Forbidden Gospels and Epistles, Complete

CHAPTER VIII.

PAUL to SENECA Greet­ing.

AL­THOUGH I know the em­per­or is both an ad­mir­er and favour­er of our re­li­gion, yet give me leave to ad­vise you against your suf­fer­ing any in­jury (by show­ing favour to us).

2 I think in­deed you ven­tured up­on a very dan­ger­ous at­tempt, when you would de­clare (to the em­per­or) that which is so very con­trary to his re­li­gion, and way of wor­ship; see­ing he is a wor­ship­per of the hea­then gods.

3 I know not what you par­tic­ular­ly had in view, when you told him of this; but I sup­pose you did it out of too great re­spect for me.

4 But I de­sire that for the fu­ture you would not do so; for you had need be care­ful, lest by show­ing your af­fec­tion for me, you should of­fend your mas­ter:

5 His anger in­deed will do us no harm, if he con­tin­ue a hea­then; nor will his not be­ing an­gry be of any ser­vice to us:

6 And if the em­press act wor­thy of her char­ac­ter, she will not be an­gry; but if she act as a wom­an, she will be af­front­ed. Farewell.