Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/123

 Rh address'd himself to Heaven in this manner: O Lord the Author of Life, I humbly implore thy Assistance, and lift up those Hands to thee which were never stain'd with Human Blood.

The great Pains the Heathens took to carry off the Honour of this Miraculous Event, proves thus much at least, that we have no reason to question the Matter of Fact. However, if we wanted this Testimony, the Truth of the History may be proved by other Records of unquestionable Credit. Not fearing therefore the Censure of being over-credulous, or having a mind to support the Christian Religion by Fable and falshood: An Artifice of which our Holy Faith has no manner of need; Being satisfied I say of the Truth, I shall produce the Evidence: And here I desire to know with what fair pretence of Reason the Fact can be doubted when 'tis vouched by Authors, who lived at the same time : The Relation is this. The Captain of the Guards having acquainted the Emperour, that God never denied anything to the Christians, that he had a great Number of that Perswasion in the Melitene Legion, a Town of Cappadocia, and that he thought it adviseable for his Majesty, to try if their Prayers could disengage him, since there was nothing to be Rh