The Church Fathers · c. 165
The Passing of Peregrinus
De Morte Peregrini
Lucian of Samosata · c. 125 – c. 180
What it is
A charlatan joins the Christians, becomes their prophet and interpreter of books, is imprisoned and showered with support — widows and orphans waiting at the prison from dawn, meals brought in, delegates sent from Asia — then is expelled for eating something forbidden, and finally burns himself alive at Olympia.
Why it lasted
The earliest outside description of Christian charity in action, from a writer who despised them: they are easily imposed on, he says, because they are convinced they are immortal and hold all goods in common.
Scripture it works from
Where to read it
Public domain and free to read in full, though not held here. The archives below have it.
These open a search on each archive rather than a direct link, which is the honest way to point at an edition nobody here has checked line by line.
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