Their violence, however, was commonly disappointed, and the seasonable interposition of some miraculous power preserved the chaste spouses of Christ from the dishonor even of an involuntary defeat.

We should not indeed neglect to remark, that the more ancient as well as authentic memorials of the church are seldom polluted with these extravagant and indecent fictions.

[65] [Footnote 63: See the rescript of Trajan, and the conduct of Pliny.

The most authentic acts of the martyrs abound in these exhortations.

Note: Pliny's test was the worship of the gods, offerings to the statue of the emperor, and blaspheming Christ--praeterea maledicerent Christo .-- M.] [Footnote 64: In particular, see Tertullian, (Apolog.c.2, 3,) and Lactantius, (Institut.Divin.v.