Adopted of Pins, the Lover of Learning; and to the Sacred Senate, and to all the People of Rome; in the behalf of Men of all Ranks and Nations unjustly loaded with publick Odium and Oppreffion, I Juftin the Son of Prifcus and Grandfon of Bacchius Natives of Flavia • Neapolis of Palestine Syria, I who am one of this fuffering Multitude, a humbly offer this Apology.

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II. 'Tis the Voice of Reason, and ever attended to by Men truly pious and worthy the Name of Philofopher, that Truth alone is the thing to be had in the highest Honour, and to hold the first place in our Affections, and the Ancients to be follow'd not one step farther

b'Ixsivos Пeions To Banxes &c. Jerome in his Catalogue makes Prifcus Bacchius the Father of Juftin, and herein is followed by Chriftophorson, and by all the Verfions of Juftin, till That cor rected by the Learned Dr. Grabe; but 'tis evident from the Conftruction of the Words, that Prifcus was the Father, and Bacchius the Grandfather; for Sopraxias being of the Plural Number cannot agree with Пeions To Banxes of the Singular, if it was but one Perfon. The Great Du Pin has taken up with this common Miftake, and the Ingenious Author of the Notes upon him has overlook'd it also; which I the rather wonder at, because the Excellent Dr. Cave, whom he is pleas'd fometimes to animadvert upon, wou'd have fet him to rights in this matter in his moft accurate Life of this Martyr. Vid. Tom. 1. Spicileg. Patr. Sac. 11. p. 134. and Valef. Notes upon Eufeb. p. 66.

This Flavia Neapolis anciently went by the Name of Sichem, a noted City of Paleftine in the Province of Samaria, and from a Colony fent thither by Flavius Vefpafian called Flavia. Vid. Not. Valef. ad Eufeb. lib. 4. cap. 12.

Ende. Valefius in his Notes upon this Word in Eufebius, p. 66. fays that ufxáver is to go and fupplicate the Emperour either by a Petition in Writing or by word of Mouth, and fo προσφώνησιν καὶ ἔπαξιν ποιεμαι are both included in this Verfion, whether it was deliver'd in Writing, or by word of Mouth, cording to Perionius.

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than they are Followers of Truth. The fame right Reason dictates alfo, that we are not only not to strike in with any Sect of Men, unjust either in Practice or Principle, but moreover that a Lover of Truth must by all means, and before Life it felf, and in defiance of all the Menaces of Death, choose to square his Words and Actions by the Rules of Justice, whatever it cost him: And whereas you wear the Glorious Titles of Pious and Philofophers and Guardians of Justice and Lovers of Learning; tho' thefe, I fay, are the darling Characters you affect to be diftinguish'd by ev'ry where; yet whether you make 'em good or no, shall be seen by the following Discourse; for we come not here with a defign to flatter, or ingratiate by the power of Fine Words, but we come in plain terms, to demand Judgment according to the strictest and exactest Rules of Justice; that neither Prejudice, nor the Vanity of getting into the good Graces of fuperftitious Men, nor blind Paffion, or a scandalous Report which has fo long prepoffefs'd you, might any longer prevail with you to pass Sentence against your felves by condemning the Innocent: For 'tis a Maxim among us Christians, that we cannot poffibly fuffer any Real Hurt, if we cannot be convicted of doing any Real Evil: You may Kill indeed but you

cannot hurt us.

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III. But

• "Tμes ♪ aπonleivas' Swiade, Bráfar ♪'. In this Sentence I doubt not but our Martyr had reference to that of Plato, where we have the fome Senfe in almost the fame Words, and in

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III. But that you may not look upon this as a fenfeless Bravado, or bold Flourish only, we pray the Charge against Christians may be examin'd into, and if upon examination the Allegations prove true, let 'em be punifh'd accordingly, for rather do you who are the Judges award the Punishment, and not leave it to the difcretion of the Mob. But if nothing criminal can be made out against us, you cannot furely judge it reasonable, to injure an harmless People barely upon an evil Report; tho' let me tell you, while thus you confult not your Judg ment but your Paffion in the diftributions of Justice, you'll pull down the Mischief upon your felves which you are heaping upon us. Ev'ry Man of Senfe muft own it the fairest and moft equitable way of Proceeding in Courts of Judicature, for the People to de liver in a juft unexceptionable Declaration of their Words and Actions; and then for the Magiftrates to proceed to Sentence, hot as the Luft of Tyranny and Oppreffion pufhes on, but as Piety and true Wisdom steer their Judgment. By this Expedient, happy will the Prince and happy will the People be who are in fuch a Cafe; for 'tis a Saying

