world; this is an historical fact, no mere tradition, legend, myth, or fable. Listen to some proofs of this.
2. History teaches by means of the most reliable facts that from the beginning the greatest and most noble among mankind have readily accepted the Christian faith, the holy Gospel. Amongst these we find a proconsul of raphos, a captain of the Roman cohorts, Dionysius, the Athenian sage, Flavius the consul, a cousin of Emperor Domitian; the most learned, moreover, among the men who lived in those times; Justin, Athenagoras, Minutius, and many others, men prominent among the scientists of the day, jurists, and government officials.
But it can not be supposed that all these men accepted the new doctrines, the new gospel, with careless indifference. On the contrary, they thoroughly examined in the first place the holy Gospel and the writings of the apostles, and more particularly they convinced themselves of the facts relating to the life of Jesus.
3. Furthermore, the disciples and apostles of Jesus bore witness to the truth of their convictions, to the facts of the life of Jesus Christ, by confessing these truths with their blood. When have there ever been impostors in the world, especially where religion was concerned, who have not striven either covertly or openly after notoriety, pleasure, dignities, and riches? Did the apostles, per-
