Eusebius, EH, 4.13

The Epistle of Antoninus to the Common Assembly of Asia in Regard to our Doctine.

1 The Emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, Armenicus, Pontifex 
Maximus, for the fifteenth time Tribuine, for the third time Consul, to the Common 
Assembly of Asia, Greeting. 2 I know that the gods also take care that such persons do 
not escape detection. For they would much rather punish those who will not worship 
them than you would. 3 But you throw them into confusion, and while you accuse 
them of atheism you only confirm them in the opinion which they hold. It would 
indeed be more desirable for them, when accused, to appear to die for their God, than 
to live. Wherefore also they come off victorius when they give up their lives rather than 
yield obedience to your commands. 

4 And in regard to the earthquakes which have been and are still taking place, it is 
not improper to admonish you who lose heart whenever they occur, and nevertheless 
are accustomed to compare your conduct with theirs. 5 They indeed become the more 
confident in God, while you, during the whole time, neglect, in apparent ignorance, 
the other gods and the worship of the Immortal, and oppress and persecute even unto 
death the Christians who worship him. 

6 But in regard to these persons, many of the governors of the provinces wrote also to 
our most divine father, to whom he wrote in reply that they should not trouble these 
people unless it should appear that they were attempting something affecting the 
Roman government. And to me also many have sent communications concerning these 
men, but I have replied to them in the same way that my father did. 7 But if any one 
still persists in bringing accusations against any of these people as such, the person 
who is accused shall be acquitted of the charge, even if it appear that he is one of 
them, but the accuser shall be punished. 

Published in Ephesus in the Common Assembly of Asia.