an Apology: For thus Socrates tells the Athenians, ise adv ἐμὲ ἀποκλείνετε τοιῦτον ὄντα οἷον ἐξω λέγω, ἐκ ἐμὲ μείζω βλά μετε ἢ ὑμᾶς αὐτοῦ. ἐμὲ τὸ ἐδὲν βλάψε ἔτε Μέλη ἔτε Av, &c. Plato's Apology of Socrates. Camb. Edit. p. 25.

Mãλλornoader. I have follow'd Dr. Grabe's Conjecture in the Verfion of thefe Words. But Dr. Cave tranflates 'em thus: Nay, let 'em be more feverely punish'd than other Men. Prim. Chriftianit: p. 83:

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of one of the Ancients, That till Magiftrates and People both thus philofophize, the Body Politick will never be well. Accordingly therefore it shall be my Business in the first place, to lay before the Publick a faithful Memorial of our Life and Doctrine, that we may not thank our felves for our Sufferings, which for want of due Information you may inflic upon us; but then remember, 'tis your Parts and Duties, according to the aforefaid Rule of Reason, to fee, that when you have heard the Caufe, you are found to judge righteous Judgment; for believe me, you will be without Excufe before God for the time to come, if after you underftand the Chriftian Caufe, you refuse a Chriftian Juftice; the bare Appellation of a Name without any Fact falling under that Name, is looked upon as neither good nor evil; and as for our Name which is tantamount to a Crime against a Christian, if we are try'd upon that Article, we must certainly be acquitted as very good Men; but as we shou'd deem it unreasonable when convicted of real Crimes to plead a bare Name only in arrest of Judgment, fo on the other fide, if both with respect to our Name, and the Nature of our Polity, we are found altogether innocent, it lies at your Door to take care, left by unjustly punishing a People convicted of no Evil, you your felves deservedly fmart for fuch Injustice. Praise and Punishment

Platonis Lib. V. de Repub. And it being a Saying alfo familiarly in the Mouths of these Emperors, it is the more pertinently made ufe of by the Apologist.

then

then cannot with reafon be charg'd upon a meer Name, unless there be Actions either good or bad to justifie the Charge; but 'tis very notorious that when any of your own Religion are brought to Trial, you never punish before you convict 'em; but when a Christian is indicted, you snatch at the Shadow of his Name, for a fubftantial Crime; whereas wou'd you but give your felves leave to confider that Name, you wou'd find it more becoming to animadvert upon the Accufers, than the Accused; for we are indicted by the Name of Chreftians, but now xensos is a word for kind or good; and fuch a word furely cannot be a juft Foundation for Hatred; again, if any of the Accufed retract the Name of Christian, you take him presently at his Word, and acquit him, as having nothing more criminal to charge against him; but he who has the Cou

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h This is the general Complaint which runs thro' all the Ancient Apologies, that they were accus'd, condemn'd, and executed meerly for the Name of Chriftian; and this Name in truth was their Boaft, their Ornament of Grace, the Chain about their Neck in which they glory'd above all the Titles here below; and therefore when the Champion Attalus was led about the Amphitheater in Scorn, he had a Tablet before him with this Infcription, This is Attalus the Chriftian, Eufeb. Hift. lib. 5. p. 162. And when Chriftianity had well nigh fubdu'd the World, Julian the Apoftate fet himself to banish this Name from the Face of the Earth, and always in Derifion call'd the Chriftians, Galileans; and not only fo, but made a Law, that they fhou'd only be called by that Name. Naz. Invect. in Julian. 1. p. 81.

The Ignorance and Malice of perfecuting upon the account of this Name, you'll find in Tertullian, cap. 3. Latan. lib. 4. cap. 7.. our Saviour is called Chreftos by Suetonius, in vitâ Claudii; but Ta citus who liv'd in the fame Age with him, is right in the Name both of Chrift and Chriftians. Quos vulgo Chriftianos appellabat, and then adds, Au&tor nominis ejus Christus. Tacit. Annal. lib. 15.

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