MINUCIUS FELIX. 497 grace of the healerinspires.Thus they flyfrom Christians when near at hand, whom at a distancethey harassedby your means in theirassemblies.And thus,introducedinto the minds of the ignorant,they secretlysow there a hatred of us by means of fear. For it is naturalboth to hate one whom you fear,and to injure one whom you have feared, if you can. Thus they take possessionof the minds and obstructthe hearts,that men may begin to hate us before they know us ; lest,if known, they should eitherimitateus, or not be ableto condemn us. CHAPTER XXVIII. Argument. — Nor is it only hatredthattheyarouseagainst theChristians,but theychargeagainstthemhorridcrimes, which up to thistime have beenproved by nobody. This is the work of demons. For by them a false reportis both set on foot and propagated. Most triumphantly, Octaviusproves thattheChristiansare falselyaccusedof sacrilege,ofincest,of adultery,ofpan-icide; and,moreover, thatit is certainand truethatthe verysame crimes,or crimesliketoor greaterthan these,are infactcommitted by the Gentilesthemselves. " But how unjustitis,1to form a judgment on thingsun known and unexamined, as you do ! Believe us ourselves when penitent,forwe alsowere thesame asyou,and formerly, while yet blind and obtuse,thought the same thingsas you ; to wit,that the Christiansworshipped monsters,devoured infants,mingled in incestuousbanquets. And we did not perceivethatsuch fablesas thesewere always set afloatby those [newsmongers], and were never eitherinquiredinto nor proved ; and thatin so long a time no one had appeared to betray[theirdoings],to obtainnot only pardon for their crime, but alsofavour for itsdiscovery: moreover, that it was to thisextentnot evil,thata Christian,when accused, 1Otherwiseread," Buthow greata faultitis." err.— vol. n. 2 1