oracles and sacrifices. The author of those books lived a thousand years
before the siege of Troy, and more than fifteen hundred before Homer."
Time is the ally of truth, and wise men believe nothing but what is
certain, and what has been verified by time. The principal authority
of these Scriptures is derived from their venerable antiquity. The most
learned of the Ptolemies, who was surnamed Philadelphus, an accomplished
prince, by the advice of Demetrius Phalareus, obtained a copy of these
holy books. It may be found at this day in his library. The divinity of
these Scriptures is proved by this, that all that is done in our days
may be found predicted in them; they contain all that has since passed
in the view of men.

Is not the accomplishment of a prophecy a testimony to its truth? Seeing
that events which are past have vindicated these prophecies, shall we be
blamed for trusting them in events that are to come? Now, as we believe
things that have been prophesied and have come to pass, so we believe
things that have been told us, but not yet come to pass, because they
have all been foretold by the same Scriptures, as well those that are
verified every day as those that still remain to be fulfilled.

These Holy Scriptures teach us that there is one God, who made the world
out of nothing, who, though daily seen, is invisible; his infiniteness
is known only to himself; his immensity conceals, but at the same
time discovers him. He has ordained for men, according to their lives,
rewards and punishments; he will raise all the dead that have ever lived
from the cr