governor of these provinces to speak of them in the following terms:  “Multi, omnis aetatis, utriusque sexus etiam;—­neque enim civitates tantum, sed vicos etiam et agros, superstitionis istius contagio pervagata est.”  “There are many of every age and of both sexes;—­nor has the contagion of this superstition seized cities only, but smaller towns also, and the open country.”  Great exertions must have been used by the preachers of Christianity to produce this state of things within this time.  Secondly, to a point which has been already noticed, and, which I think of importance to be observed, namely, the sufferings to which Christians were exposed, without any public persecution being denounced against them by sovereign authority.  For, from Pliny’s doubt how he was to act, his silence concerning any subsisting law on the subject, his requesting the emperor’s rescript, and the emperor, agreeably to his request, propounding a rule for his direction without reference to any prior rule, it may be inferred that there was, at that time, no public edict in force against the Christians.  Yet from this same epistle of Pliny it appears “that accusations, trials, and examinations, were, and had been, going on against them in the provinces over which he presided; that schedules were delivered by anonymous informers, containing the names of persons who were suspected of holding or of favouring the religion; that, in consequence of these informations, many had been apprehended, of whom some boldly avowed their profession, and died in the cause; others denied that they were Christians; others, acknowledging that they had once been Christians, declared that they had long ceased to be such.”  All which demonstrates that the profession of Christianity was at that time (in that country at least) attended with fear and danger:  and yet this took place without any edict from the Roman sovereign, commanding or authorizing the persecution of Christians.  This observation is further confirmed by a rescript of Adrian to Minucius Fundanus, the proconsul of Asia (Lard.  Heath.  Test. vol. ii. p. 110):  from which rescript it appears that the custom of the people of Asia was to proceed against the Christians with tumult and uproar.  This disorderly practice, I say, is recognised in the edict, because the emperor enjoins, that, for the future, if the Christians were guilty, they should be legally brought to trial, and not be pursued by importunity and clamour.

Martial wrote a few years before the younger Pliny:  and, as his manner was, made the suffering of the Christians the subject of his ridicule.

In matutina nuper spectatus arena
Mucius, imposuit qui sua membra focis,
Si patiens fortisque tibi durusque videtur,
Abderitanae pectora plebis habes;
Nam cum dicatur, tunica praesente molesta,
Ure* manum:  plus est dicere, Non facio.

Forsan “thure manum.”

Nothing, however, could show the notoriety of the fact with more certainty than this does.  Martial’s testimony, as well indeed as Pliny’s, goes also to another point, viz, that the deaths of these men were martyrdom in the strictest sense, that is to say, were so voluntary, that it was in their power, at the time of pronouncing the sentence, to have averted the execution, by consenting to join in heathen sacrifices.