The evidence of persecution which consists in quotations from the Christian books ("Evidences,” pages 33-52) cannot be admitted without evidence of the authenticity of the books quoted.  The Acts and the Pauline epistles so grossly contradict each other that, having nothing outside themselves with which to compare them, they are mutually destructive.  “The epistle to the Romans presents special difficulties to its acceptance as a genuine address to the Church of Rome in the era ascribed to it.  The faith of this Church, at this early period, is said to be ‘spoken of throughout the whole world’; and yet when Paul, according to the Acts, at a later time visited Rome, so little had this alleged Church influenced the neighbourhood, that the inquiring Jews of Rome are shown to be totally ignorant of what constituted Christianity, and to have looked to Paul to enlighten them” ("Portraiture and Mission of Jesus,” p. 15). 2 Cor. is of very doubtful authenticity.  The passage in James shows no fiery persecution.  Hebrews is of later date. 2 Thess. again very doubtful.  The “suffering” spoken of by Peter appears, from the context, to refer chiefly to reproaches, and a problematical “if any man suffer as a Christian.”  Had those he wrote to been then suffering, surely the apostle would have said:  “When any man suffers ... let him not be ashamed.”  The whole question of the authenticity of the canonical books will be challenged later, and the weakness of this division of Paley’s evidences will then be more fully apparent.  Meanwhile we subjoin Lardner’s view of these passages.  He has been arguing that the Romans “protected the many rites of all their provinces;” and he proceeds:  “There is, however, one difficulty which, I am aware, may be started by some persons.  If the Roman Government, to which all the world was then subject, was so mild and gentle, and protected all men in the profession of their several religious tenets, and the practice of all their peculiar rites, whence comes it to pass that there are in the Epistles so many exhortations to the Christians to patience and constancy, and so many arguments of consolation suggested to them, as a suffering body of men? [Here follow some passages as in Paley.] To this I answer:  1.  That the account St. Luke has given in the Acts of the Apostles of the behaviour of the Roman officers out of Judaea, and in it, is confirmed not only by the account I have given of the genius and nature of the Roman Government, but also by the testimony of the most ancient Christian writers.  The Romans did afterwards depart from these moderate maxims; but it is certain that they were governed by them as long as the history of the Acts of the Apostles reaches.  Tertullian and divers others do affirm that Nero was the first Emperor that persecuted the Christians; nor did he begin to disturb them till after Paul had left Rome the first time he was there (when he was sent thither by Festus), and, therefore, not until