Section 167
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136 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. rather strive to live always to escape the eye of the magistrate, and not inform against himself, in the expectation of certain death." The same author, moreover, relates, that Adrian hav ing received letters from Serenius Granianus-, the most illustrious proconsul, respecting the Christians, in which he states, that it did not appear just to put the Christians to death without a re gular accusation and trial, merely to gratify the outcries of the populace ; and that he wrote back to Minucius Fundanus, procon sul of Asia, enjoining upon him to put no one to death, without an indictment and lawful accusation. Of this epistle, also, he (Justin,) adds a copy in the Latin tongue, in which it was written. He also premises the following explanation. " Although we have good cause, from the epistle 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 sub" joined a copy of Adrian's epistle, that you may know we declare the truth likewise in this. And here it follows." To this, the au thor 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 Hadrian, 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 tribu