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The same man, before his conflict, mentions in his first Apology
others that suffered martyrdom before him, and most fittingly records
the following events. He writes thus: "A certain woman lived with a
dissolute husband; she herself, too, having formerly been of the same
character. But when she came to the knowledge of the teachings of
Christ, she became temperate, and endeavored to persuade her husband
likewise to be temperate, repeating the teachings, and declaring the
punishment in eternal fire which shall come upon those who do not live
temperately and conformably to right reason. But he, continuing in
the same excesses, alienated his wife by his conduct. For she
finally, thinking it wrong to live as a wife with a man who, contrary
to the law of nature and right, sought every possible means of
pleasure, desired to be divorced from him. And when she was earnestly
entreated by her friends, who counseled her still to remain with him,
on the ground that her husband might some time give hope of amendment,
she did violence to herself and remained. But when her husband had
gone to Alexandria, and was reported to be conducting himself still
worse, she in order that she might not, by continuing in wedlock, and
by sharing his board and bed, become a partaker in his lawlessness and
impiety, gave him what we a call a bill of divorce and left him. But
her noble and excellent husband, instead of rejoicing, as he ought to
have done, that she had given up those actions which she had formerly
recklessly committed with the servants and hirelings, when she
delighted in drunkenness and in every vice, and that she desired him
likewise to give them up, when she had gone from him contrary to his
wish, brought an accusation concerning her, declaring that she was a
Christian. And she petitioned you, the emperor, that she might be
permitted first to set her affairs in order, and afterwards, after the
settlement of her affairs, to make her defense against the accusation.
And this you granted. But he who had once been her husband, being no
longer able to prosecute her, directed his attacks against a certain
Ptolemaeus, who had been her teacher in the doctrines of
Christianity, and whom Urbicius had punished. Against him he
proceeded in the following manner:
"He persuaded a centurion who was his friend to cast Ptolemaeus into
prison, and to take him and ask him this only: whether he were a
Christian? And when Ptolemaeus, who was a lover of truth, and not
of a deceitful and false disposition, confessed that he was a
Christian, the centurion bound him and punished him for a long time in
the prison. And finally, when the man was brought before Urbicius he
was likewise asked this question only: whether he were a Christian ?
And again, conscious of the benefits which he enjoyed through the
teaching of Christ, he confessed his schooling in divine virtue. For
whoever denies that he is a Christian, either denies because he
despises Christianity, or he avoids confession because he is conscious
that he is unworthy and an alien to it; neither of which is the case
with the true Christian. And when Urbicius commanded that he be led
away to punishment, a certain Lucius, who was also a Christian,
seeing judgment so unjustly passed, said to Urbicius, ' Why have
you punished this I man who is not an adulterer, nor a fornicator,
nor a murderer, nor a thief, nor a robber, nor has been convicted of
committing any crime at all, but has confessed that he beam the name of
Christian? You do not judge, O Urbicius, in a manner befitting
the Emperor Pins, or the philosophical son of Caesar, or the sacred
senate.' And without making any other reply, he said to Lucius, '
Thou also seem-est to me to be such an one.' And when Lucius
said, 'Certainly,' he again commanded that he too should be led
away to punishment. But he professed his thanks, for he was
liberated, he added, from such wicked rulers and was going to the good
Father and King, God. And still a third having come forward was
condemned to be punished."
To this, Justin fittingly and consistently adds the words which we
quoted above, saying, "I, too, therefore expect to be plotted
against by some one of those whom I have named," etc."
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