Hermas of the _Shepherd_ is a witness, to whose voice none can refuse to listen, of the sore and sleepless persecution which, from the days of Nero, with rare and brief pauses ever harassed the Christian sect in Rome.[104] Composed as this book evidently was directly under the veiled shadow of persecution--a state of things which colours well-nigh every page of the writing--it is difficult out of so many testimonies here to select any special passage telling of this perpetual harrying of the sect; a very few passages will be quoted where this restless state of persecution is painted with vivid colouring. “Happy ye who endure the great tribulation that is coming on, and happy they who shall not deny their own life” (Hermas, _Vision_, ii. 2). “The place to the right is for others who have pleased God, and have suffered for His Name’s sake” (Hermas, _Vision_, iii. 1). “What have they borne? Listen: Scourges, prisons, great tribulations, crosses, wild beasts for God’s Name’s sake--to them is assigned the division of sanctification on the right hand--to every one who shall suffer for God’s Name” (Hermas, _Vision_, iii. 2). “But who are the stones that were dragged from the depths and which were laid in the building, and fitted in with the rest of the stones before placed in the Tower? These are they who suffered for the Lord’s sake” (Hermas, _Vision_, iii. 5). “They without hesitation repented, and practise all virtue and righteousness, and some of them even suffered, being willingly put to death,”--“Of all these, therefore, the dwelling shall be in the Tower.” “All who were brought before the authorities and were examined, and did not deny, but suffered gladly, these are held in great honour with God” (Hermas, _Parables_, viii. 10). “All who once suffered for the name of the Lord are honourable before God, and of all these the sins were remitted, because they suffer for the Name of the Son of God” (Hermas, _Parables_, viii. 20). “And ye who suffer for His Name ought to glorify God, because He deemed you worthy to bear His Name, that all your sores might be healed” (Hermas, _Parables_, viii. 28). JUSTIN MARTYR, _CIRCA_ A.D. 140-A.D. 160 The above dates roughly embrace the period of Justin’s literary activity. He was, however, born not later than _circa_ A.D. 114, probably several years before. We know little of his early history. He was a diligent student and a thinker, and his works are amongst the most important that have come down to us from the first sixty years of the second century. Three writings of his are extant of the genuineness of which there is no doubt. Two _Apologies_ and _The Dialogue with the Jew Trypho_. The first _Apology_ and the _Dialogue_ are works of considerable size. There are besides other writings which bear his name, but the authenticity of these is doubtful.