Justin Before the Prefect

The martyrdom of the holy martyrs Justin, Chariton, Charito, Paeon, and Liberianus, who suffered at Rome.

In the days when the lawless friends of idol worship held power, wicked decrees were passed against godly Christians in town and country alike, to force them to pour out offerings to worthless idols. So these holy men were arrested and brought before the prefect of Rome, a man named Rusticus. When they had been set before his judgment seat, the prefect said to Justin, “Obey the gods at once, and submit to the emperors.” Justin said, “Obeying the commands of our Savior Jesus Christ deserves no blame and no condemnation.” [c]

Rusticus the prefect said, “What kind of teachings do you hold?” Justin said, “I have tried to learn teachings of every kind, but in the end I settled on the true ones — the teachings of the Christians, even though they do not please people who hold false opinions.” Rusticus the prefect said, “Those are the teachings that please you, you utterly miserable man?” Justin said, “Yes, for I hold to them, and the teaching is right.”

Rusticus the prefect said, “What is that teaching?” Justin said, “It is the teaching by which we worship the God of the Christians, whom we hold to be one from the beginning, the maker and shaper of the whole creation, seen and unseen; and the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was announced beforehand by the prophets as one who would come to the human race, the herald of salvation and the teacher of good pupils. And I, being only a man, think that what I can say is a small thing next to his boundless divinity. I acknowledge a certain prophetic power, since prophecy was spoken about the one I now say is the Son of God. For I know that long ago the prophets foretold his appearing among men.”

Rusticus the prefect said, “Where do you meet?” Justin said, “Wherever each person chooses and is able. Do you imagine that we all meet in one and the same place? Not at all. The God of the Christians is not shut inside a place. He is unseen, he fills heaven and earth, and he is worshiped and glorified by the faithful everywhere.” Rusticus the prefect said, “Tell me where you meet. Where do you gather your followers?” Justin said, “I lodge above a man named Martinus, by the Timiotinian bath. In all this time — and I am now living in Rome for the second time — I have known of no other meeting than his. If anyone wanted to come to me, I passed on to him the teachings of the truth.” Rusticus said, “Are you not a Christian, then?” Justin said, “Yes, I am a Christian.” [g]

Then Rusticus the prefect said to Chariton, “Now tell me, Chariton — are you a Christian too?” Chariton said, “I am a Christian, by the command of God.” Rusticus the prefect asked the woman Charito, “And what do you say, Charito?” Charito said, “I am a Christian, by the grace of God.” Rusticus said to Euelpistus, “And what are you?” Euelpistus, a slave of Caesar, answered, “I too am a Christian. Christ set me free, and by the grace of Christ I share in the same hope.” Rusticus the prefect said to Hierax, “And you — are you a Christian?” Hierax said, “Yes, I am a Christian, for I revere and worship the same God.” Rusticus the prefect said, “Did Justin make you Christians?” Hierax said, “I was a Christian, and I will go on being one.” [h]

Then Paeon stood up and said, “I too am a Christian.” Rusticus the prefect said, “Who taught you?” Paeon said, “We received this good confession from our parents.” Euelpistus said, “I was glad to listen to what Justin said. But I too learned to be a Christian from my parents.” Rusticus the prefect said, “Where are your parents?” Euelpistus said, “In Cappadocia.” Rusticus said to Hierax, “Where are your parents?” He answered, “Christ is our true father, and faith in him is our mother. My parents on earth are dead, and I came here after I was driven out of Iconium in Phrygia.” Rusticus the prefect said to Liberianus, “And what do you say? Are you a Christian, and unwilling to worship the gods?” Liberianus said, “I too am a Christian, for I worship and revere the one true God.”

The prefect said to Justin, “Listen, you who are called learned and think you know true teachings: if you are flogged and beheaded, do you believe you will go up into heaven?” Justin said, “I hope that if I endure these things I will have his gifts. For I know that God’s favor stays with everyone who has lived this way, until the whole world is finished.” Rusticus the prefect said, “So you suppose you will go up into heaven and be paid back for it?” Justin said, “I do not suppose it. I know it, and I am fully convinced of it.” [k]

Rusticus the prefect said, “Then let us come to the business in hand, which presses. Come together and sacrifice to the gods, all of you with one mind.” Justin said, “No one in his right mind abandons godliness for godlessness.” Rusticus the prefect said, “If you do not obey, you will be punished without mercy.” Justin said, “Through prayer we can be saved because of our Lord Jesus Christ, even after we have been punished, since this will become our salvation and our confidence at the judgment seat of our Lord and Savior — the seat that is more terrible and takes in everyone.” The other martyrs said the same thing: “Do what you want. We are Christians, and we do not sacrifice to idols.”

Rusticus the prefect pronounced sentence: “Those who have refused to sacrifice to the gods and to yield to the emperor’s command are to be flogged and led away to be beheaded, according to the laws.” [m]

The holy martyrs gave glory to God, went out to the usual place, and were beheaded; and they completed their witness in confessing the Savior. Some of the faithful secretly took their bodies away and laid them in a fitting place, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ working with them — to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.