se
Christians whom you love will be assisted by you far more than they are
now. In their present situation you know well that they are enabled to
live by the sympathy and assistance of those who profess the religion of
the state but in secret prefer the religion of the Christians. Do you
call these men hypocrites and perjurers? Are they not rather your
benefactors and friends?"

"These men have never learned the Christian's faith and hope as I have.
They have never felt the new birth of the soul as I have. They have not
known the love of God springing up within their hearts to give them new
feelings and hopes and desires. For them to sympathize with the
Christians and to help them is a good thing; but the Christian who could
be base enough to abjure his faith and deny the Saviour that redeemed
him, could never have enough generosity in his traitorous soul to assist
his forsaken brethren."

"Then, Marcellus, I have but one more offer to make, and I go. It is a
last hope. I do not know whether it will be possible or not. I will try
it, however, if I can but gain your consent. It is this. You need not
abjure your faith; you need not sacrifice to the gods; you need not do
anything whatever of which you disapprove. Let the past be forgotten.
Return again, not in heart, but in outward appearance, to what you were
before. You were then a gay, lighthearted soldier, devoted to your
duties. You never took any part in any religious services. You were
seldom present in the temples. You passed your time in the camp, and
your devotions were in private. You gathered your instruction from the
books of the philosophers and not from the priests. Be all this again.
Return to your duties. Appear again in public in company with me; again
join in pleasant conversation, and devote yourself to your old pursuits.
This will be easy and pleasant to do, and it will not require anything
that is base or distasteful. The authorities will overlook your absence
and your misconduct, and if they are not willing that you should be
restored to all your former honors, then you can be placed in your
former command in your old legion. All will then be well. A little
discretion will be needed, a wise silence, an apparent return to your
former round of duties. If you remain in Rome it will be thought that
the tidings of your conversion to Christianity was wrong; if you go
abroad it will not be known."

"I do not think, Lucullus, that the plan which you propo