（外文电子版资料）Church, Alfred J. - To the Lions.docVIP

To the Lions by? Alfred J. Church Table of Contents HYPERLINK \l _Front_Matter Front Matter HYPERLINK \l _Back_Matter Back Matter  HYPERLINK \l _AN_ACCUSATION An Accusation  HYPERLINK \l _AN_OLD_STORY An Old Story  HYPERLINK \l _A_CHRISTIAN_HOUSEHOLD A Christian Household  HYPERLINK \l _LOVE_OR_DUTY? Love or Duty?  HYPERLINK \l _A_PLOT A Plot  HYPERLINK \l _PLINY_AND_THE_CHRISTIANS Pliny and the Christians  HYPERLINK \l _THE_ARREST The Arrest  HYPERLINK \l _BEFORE_THE_GOVERNOR Before the Governor  HYPERLINK \l _RHODAS_EVIDENCE Rhodas Evidence  HYPERLINK \l _THE_EXAMINATION The Examination  HYPERLINK \l _THE_HOUSE_OF_LUCILIUS The House of Lucilius  HYPERLINK \l _A_MARTYRS_TESTIMONY A Martyrs Testimony  HYPERLINK \l _A_DISCOVERY A Discovery  HYPERLINK \l _A_LETTER_FROM_TRAJAN A Letter from Trajan  HYPERLINK \l _THE_AMPHITHEATRE The Amphitheatre  HYPERLINK \l _ The Christians to the Lions  HYPERLINK \l _ESCAPE Escape Front Matter IN THE VINEYARD Back Matter AN ACCUSATION [1] THE time is the early morning of an April day in the year of Our Lord 112. So early is it that the dawn has scarcely yet begun to show in the eastern sky. The place is a burial-ground in the outskirts of Nic?a, one of the chief towns of the Roman province of Such was a Christian church in the early part of the second century. It must not be supposed that even this simple building had been erected for its own use by the Christian community. Even if it could have found the means to do so, it would not have ventured so to attract public attention. For the Christian faith was not one of the religions which were sanctioned by the State; and it existed only by sufferance, or rather, we might even say, by stealth. This meeting-house of the Christians of Nic?a was really the club-house of the wool-combers of that city. The wool-combers guild or company had, for some reason, passed to other places. Old [3] members had died, and few or no new members had been admi